"Well, then, to Glasgow, if ye list!" says Alan. "We'll
have the laugh of ye at the least."

"My mind runs little upon laughing," said the captain.

"But all this will cost money, sir."

"Well, sir," says Alan, "I am nae weathercock. Thirty
guineas, if ye land me on the sea-side! and sixty, if ye put
me in the Linnhe Loch."

"But see, sir, where we lie, we are but a few hours' sail
from Ardnamurchan," said Hoseason. "Give me sixty,
and I'll set ye there."

"And I'm to wear my brogues and run jeopardy of the red
coats to please you?" cries Alan. "No, sir; if ye want
sixty guineas, earn them, and set me in my own country."

"It's to risk the brig, sir," said the captain, "and your
own lives along with her."

"Take it or want it," says Alan.

"Could ye pilot us at all?" asked the captain, who was
frowning to himself.

"Well, it's doubtful," said Alan. "I'm more of a fight-
ing man (as ye have seen for yoursel') than a sailorman.
But I have been often enough picked up and set down upon
this coast, and should ken something of the lie of it."

The captain shook his head, still frowning.

"If I had lost less money on this unchancy cruise," says
he, "I would see you in a rope's end before I risked my brig,
sir. But be it as ye will. As soon as I get a slant of wind
(and there's some coming, or I'm the more mistaken) I'll put
it in hand. But there's one thing more. We may meet in
with a king's ship and she may lay us aboard, sir, with no
blame of mine: they keep the cruisers thick upon this coast,
ye ken who for. Now, sir, if that was to befall, ye might
leave the money."

"Captain," says Alan, "if ye see a pennant, it shall be
your part to run away. And now, as I hear you're a little
short of brandy in the fore-part, I'll offer you a change: a
bottle of brandy against two buckets of water."

That was the last clause of the treaty, and was duly
executed on both sides; so that Alan and I could at last wash
out the round-house and be quit of the memorials of those
whom we had slain, and the captain and Mr. Riach could
be happy again in their own way, the name of which was
drink.

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