tself, or rather the portion of more solid
ground on which the travellers half walked, half waded, was rough,
broken, and in many places quaggy and unsound. Sometimes the ground was
so completely unsafe that it was necessary to spring from one hillock to
another, the space between being incapable of bearing the human weight.
This was an easy matter to the Highlanders, who wore thin-soled brogues
fit for the purpose, and moved with a peculiar springing step; but Edward
began to find the exercise, to which he was unaccustomed, more fatiguing
than he expected. The lingering twilight served to show them through this
Serbonian bog, but deserted them almost totally at the bottom of a steep
and very stony hill, which it was the travellers' next toilsome task to
ascend. The night, however, was pleasant, and not dark; and Waverley,
calling up mental energy to support personal fatigue, held on his march
gallantly, though envying in his heart his Highland attendants, who
continued, without a symptom of abated vigour, the rapid and swinging
pace, or rather trot, which, according to his computation, had already
brought them fifteen miles upon their journey.

After crossing this mountain and descending on the other side towards a
thick wood, Evan Dhu held some conference with his Highland attendants,
in consequence of which Edward's baggage was shifted from the shoulders
of the gamekeeper to those of one of the gillies, and the former was sent
off with the other mountaineer in a direction different from that of the
three remaining travellers. On asking the meaning of this separation,
Waverley was told that the Lowlander must go to a hamlet about three
miles off for the night; for unless it was some very particular friend,
Donald Bean Lean, the worthy person whom they supposed to be possessed of
the cattle, did not much approve of strangers approaching his retreat.
This seemed reasonable, and silenced a qualm of suspicion which came
across Edward's mind when he saw himself, at such a place and such an
hour, deprived of his only Lowland companion. And Evan immediately
afterwards added,'that indeed he himself had better get forward, and
announce their approach to Donald Bean Lean, as the arrival of a sidier
roy (red soldier) might otherwise be a disagreeable surprise.' And
without waiting for an answer, in jockey phrase, he trotted out, and
putting himself to a very round pace, was out of sight in an instant.

Waverley was now left to h