ldier was cutting a block of wood which lay on
the floor of one of the uppermost rooms. The most unfavourable
suspicions were, however, eventually affixed to Lord George's neglect of
this mode of attack. Whether such conduct proceeded, on his part, from
an aversion to destroy the home of his youth, and his birthplace;
whether he had still hopes of reducing Sir Andrew to capitulate; or
whether, as it has been often vaguely asserted, a secret agreement
existed between himself and James, Duke of Atholl, that the Castle
should be saved, can only be determined by a far closer insight into
motives than human power can obtain. We may accord to Lord George
Murray, without a blemish on his fidelity, a pardonable reluctance to
level to the dust the pride of his family; that every effort was made to
subdue Blair, except the last, is evident from the testimony of all
contemporary historians.

Meantime the garrison had one source of confidence in their extremity,
on which sailors are more apt to reckon than landsmen. They trusted to
the _luck_ of their commandant. Never had the stout veteran who had
fought, in 1706, at Ramilies, been either sick, or wounded. He had never
been in any battle that the English did not win. Yet it was deemed
prudent not to allow any means of aid to be neglected, in so pressing a
danger as the state of the siege presented.

The Earl of Crawford was then supposed to be at Dunkeld, having the
command both of the British troops and of a body of Hessians who had
lately been marched from Edinburgh. It was resolved to send to that
nobleman for aid. The Duke of Atholl's gardener, a man named Wilson,
undertook that dangerous embassy; he was charged with a letter from Sir
Andrew to the Earl, and was allowed to take his choice of any horse in
the Castle.[184]

Before Sir Andrew and his starving garrison could gain intelligence of
the fate of Wilson, or could have heard the result of his enterprise, a
strange reverse in their affairs took place. On the morning of the first
of April, not a single Highlander was to be seen by any of the guards on
duty. All had vanished; and a visit from the young woman from the inn at
Blair shortly followed their disappearance. From her, the garrison heard
that Lord George had, in fear of the arrival of troops from Dunkeld,
suddenly withdrawn with all his followers. The old Sir Andrew,
nevertheless, fearful of some stratagem, would not allow his garrison to
sally out: they were shu