Page:Rob Roy, the celebrated Highland freebooter, or, Memoirs of the Osbaldistone family (2).pdf/18

 orders were instantly executed, and the poor wretch sank to rise no more.

Helen Macgregor now ordered Frank before her, and interrogated him. On his giving satisfactory answers to her inquiries, Helen said, that being a neutral person, he was not liable to be detained a prisoner, and therefore she would send him with a message to the commander of the party who had taken her husband. The purport of this communication was, that if her enemies put to death, or even maltreated, Rob Roy Macgregor Campbell, she would not only take vengeance on the whole country, but slay all the prisoners in her possession. After some explanation on the subject, Frank, attended by Andrew Fairservice, having Rob's youngest son for a guide, travelled a considerable distance, before he arrived at the station of the king's troops, where he found the Duke of Montrose, and delivered the message. He immediately ordered the prisoner to hebe [sic] brought before him, and Rob made his appearance, with his arms buckled tight down to his body with a horse-girth, and on each side a non-commissioned officer had a hold of him, besides a file of men before and another behind, with their bayonets fixed, to prevent the possibility of his escape.

On entering, he bowed to the Duke, who observed, that it was long since they had met, and accused him of being the oppressor and terror of the country by his depredations; but that he was now drawing near the end of his career. Rob, in turn, accused the Duke of being the author of his misfortunes, by driving him to that kind of life which he now led, and said, that if he suffered death, many would lose their lives in return.

In order to secure the prisoner, the Duke had caused him to be placed on horseback behind one of the strongest men in the troop, whose name was Ewan of Brigglands, and both were buckled on so tightly, that it was impossible for Rob to escape. The cavalcade pursued their journey, till they came to a ravine, down which one horseman only could descend after another in succession; and while apart from the rest, Rob whispered to his companion, that it was barbarous "to carry an auld friend to death like a calf to the shambles;" begging him to cut the thong which bound him. After much solicitation, Ewan cut the leather while they were crossing the Forth, and his prisoner slipped from the horse and plunged into the river. The Duke had reached the opposite side, and, by the waning light, was engaged in put- ting his troops in order as they landed, and directing the prisoners to be brought over when he heard the plunge. He immediately suspected the cause, and finding on Ewan's landing, that his suspicions were verified, he cried out, "Rascal, where's the prisoner?" and then fired a pistol at him, vociferating, "Gentlemen, disperse and follow him; a hundred guineas to him that