"

A long period of fearful suspense ensued, in which my imagination
conjured up a thousand objects of horror and suffering. The sea-breeze
gently sighed among the rocks, and we heard the soft cadence of the
gentle waves that fell near our feet, as the tide advanced. That we had
become objects of alarm to a band of lawless men, whose lives were spent
in violating the laws of their country, I was fully aware, but in what
manner I knew not, unless that, by our sauntering about the rocks, they
had suspected us to belong to the excise. In such cases I had heard that
they were apt to do deeds of violence; but Malcolm's escape prevented me
from speaking a word, or requesting an explanation. At length the sound
of oars pulled steadily and with caution, fell upon my ears; and a
confused suppressed sound of many voices soon followed; then there was
the trampling of feet through the water and upon the rock, with the
noise as if numerous articles were placed close to where we sat.
Shivering from cold, we sat in anxious suspense. That I had been right
in my conjecture, I felt now assured; and, at this moment, I thought
they were delivering their cargo. Soon the movements ceased; we were
grasped by powerful hands, again threatened with death if we uttered a
word, and placed in a boat, which, by the motion, seemed to glide
through the water for a considerable time. No word was spoken by those
in the boat, except in whispers. Again I found it touch the beach. We
were lifted out, and placed upon the edge of the water, the cords cut
from our wrists, and, in one moment after, the sound of the departing
boat fell upon our gratified ears. We were alone, and the first use we
made of our regained liberty, was to take the mufflings from our faces.
All was dark around, nor could we discern any object except the faint
phosphoric light that marked the margin of the waves here and there,
like golden threads, as they broke at our feet.

We now breathed more freely; our situation, though far from comfortable,
was free from the dread of immediate violence; for we stood alone and
solitary upon an unknown beach--but whether in Ayrshire, Bute, or
Argyle, we had no means to ascertain. From our painful position while in
the boat, the time had hung so heavy on us that it appeared we had
sailed a great distance. Not so much as to the value of a farthing had
been taken from our persons, nor any violence used, more than was
necessary to keep us silent and p