f bearing arms, was raised and
drilled, and held in readiness to march, as soon as arms should be
provided by the government.

Annie had many anxieties about Rollo,--many feelings of longing and
dread to hear where he was, and what he was doing. The first good news
she had was that of the whole population of Skye and the neighbouring
islands, not one man had joined the Pretender. The news was carefully
spread, in order that it might produce its effect on any waverers, that
Sir Alexander Macdonald had written to Lord President Forbes that not
one man under him or Macleod had joined the Pretender's army; and that
he should soon be ready to march a force of several hundred men, if arms
could be sent or provided for them against their arrival at Inverness.
Meantime, no day passed without the men being collected in parties, and
exercised with batons, in the absence of fire-arms. Rollo came to the
very first drill which took place on the island; and great was his
mother's relief; and great the satisfaction with which she made haste to
equip him, according to her small means, for a march to Inverness.

Here was an object too for Lady Carse. She fretted sadly, but not quite
idly, about her strength failing just now when boats came to the island
so often that she might have had many chances of escape if she could now
have borne night watching, and exposure to weather and fatigue. She
complained and wept much; but all the time she worked as hard as Annie
to prepare Rollo for military service; for her very best chance now
appeared to be his seeing Lord President Forbes, and telling him her
story. The widow quite agreed in this; and it became the most earnest
desire of the whole party,--Helsa's sympathies being drawn in,--that the
summons to march might arrive. Somebody was always looking over towards
Skye; and there was so much traffic on these seas at present, that some
new excitement was perpetually arising. Now a meal bark arrived,
telling of the capture of others by the prince's privateer: and next
there was a seizure of fish for the king's service. Now all eyes were
engaged, for days together, in watching the man-of-war which hovered
round the coasts to prevent the rebels being reinforced by water, and
arms being landed from foreign vessels: and then there were rumours, and
sometimes visions, of suspicious boats skulking among the islands, or a
strange sail being visible on the horizon. Such excitements made the
is