y this time the farmer had come up and had grasped Malcolm's hand.

"All that I have is yours," he said warmly. "The lookout saw a wagon
coming across the plain with three or four men walking beside it, and he
thought that many more were seated in it; so thinking that this might be
a ruse of some freebooting band, I had the alarm bell rung, and prepared
to give them a hot reception."

"I have brought some sick comrades with me," Malcolm said. "I have no
thought of quartering them on you. That would be nigh as bad as the
arrival of a party of marauders, for they are getting strength, and
will, I warrant you, have keen appetites ere long; but we have brought
tents, and will pay for all we have."

"Do not talk of payment," the farmer said heartily. "As long as there is
flour in the storehouse and bacon on the beams, any Scottish soldier of
Gustavus is welcome to it, still more if they be comrades of thine."

"Thanks, indeed," Malcolm replied. "I left them at the edge of the wood,
for I knew not what welcome you might have prepared here; and seeing so
many men you might have shot at them before waiting to ask a question."

"That is possible enough," the farmer said, "for indeed we could hardly
look for friends. The men are all posted a hundred yards further on."

The farmer ordered one of his men to go on and bring up the wagon, and
then with Malcolm walked on to the village. A call that all was right
brought out the defenders of the ambush. It had been arranged similarly
to that which had been so successful before, except that instead of the
pit, several strong ropes had been laid across the road, to be tightened
breast high as soon as an enemy came close to them.

"These are not as good as the pit," the farmer said as they passed them;
"but as we have to use the road sometimes we could not keep a pit
here, which, moreover, might have given way and injured any one from a
neighbouring village who might be riding hither. We have made a strong
stockade of beams among the underwood on either side, so that none could
break through into the wood from the path."

"That is good," Malcolm said; "but were I you I would dig a pit across
the road some twelve feet wide, and would cover it with a stout door
with a catch, so that it would bear wagons crossing, but when the catch
is drawn it should rest only on some light supports below, and would
give way at once if a weight came on it. It would, of course, be covered
over with tu