as if on purpose to meet with our hero. Yet, as he
passed him, he only approached his stirrup and pronounced the single word
'Beware!' and then walked swiftly on, shunning all further communication.

Edward, somewhat surprised at this hint, followed with his eyes the
course of Evan, who speedily disappeared among the trees. His servant,
Alick Polwarth, who was in attendance, also looked after the Highlander,
and then riding up close to his master, said,--

'The ne'er be in me, sir, if I think you're safe amang thae Highland
rinthereouts.'

'What do you mean, Alick?' said Waverley.

'The Mac-Ivors, sir, hae gotten it into their heads that ye hae affronted
their young leddy, Miss Flora; and I hae heard mae than ane say, they
wadna tak muckle to mak a black-cock o' ye; and ye ken weel eneugh
there's mony o' them wadna mind a bawbee the weising a ball through the
Prince himsell, an the Chief gae them the wink, or whether he did or no,
if they thought it a thing that would please him when it was dune.'

Waverley, though confident that Fergus Mac-Ivor was incapable of such
treachery, was by no means equally sure of the forbearance of his
followers. He knew that, where the honour of the Chief or his family was
supposed to be touched, the happiest man would be he that could first
avenge the stigma; and he had often heard them quote a proverb, 'That the
best revenge was the most speedy and most safe.' Coupling this with the
hint of Evan, he judged it most prudent to set spurs to his horse and
ride briskly back to the squadron. Ere he reached the end of the long
avenue, however, a ball whistled past him, and the report of a pistol was
heard.

'It was that deevil's buckle, Callum Beg,' said Alick; 'I saw him whisk
away through amang the reises.'

Edward, justly incensed at this act of treachery, galloped out of the
avenue, and observed the battalion of Mac-Ivor at some distance moving
along the common in which it terminated. He also saw an individual
running very fast to join the party; this he concluded was the intended
assassin, who, by leaping an enclosure, might easily make a much shorter
path to the main body than he could find on horseback. Unable to contain
himself, he commanded Alick to go to the Baron of Bradwardine, who was at
the head of his regiment about half a mile in front, and acquaint him
with what had happened. He himself immediately rode up to Fergus's
regiment. The Chief himself was in the act of joining