Page:History of John Brown of Priesthill.pdf/14

 Joseph Wilson from Lesmahago, in the cleft of a rock that jutted half-way into the ravine. David Steel had a narrow escape the day before this. When just about to begin the morning worship, one cried out, "There is the enemy coming." He arose with the Bible under his arm, and, without knowing what he was about, went into the byre, and laid himself down in an empty cow-stall, putting the Bible on his breast. His wife, equally unconscious, turned over him a heap of bedding, just as the soldiers cnteredentered [sic] the place. They stabbcdstabbed [sic] the straw where he lay, but the Bible received thothe [sic] point of the sword, and they left the house without finding their victim. William Steel's house was near at hand, and was also searched. His wife had locked him in her clothes-press. After they searched every place without success, and had left the house, a soldier returned, and said to the gudewife, "Mistress, next timotime [sic] you hide, hide better; part of your husband's coat is locked without your press;" and with these words, he left her, to join his company. After he was gone, to her amazement, she found it as the soldier had said. It was to avoid such harassing scenes that they had all fled to the ravine; and they found, to their sweet experience, this dreary waste a Bethel; and in their harassings and hidings, as it was with Moses on the Mount, nearest God when farthest from creature comforts. All day, they read God's Word, and prayed by turns; and during the dark and silent watches of the night, by turns thcythey [sic] prayed and praised.

ThoThe [sic] seventy-fourth Psalm was decplydeeply [sic] imprinted on their memories, from its being remarkably descriptive of their situation. The