of them as
had been forced or decoyed into their service, began to think of making
their escape from them, and to cast about for means to bring it to pass.

The first to take an opportunity to go away was a young man who was
originally one of the ship's company, but was forced by fear of being
murdered (as has been observed) to give a silent assent to go with them.
It was one evening when the boat went on shore, for they kept a civil
correspondence with the people of the town, that this young fellow,
being one of the ship's crew and having been several times on shore
before, and therefore not suspected, gave them the slip and got away to
a farm-house which lay under a hill out of sight. There, for two or
three pieces-of-eight, he got a horse, and soon by that means escaped to
Kirkwall, a market town and chief of the Orkneys, about twelve miles
from the place where the ship lay. As soon as he came there he
surrendered himself to the Government, desiring protection, and informed
them who Gow was, and what the ship's crew were, and upon what business
they were abroad, with what else he knew of their designs, as to
plundering the gentlemen's houses, etc. Upon this they immediately
raised the country, and got a strength together to defend themselves.

But the next disaster that attended the pirates (for misfortunes seldom
come alone) was more fatal than this, for ten of Gow's men, most of them
likewise forced into their service, went away with the long-boat, making
the best of their way for the mainland of Scotland. These men, however
they did it, or what shift soever they made to get so far, were taken in
the Firth of Edinburgh, and made prisoners there.

Hardened for his own destruction and Justice evidently pursuing him, Gow
grew the bolder for the disaster, and notwithstanding that the country
was alarmed, and that he was fully discovered, instead of making a
timely escape, he resolved to land, and so put his intended project of
plundering the gentlemen's houses into execution, whatever it cost him.

In order to this he sent the boatswain and ten men on shore the very
same night, very well armed, directing them to go to the house of Mr.
Honeyman of Grahamsey, sheriff of the county, and who was himself at
that time, to his great good fortune, from home. The people of the house
had not the least notice of their coming, so that when they knocked at
the door, it was immediately opened. Upon which they all entered the
hous