the same vessel, yet hath he cast the eyes of his love upon my only
daughter Eva, the fairest of our maidens. Think with what feelings I
heard the news. It was as if a wolf from the skirts of Farragon had
said, 'Give me thy child in wedlock, Torquil.' My child thought not
thus: she loves Ferquhard, and weeps away her colour and strength in
dread of the approaching battle. Let her give him but a sign of favour,
and well I know he will forget kith and kin, forsake the field, and fly
with her to the desert."

"He, the youngest of the champions of Clan Chattan, being absent, I, the
youngest of the Clan Quhele, may be excused from combat" said Eachin,
blushing at the mean chance of safety thus opened to him.

"See now, my chief;" said Torquil, "and judge my thoughts towards
thee: others might give thee their own lives and that of their sons--I
sacrifice to thee the honour of my house."

"My friend--my father," repeated the chief, folding Torquil to his
bosom, "what a base wretch am I that have a spirit dastardly enough to
avail myself of your sacrifice!"

"Speak not of that. Green woods have ears. Let us back to the camp, and
send our gillies for the venison. Back, dogs, and follow at heel."

The slowhound, or lyme dog, luckily for Simon, had drenched his nose in
the blood of the deer, else he might have found the glover's lair in the
thicket; but its more acute properties of scent being lost, it followed
tranquilly with the gazehounds.

When the hunters were out of sight and hearing, the glover arose,
greatly relieved by their departure, and began to move off in the
opposite direction as fast as his age permitted. His first reflection
was on the fidelity of the foster father.

"The wild mountain heart is faithful and true. Yonder man is more like
the giants in romaunts than a man of mould like ourselves; and yet
Christians might take an example from him for his lealty. A simple
contrivance this, though, to finger a man from off their enemies'
chequer, as if there would not be twenty of the wildcats ready to supply
his place."

Thus thought the glover, not aware that the strictest proclamations
were issued, prohibiting any of the two contending clans, their friends,
allies, and dependants, from coming within fifty miles of Perth, during
a week before and a week after the combat, which regulation was to be
enforced by armed men.

So soon as our friend Simon arrived at the habitation of the herdsman,
he found othe