that rascally
Captain Laker, whom I had seen, or heard, last in Sir William Carleton's
garden at Richmond.

One of the rowers pulled me down to the bottom of the boat just as a
volley of shot whizzed over our heads.

"Up now, and row like fiends," cried our men when it had passed.

"Give me my pistol," said Ludar, "I have at least one arm."

So we tore through the water, letting fly at them as best we could while
they stood reloading.

Ludar's aim missed, for he had only his left hand. Mine was more lucky,
since it knocked over the villain Laker just as he raised his gun for a
second shot.

This saved us; for it gave us time to pull further beyond reach. So
that when the next volley came, it pattered harmlessly in the waves
around us.

This time we could not duck our heads, for our boat was already in the
hurly-burly of the surf, and needed all our skill and all our strength
to get her over that angry bar. More than once we were glad to fall
back right side uppermost, and more than once we looked to see every
timber we had fly asunder. But at last, between two lesser waves, we
slipped over, taking in half a boat of water as we did so, but winning
clear of the peril; and leaving our pursuers, who had waited to see us
perish, to turn back sullenly to report their ill success to their
master.

'Twas a far cry to Bonandonnye, which lay behind the Eastern headlands,
some four leagues beyond Benmore. Nor durst we approach it the shortest
way, because our men had heard that the coast was closely guarded by the
English, who made short work of all suspected craft. So we were fain to
hoist our sail and stand out to sea, rounding Raughlin on the far side,
and running back on Cantire.

There, for a week and more, Ludar lay in a fever, shouting to be taken
to his father, yet too weak to turn in his bed. Tenderly his clansmen
nursed him (and me, for the matter of that, for I had wounds too), until
at least we were both in better trim.

Meanwhile, one of the men had rowed across to the mainland, and come
back with the news that Sorley Boy was deep in the woods of Glenshesk,
behind the great mountain of Knocklayd, where he was rapidly bringing
his forces to a head for a swoop on Dunluce. This news decided Ludar to
tarry not a day longer. That very night, as the sun set, we embarked on
our boat. It was the time of the autumn gales, and hard enough were we
put to it to get safely across. For that very reason, per