: the arrow had been drawn; it must now fly. I could almost
doubt the power of Providence (and certainly His will) to stay the issue
of events; and it is a strange thought, how many of us had been storing
up the elements of this catastrophe, for how long a time, and with how
blind an ignorance of what we did.

* * * * *

From the coming of the Colonel's letter, I had a spyglass in my room,
began to drop questions to the tenant folk, and as there was no great
secrecy observed, and the free-trade (in our part) went by force as much
as stealth, I had soon got together a knowledge of the signals in use,
and knew pretty well to an hour when any messenger might be expected. I
say, I questioned the tenants; for with the traders themselves,
desperate blades that went habitually armed, I could never bring myself
to meddle willingly. Indeed, by what proved in the sequel an unhappy
chance, I was an object of scorn to some of these braggadocios; who had
not only gratified me with a nickname, but catching me one night upon a
by-path, and being all (as they would have said) somewhat merry, had
caused me to dance for their diversion. The method employed was that of
cruelly chipping at my toes with naked cutlasses, shouting at the same
time "Square-toes"; and though they did me no bodily mischief, I was
none the less deplorably affected, and was indeed for several days
confined to my bed: a scandal on the state of Scotland on which no
comment is required.

It happened on the afternoon of November 7th, in this same unfortunate
year, that I espied, during my walk, the smoke of a beacon fire upon the
Muckleross. It was drawing near time for my return; but the uneasiness
upon my spirits was that day so great that I must burst through the
thickets to the edge of what they call the Craig Head. The sun was
already down, but there was still a broad light in the west, which
showed me some of the smugglers treading out their signal fire upon the
Ross, and in the bay the lugger lying with her sails brailed up. She was
plainly but new come to anchor, and yet the skiff was already lowered
and pulling for the landing-place at the end of the long shrubbery. And
this I knew could signify but one thing,--the coming of a messenger for
Durrisdeer.

I laid aside the remainder of my terrors, clambered down the brae--a
place I had never ventured through before--and was hid among the
shore-side thickets in time to see the b