I put aside the tangle and crawled within the black mouth of the
cavern one at a time, till we came to a wider part, for the whole place
is narrow and constricted. And there, on a pallet bed, very pale and far
through, we found Auld Anton--who, when he saw us, turned his head and
raised his hand by the wrist in greeting. His lips moved, but what he
said we could not tell. So I crept back and made shift to get him a
draught of water from a well upon the hillside, which flowed near by the
mouth of the cave. The spring water somewhat revived him, and he sat up,
leaning heavily against me as he did so.

Nevertheless, it was some time before he could speak. Wat and I looked
at one another, and as we saw the condition of things in the cave, it
became very evident to us that the lassies Kate and Maisie had either
wandered from the road, or had been detained in some manner that was
unknown to us. So Wat, being ever for instant action, proposed that he
should go off and seek the lassies, and that I should bide and do my
best to succour Auld Anton in his extremity.

To this I consented, and Wat instantly took his way with his sword, his
pistols, and his gaily set bonnet--walking with that carriage which had
been little else than a swagger in the old days, but which now was no
more than the air of well-set distinction which marks the man of ancient
family and life-long training in arms.

So I was left alone with the father of the lassie I loved. I have said
it. There is no use of denying it any longer. Indeed, the times were not
such as to encourage much dallying with love's dainty misunderstandings.
We were among days too dark for that. But I owned as I sat there, with
her father's head on my lap, that it was for Maisie Lennox's sake, and
not altogether for the sake of human kindness, that I was left here in
the wilderness to nurse Anton Lennox of the Duchrae.

As soon as he could speak, Anton began to tell me of his illness.

"I fell," he said, "from my pride of strength in one hour. The spirit of
the Lord departed from me, and I became even as the mown grass, that
to-day is and to-morrow is cast into the oven."

He lay back and breathed quickly for a moment. I entreated him not to
speak, but he put my words aside impatiently with his hand.

"Thus it was. I was fleeing with a few of the people from before the
persecutors, and as we came over the hip of the Meaull of Garryhorn, the
horsemen rode hotly behind us. Then sudde