which we did, with some reluctance, more especially as we were compelled
to leave our horses below.
"'Never mind the cattle; they will be taken good care of,' said our
conductor, laying especial emphasis on the word 'good.'
"I must confess I did not feel by any means comfortable. But what was to
be done? Starvation stared us in the face, and the danger of perishing
by cold, or by falling into some of the deep ravines that lay about us,
was but too probable; so I mustered up all my courage, and followed my
unknown guide, who led me, by a very precipitous and dangerous path, to
a large cavity in the centre of the rock. My servant came last; and,
when we reached the place of our destination, we beheld a vast pile of
faggots lighted up in the middle of a prodigious vacuity. The warmth, as
you may readily suppose, was very grateful to two travellers benumbed by
cold; and, while we were standing by the fire, the guide suddenly
disappeared, but returned, some few minutes afterwards, from some
concealed part of the subterranean habitation, with above fifty armed
men.
"At such a very unexpected, not to say disagreeable, spectacle, in
circumstances otherwise sufficiently alarming, both myself and servant
felt no small degree of fear. Our trepidation was observed; and one of
the number, who seemed to have the command of the rest of the band,
addressed me to the following purport:--
"'You can be at no loss to conjecture who we are, and what our ordinary
occupation is; but you have nothing to fear; for, though we live by what
is called violence, we are not destitute of humanity. Our depredations
are never marked by cruelty, and seldom by blood; and those whom
necessity has thrown on our care have never either been treated with
barbarity or suffered to want. We extort only a little from those who
are able to spare it, and rather augment than diminish the property of
the poor. We know, alas! too well what the consequences would be were we
to fall into the hands of the rich and powerful; but we are resigned to
our fate. We can only die once, and our enemies can inflict no greater
vengeance upon us. Miserable we may be; but we have a fellow-feeling for
sufferers, and never take advantage of distress: in truth, it is from no
sordid love of gain, nor is it to pander to vicious habits or immoral
purposes, that we live in this manner. It is because we have no other
mode of support; for, after the cruelties that have been perpetrated
upon their disarmed opponents, it were in vain to expect assistance or
relief at the hands of our Hanoverian oppressors.
"'You see our quarters, and shall have every accommodation they can
afford you: and, if you can trust us, who have neither inclination nor
reason to deceive you, we give you a hearty welcome to these adamantine
abodes, and that with the most perfect sincerity. Our fare is homely but
wholesome; and our beds, though coarse, are clean. Nor be under any
concern for your horses; they too shall share our protection and
hospitality. We have no hay; but they shall not want. Stables we have
none; but can shelter them, for one night at least, from the inclemency
of the weather.'
"This address revived our courage, which was not a little augmented upon
being handed a bicker of whisky--mountain dew of the most delicious
description; at least I thought so then, and have never changed my
opinion since. Talk of the wines of Spain, or of France, or the Rhine, I
never felt from them half the delight I experienced in quaffing the
nectar of the Gael. When we had finished, a supper was laid before us
which might have provoked the appetite of an English alderman, and that
is saying a good deal. We had blackcock and ptarmigan broiled, or, as it
is called in Scotland, brandered; fine black-faced Highland mutton done
to a turn in the live ashes; and a stew of snipes and wild duck, the
aroma of which was perfectly ambrosial. I did ample justice to the good
cheer, and ate with as much coolness and self-possession as if I had
been seated in Dolly's chop-house, in place of an apparently
interminable cave surrounded by caterans; for so the Highland banditti
are termed.
"After having satisfied my craving appetite, in which example I had a
worthy imitator in the person of my servant, rest was the next thing of
which both of us stood in need. My generous host then led me to an inner
apartment in the cave, which seemed at once to be the treasury and the
magazine. There two sackfuls of heather were, by his orders, brought in
and put on end, with the flower uppermost. Then a rope was fastened
about the whole to keep it together, and on the top of each was placed a
double blanket. On this simple contrivance, which formed an exquisitely
soft and delicious couch, we laid ourselves down.
"I had some bank-notes about me, and above twenty guineas in gold,
besides a very handsome gold watch, and other trinkets of no
inconsiderable value; but, as I had given them up for lost, I made no
attempt to secrete any of them. My host, apparently divining my
suspicions, insisted upon mounting guard over us--a proposal which I
strenuously opposed; but he told me plainly that, unless he kept by me,
he would not answer for the conduct of his companions. Against this
there was no appeal; and he remained beside us, on the bare rock, all
the night.
"In the morning, we found ourselves alone with this singular being.
Everything remained as it had been the preceding evening, with this, to
us, very pleasant exception, that the band of caterans was nowhere to be
seen. Another fire of wood was speedily kindled; and, as our host told
us that, before we could reach any place of refreshment, we had to go
twenty miles and a bittick--which, being interpreted, means somewhere
about five miles more--we took the precaution to lay in a good stock of
cakes, butter, and cheese, which we washed down with a moderate quantity
of the nectar of the night preceding.
"Our repast over, we descended the circuitous path which led from the
cavern, and which one, uninitiated, might have searched for in vain;
and, at the bottom, found a lad or gilly holding our horses, which had
been well fed, and were in fine spirits. Our host then declared his
intention of putting us upon the right track, otherwise, he said, we
were sure of losing our way. I desired my servant to dismount and follow
us on foot; but this the stranger refused to allow, assigning as a
reason, that he preferred walking, and could, without the slightest
difficulty, keep up with the horses. In this way, therefore, we
proceeded nearly three miles: and, it was evident that, but for his
friendly assistance, the chances of getting out of our difficulties
would have been very problematical. At last he stopped, and said--
"'Pursue that path for half-a-mile farther, and you will enter upon the
great road, after which you can have no difficulty in journeying to the
place of your destination.
"I was quite overpowered with this kindness, and felt reluctant to part
with my new friend, without, at least, showing how much I appreciated
his services.
"'Sir,' said I, 'I am deeply affected by the whole of your conduct
towards me and my servant. I can only hope that, some day or other, I
may have it in my power to serve you. I have been treated like a prince,
when I expected, if not to have my throat cut--which I once thought was
inevitable--at least to have been robbed of everything about me. At
present I can only offer you this small remuneration, which I trust you
will accept. I am only sorry that it is not more.' As I said this, I
drew forth my purse, with the intention of giving him all the gold I had
about me, but he stayed my hand.
"'Sir!' exclaimed the unknown, 'you have seen the way in which I and my
companions live, and you may easily guess that to us gold can be no
object. I thank you for the free and liberal way in which it was
proffered; but I most respectfully beg to decline accepting it. In
serving you I merely followed a precept which I ever--though a
cateran--keep in view--to do to others as I would be done by myself. You
were in distress, and I relieved you;--there was no merit in doing what
I knew was merely my duty; and Ranald More will take no reward for
having done that which his heart told him it was right to do.'
"'Heavens!' I cried, 'are you Ranald More?'
"'I am!'
"'Why,' I rejoined; 'your name is a terror to all the country round.'
"'I know it; but what care I? Let the bloodhounds take me if they can.'
"'Are you aware that a reward is offered for your apprehension?'
"'Perfectly.'
"'Why, then, should you trust yourself alone with two armed men?'
"To show that he was perfectly regardless of fear, he merely pointed to
his claymore, and I must confess that I should not have been anxious for
a single combat, and even with the assistance of my servant, I am not
quite sure that we might not have come off second best.
"'But,' continued the cateran, 'you are a gentleman and a man of honour.
My secret is safe with you. Bid your servant ride on a few paces.' I
gave the necessary order; and when we were alone, the cateran proceeded
to narrate to me the following particulars of his life:--
"'I was born in the higher ranks of society; but circumstances, which I
need not recapitulate, reduced me to the humble condition of a peasant.
Early misfortunes compelled me to conceal my name and family, and I
enlisted as a private soldier. My conduct in the army attracted the
attention of my superiors; but I had no interest to rise higher than a
halbert, and was discharged with the regiment in which I served. When
Prince Charles landed on his native shores, I refused to join him, as I
considered myself in a manner bound, by my former services, to his
opponent. I took, therefore, no further interest in this civil broil
than to give my humble assistance to many of those persecuted men whom
the bloody mandates of the Duke of Cumberland had marked out for
destruction. In this way I have gradually collected around me a band of
gallant fellows, who are ready to follow me on any enterprise, however
desperate. It was not choice but necessity that compelled me to my
present way of life. Some day or other I shall, in all human
probability, be taken, and made an example of, to deter others from
following the like courses. I only ask, when you hear of my death--in
whatever way that may happen--that you will not forget you owed your
life to him who never took one but in the cause of his country, when he
fought for his king, and exposed his own. Farewell.'
"Then pressing my proffered hand in his, he turned away; and in a few
minutes the Highland cateran was out of sight."
"Did you never see him again, father?" inquired Edmund.
"I did; but in circumstances extremely painful; although to the last
interview I had with him I owe that portion of happiness with which
Providence was graciously pleased to bless me."
"Indeed! O father, do continue your story!"
"Well, Edmund, have patience, and you shall hear all. Time hurried on
imperceptibly; and, in a couple of years afterwards, I found myself
raised to the rank of a captain. The regiment had been ordered to
Ireland, where it remained for about a year; but the Highlands of
Scotland not being in a very settled state, it was ordered to that
kingdom; and, in the month of January, 1748, I found myself once more in
my old quarters; a circumstance far from displeasing, as I had many
friends there anxious to make me comfortable.
"The severity of Government had by this time considerably relaxed; and
as all fears of any new rebellion were at an end, an anxious endeavour
was made to reduce the restless Highlanders to some sort of order, and
put down the straggling bands of caterans that disturbed the
tranquillity of the country, and kept the proprietors in a perpetual
state of anxiety, by lifting, as it was called, their cattle, and other
predatory acts.
"Upon inquiring after my old friend, Ranald, I was told he had not been
heard of for a long time, and that it was generally supposed he had been
killed in some of his marauding expeditions.
"One individual seemed to be peculiarly obnoxious to these worthies, and
his cattle had not only been repeatedly carried off, but his granaries
had been despoiled. He had bought some of the forfeited estates at
small value, and having the misfortune--for so it was reckoned amongst
the proud Highlanders, whose pedigrees were generally as long as their
purses were short--to be a _parvenu_, his father having been a grocer in
the Luckenbooths of Edinburgh, he experienced no mercy from the
caterans, and little sympathy from the gentry in his vicinity, who
laughed at his misfortunes. To crown all, he had been a commissary in
the army of the Duke of Cumberland; and, though neither a bad man nor a
hard landlord, still his original connection with the bloody duke was a
sin not to be forgiven, and hence the reason of his peculiar
persecution.
"Irritated by a series of provoking outrages, Peter Penny, Esq., of
Glenbodle, appealed to our commander, and, as he volunteered to guide a
small detachment to the place where he had good reason to believe his
tormentors were concealed, his appeal was listened to; and, under the
charge of one of our lieutenants, a party of some twenty or thirty
soldiers proceeded to capture the caterans. As resistance was
anticipated, they were well armed, and every precaution was adopted to
prevent surprise by ambush.
"Of all this I thought nothing. Such occurrences were common; and,
usually, the objects were accomplished with no very great difficulty. In
this case, the result was different; and, although the detachment was
successful, it was only so at a great expenditure of life; for the
caterans gave battle, and were eventually subdued, after killing five of
the king's troops, and severely wounding the commander. The laird
himself escaped free; for, holding the truth of the adage, that the
better part of valour is discretion, he prudently kept in the rear, and
thus ran no other risk than a chance shot. Poor fellow, he assured
me--and I believe he spoke with perfect sincerity--that, had he imagined
so much blood was to be shed on his account, he had much rather the
caterans had stolen every animal on his estate, and carried off its
entire produce.
"The defence had been well ordered; and it required little observation
to see that the chief of the caterans was skilled in military tactics.
He fought with infinite bravery, and it was not until a great proportion
of his band was either killed or wounded that his capture was effected;
and even this would have been doubtful, had he not been weakened by loss
of blood. He was, however, brought to Inverness, with one or two of his
confederates, who had also been severely wounded. The rest retreated
safely to the fastnesses of the mountains.
"The day following, I was somewhat surprised by an intimation that one
of the captives was desirous of seeing me. I proceeded to the prison,
when I found a man lying on a heap of straw, evidently in a very
exhausted state.
"'This is kind, Captain Jardine, very kind,' he exclaimed. Then, after
pausing a minute, he proceeded, whilst a faint smile passed over his
face--'When we last met, it was in different circumstances.'
"'Gracious Providence!' I answered, 'can it be--do I see Ranald More?'
"'You see all that remains of him--a few short hours, and I shall be
beyond the reach of earthly foes. I had once hoped that better days
would have come; but they came not. I sought pardon, but it was refused;
driven back to my old courses, I am about to pay the penalty of my
sins.'
"I endeavoured to reassure him; for, in truth, I felt a sincere esteem
for him, and, personally, knew his honourable principles, and deeply
regretted that so noble a fellow should have been thrown away. I got the
best medical advice, procured a comfortable bed, and everything that
might tend to alleviate his sufferings during the brief remainder of his
days.
"He was gratified by my attentions. 'One thing consoles me,' he said: 'I
shall not die the death of a felon. You soldiers have spared me that
disgrace.'
"'Do not despond,' I rejoined; 'whilst there is life there is hope,
and----
"Here he interrupted me with--
"'No--no--no. I would not live if I could; I am weary, and need rest in
my grave. Captain,' he continued, 'you have dealt with me kindly and
considerately; would you make me your debtor still farther? I have one
request to make, which, as it does not compromise you in the smallest
degree, you will probably grant. It is to convey this ring to the only
female in this world for whom I feel regard; and tell her, that the
being she cherished when all others neglected him, died blessing her.'
"I assured him I would obey his commands, and that the ring should be
personally delivered.
"Ranald, then, as soon as cessation from pain would allow him, disclosed
his history, which was brief but painful. The son of a gentleman of an
ancient family in Northumberland, proud of his descent and large
possessions, he had formed an attachment to one of the bondagers on his
father's estate; and, in a luckless hour, crossed the Borders, and was
united to her at Lamberton--the Gretna Green of that part of the
country. The result was the ordinary one--he was disinherited, and cast
off by his father; and his wife, not matching with one of her own rank,
could not put up with her husband's ways, or reconcile herself to those
habits of propriety which were essential to her new station in society.
Unhappiness followed--poverty made him fretful and impatient; although
well educated, he would turn his attentions to no useful purpose, and in
a fit of desperation he enlisted. During his banishment from home, he
saw none of his relatives excepting his niece, then a girl of fourteen,
who loved her uncle, and used, by stealth, to bring to his humble
dwelling such articles as she thought he might fancy; and endeavoured,
so far as was in her power, to soften the severity of his situation.
"The uncle's unexpected departure did not prevent the niece showing
similar attentions to the wife; but these were soon terminated by the
demise of the latter, who died with the infant in her accouchment. For
several years after this, nothing was heard of Ranald; but the anger of
his father continued unabated.
"Quitting the army, as I formerly mentioned, he joined the caterans; and
after our interview, determined to make an effort to obtain paternal
forgiveness. He left his retreat; and one evening presented himself
suddenly before his father, who was residing at the family seat. He
threw himself on his knees, and asked pardon.
"'Go,' said his father. 'Degenerate son, disgrace not, by your presence,
the halls of your ancestors. In vain you supplicate--in vain you attempt
to move me from my fixed purposes by your assumed penitence.'
"'Have you no pity for your own offspring--for a being who, but for one
unhappy act, never caused you a moment's pain--who has ever venerated
and obeyed you?'
"No answer was returned.
"'Say you forgive me--I seek no more; and I will leave you never to
return, until my future acts have shown that I am not entirely unworthy
of the proud race from whence I have sprung.'
"The old man was silent.
"'For years a father's malison has embittered my life, and rendered me
reckless of all consequences. Your pardon will restore me to myself; and
can you refuse to grant it?'
"Still no response.
"'If not for one so unworthy as the miserable wretch before you, at
least on her account who gave me birth. Say you forgive me.'
"'Never.'
"'Father, we meet for the last time; one word would have restored your
son to happiness, and you refuse it. Farewell for ever!'
"At this moment the door opened, and a beautiful girl of twenty rushed
in, and threw herself into the old man's arms.
"'Oh, sir, do not part in anger with your son; you are so good, so kind.
I am sure you will restore him to your favour.'
"He gently disengaged her from his embrace.
"'Emily,' said he, 'you are a good girl; and on any other subject you
might be sure I would listen to your wishes; but on this point I am
immoveable; and as Reginald deliberately dissolved the tie between
father and son, I no longer recognise him as my child.'
"Saying this, he left the room.
"Emily was sadly overcome by this unexpected repulse. She knew her
grandfather's inflexibility, but imagined that the lapse of time would
have softened his resentment. Her father--the heir apparent--was then on
the Continent; and it was doubtful how far even his influence would
produce any change on the unnatural anger of his incensed parent.
"'Dear uncle, you know not how deeply I grieve at this unkind reception.
Often have I thought on you during your tedious absence, and longed to
see you again; and now when my wish is gratified, I have no home here to
offer you; but we must not part--time yet may make all right; and if you
would only take up your abode near us, I would do everything to save
you; and when my father returns, we will unite our entreaties to obtain
your pardon.'
"'Sweet girl!' replied Ranald, 'I duly appreciate your kindness; but it
is vain to contend against fate, and here I cannot--will not stay.'
"The conversation was interrupted by the entrance of a footman, who,
with some confusion and hesitation, intimated that his master wished
the strange gentleman would make his visit as short as possible. Having
delivered this message, he withdrew.
"'Emily, farewell! I have ever loved you; and your kindness in this hour
of trial shows my love was not misplaced.'
"'Do not leave me, uncle; better days will come.'
"'It is vain to urge my stay; my father shall be obeyed. Once more,
farewell!'
"His niece found his resolution immoveable. She entreated him to take
her purse; this he refused. She then placed on his finger a ring: it was
the fatal one--the cause of all his misery. The sight of it overcame
him. He wept bitterly. Clasping his niece to his arms, he said, in
faltering accents--
"'Beloved girl! this fatal testimonial shall part from me only with
death; and, when you see it again, be assured that all my earthly cares
are over.'
"He then quitted the home of his forefathers, never again to return.
After wandering about for months, necessity drove him back upon his old
companions. But he had lost his energy; and it was not until the attack
upon the caterans that he again became the Ranald More of olden times.
"The kindness and affection of his niece made a deep impression on
Ranald's mind; and his chief anxiety now was to make her acquainted with
his fate, and to let her know that he died a repentant man, in the hope
of forgiveness in 'another and a better world.'
"The night before he expired, I sat beside him. Ranald was composed. He
said--
"'Often, very often, kind friend, have I meditated, after my last
repulse, putting an end to my existence; but religion came to my aid,
and I resisted manfully the temptings of the fiend. Resignation to the
divine will, under every disappointment and affliction, is a duty we
all owe to our great Creator, and this precept of my dear mother was too
deeply implanted in my mind ever to be entirely eradicated; forgiveness
of our enemies she also inculcated; and I can say, with perfect
sincerity, that I die in peace with all mankind.'
"'Even your father?' I inquired.
"'Yes; even that cruel parent, through whose obduracy I am now a
degraded felon, is forgiven by me. But no more of this. When you see
Emily, give her my blessing. Tell her that her dying uncle had her
always in his thoughts; and that, in his last moments, he prayed for her
prosperity and happiness.'
"As he was evidently much exhausted, I entreated him not to fatigue
himself by farther conversation. The clergyman arriving, I took my
leave, and returned in the morning. He was still sensible; and the man
who had sat up with him mentioned that he had been very quiet all night,
though he apparently slept very little. When I approached the bedside,
he recognised me; and, with extreme difficulty articulated--
"'Remember!'
"I assured him that his request should be implicitly complied with. His
last words were 'Bless you!' Raising himself, he placed his wife's
marriage-ring on my finger, pressed my hand feebly, and, overcome by the
exertion, fell back on his pillow; a gentle slumber seemed gradually to
come over him, from which he never awoke.