In any by-time Alan must teach me to use my sword, for
my ignorance had much distressed him! and I think besides,
as I had sometimes the upper hand of him in the fishing, he
was not sorry to turn to an exercise where he had so much
the upper hand of me. He made it somewhat more of a
pain than need have been, for he stormed at me all through
the lessons in a very violent manner of scolding, and would
push me so close that I made sure he must run me through
the body. I was often tempted to turn tail, but held my
ground for all that, and got some profit of my lessons; if it
was but to stand on guard with an assured countenance,
which is often all that is required. So, though I could never
in the least please my master, I was not altogether displeased
with myself.

In the meanwhile, you are not to suppose that we neglected
our chief business, which was to get away.

"It will be many a long day," Alan said to me on our
first morning, "before the red-coats think upon seeking
Corrynakiegh; so now we must get word sent to James, and
he must find the siller for us."

"And how shall we send that word?" says I. "We are
here in a desert place, which yet we dare not leave; and
unless ye get the fowls of the air to be your messengers, I see
not what we shall be able to do."

"Ay?" said Alan. "Ye're a man of small contrivance,
David."

Thereupon he fell in a muse, looking in the embers of the
fire; and presently, getting a piece of wood, he fashioned it
in a cross, the four ends of which he blackened on the coals.
Then he looked at me a little shyly.

"Could ye lend me my button?" says he. "It seems a
strange thing to ask a gift again, but I own I am laith to cut
another."

I gave him the button; whereupon he strung it on a strip
of his great-coat which he had used to bind the cross; and
tying in a little sprig of birch and another of fir, he looked
upon his work with satisfaction.

"Now," said he, "there is a little clachan" (what is called
a hamlet in the English) "not very far from Corrynakiegh,
and it has the name of Koalisnacoan. There there are living
many friends of mine whom I could trust with my life, and
some that I am no just so sure of. Ye see, David, there will

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