th his body.

The alarm bell now rang, and all the castle lights were seen moving and
glancing about, as if distracted, in the rooms.

"Courage, children!" said Douglas. "Row as if your lives depended on
each stroke of the oar; for ere five minutes the skiff will be out after
us."

"That won't be so easy for them as you think, George," said Little
Douglas; "for I shut all the doors behind me, and some time will elapse
before the keys that I have left there open them. As to these," added
he, showing those he had so skilfully abstracted, "I resign them to the
Kelpie, the genie of the lake, and I nominate him porter of Lochleven
Castle."

The discharge of a small piece of artillery answered William's joke; but
as the night was too dark for one to aim to such a distance as that
already between the castle and the boat, the ball ricochetted at twenty
paces from the fugitives, while the report died away in echo after echo.
Then Douglas drew his pistol from his belt, and, warning the ladies to
have no fear, he fired in the air, not to answer by idle bravado the
castle cannonade, but to give notice to a troop of faithful friends, who
were waiting for them on the other shore of the lake, that the queen had
escaped. Immediately, in spite of the danger of being so near Kinross,
cries of joy resounded on the bank, and William having turned the rudder,
the boat made for land at the spot whence they had been heard. Douglas
then gave his hand to the queen, who sprang lightly ashore, and who,
falling on her knees, immediately began to give thanks to God for her
happy deliverance.

On rising, the queen found herself surrounded by her most faithful
servants--Hamilton, Herries, and Seyton, Mary's father. Light-headed
with joy, the queen extended her hands to them, thanking them with broken
words, which expressed her intoxication and her gratitude better than the
choicest phrases could have done, when suddenly, turning round, she
perceived George Douglas, alone and melancholy. Then, going to him and
taking him by the hand--

"My lords," said she, presenting George to them, and pointing to William,
"behold my two deliverers: behold those to whom, as long as I live, I
shall preserve gratitude of which nothing will ever acquit me."

"Madam," said Douglas, "each of us has only done what he ought, and he
who has risked most is the happiest. But if your Majesty will believe
me, you will not lose a moment in needless words."

"Doug