king his house as pretty an irregular
fortification as an invading army ever broke their teeth upon.--But I
see," he continued, looking own from the window upon the bottom of the
precipice, "they have got Gustavus safe ashore--Proper fellow! I would
know that toss of his head among a whole squadron. I must go to see what
they are to make of him."

He had no sooner reached, however, the court to the seaward, and put
himself in the act of descending the staircase, than two Highland
sentinels, advancing their Lochaber axes, gave him to understand that
this was a service of danger.

"Diavolo!" said the soldier, "and I have got no pass-word. I could not
speak a syllable of their salvage gibberish, an it were to save me from
the provost-marshal."

"I will be your surety, Captain Dalgetty," said Sir Duncan, who had
again approached him without his observing from whence; "and we will go
together, and see how your favourite charger is accommodated."

He conducted him accordingly down the staircase to the beach, and from
thence by a short turn behind a large rock, which concealed the stables
and other offices belonging to the castle, Captain Dalgetty became
sensible, at the same time, that the side of the castle to the land was
rendered totally inaccessible by a ravine, partly natural and partly
scarped with great care and labour, so as to be only passed by a
drawbridge. Still, however, the Captain insisted, not withstanding the
triumphant air with which Sir Duncan pointed out his defences, that a
sconce should be erected on Drumsnab, the round eminence to the east of
the castle, in respect the house might be annoyed from thence by burning
bullets full of fire, shot out of cannon, according to the curious
invention of Stephen Bathian, King of Poland, whereby that prince
utterly ruined the great Muscovite city of Moscow. This invention,
Captain Dalgetty owned, he had not yet witnessed, but observed, "that
it would give him particular delectation to witness the same put to
the proof against Ardenvohr, or any other castle of similar strength;"
observing, "that so curious an experiment could not but afford the
greatest delight to all admirers of the military art."

Sir Duncan Campbell diverted this conversation by carrying the soldier
into his stables, and suffering him to arrange Gustavus according to
his own will and pleasure. After this duty had been carefully performed,
Captain Dalgetty proposed to return to the castle, obse