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1 David meets his uncle

It was early in the month of June 1751 when I shut the door of our house behind me for the last time All my life I had lived in the quiet little village of Essendean in the Lowlands of Scotland where my father had been the dominie or schoolteacher But now that he and my mother were both dead I had to leave the house The new dominie would soon arrive and he would teach at the school and live in the dominie's house So although I was only seventeen there was nowhere for me to live and no reason for me to stay in Essendean

But my heart was beating with excitement as I walked down the road because in my hand I carried the letter that my father had given me just before he died Davie he had said when I am dead take this to the house of Shaws near Cramond That's where I came from and that's where you must go Put this letter into the hands of Ebenezer Balfour

Balfour The same name as my own It was the first time I had heard of any of our family outside Essendean

So I decided to walk to Cramond hoping that perhaps this Mr Balfour in his fine big house would receive me kindly and help me to become a rich man one day With my plaid over my shoulder I walked fast up the hill away from the village What an adventure to leave that sleepy place where nothing ever happened and go to a great busy house to be with rich and important people of my own name and blood But when I reached the top of the hill I turned a little sadly to take my last look at the dominie's house and Essendean churchyard where my father and mother lay

My journey northwards took almost two days By midday on the second day I could see the smoking chimneys of Edinburgh in front of me and soon I arrived in Cramond

Now I began to ask people on the road for the house of Shaws Their answers worried me a little Some people seemed surprised some afraid and some angry when I spoke the name of Ebenezer Balfour I could not understand this but it was too far to go back to Essendean that day and I wanted to find the rest of the Balfour family very much So I continued on my way and when I met a dark wild-looking woman coming towards me I asked her where the house of Shaws was She took me to the top of the next hill and showed me a large building standing alone in the bottom of the next valley Although the fields around were green and the farmland was excellent the house itself looked unfinished and empty Part of its roof was missing There was no road to it and no smoke coming from any of its chimneys nor was there any garden That I cried No it can't be It is cried the woman angrily That is the house of Shaws Blood built it blood stopped the building of if and blood shall bring it down Black is the heart of Ebenezer Balfour Ye can tell him from me that I hope to see him die and his house fall down around him The woman turned and disappeared I stood where she left me shaking like a leaf and looking down at the house for a long time But when it began to get dark I noticed some smoke coming out of the chimney and felt a little more hope ful There must be a fire and cooking and people in the house I thought So I walked up to the front door The house seemed locked up and unwelcoming but there was fire light shining through the kitchen window and I could hear someone talking quietly to himself Bravely I lifted my hand and knocked loudly on the strong wooden door The house was suddenly silent and there was no reply I knocked and knocked and shouted as loudly as I could Finally the win dow opened and a man holding a gun put his head out

What do ye want he asked

I've come here with a letter for Mr Ebenezer Balfour of Shaws Is he here

Who is it from asked the man with the gun

That's none of your business I replied getting angry

Well put the letter down by the door and leave

I will not I answered sharply I'm going to give it to Mr Balfour himself The letter introduces me to him

Who are ye then was the next question

I'm not ashamed of my name It's David Balfour

The man almost dropped his gun After a long while he asked in a changed voice Is your father dead I was too surprised to answer but he continued Aye he must be dead and that's why ye have come Well man I'll let ye in and he disappeared from the window

Now the door was unlocked and a voice from the darkness said Go into the kitchen and touch nothing I obeyed while the man locked the heavy door carefully again I found myself in the emptiest kitchen that I had ever seen There was a fire but no other light On the table was a bowl of porridge and a glass of water in front of the only chair Around the walls were several locked chests There was no other furniture The man who now appeared in the kitchen was small mean-looking and white-faced between fifty and sev enty years old and wearing a dirty old nightshirt The worst thing about him was that he could neither take his eyes away from me nor look straight into my face

If ye're hungry he said ye can eat that porridge It's grand food porridge Let me see the letter

It's for Mr Balfour not you I replied

And who do ye think I am Give me Alexander's letter Ye may not like me or my house or my porridge but I'm your born uncle Davie my man

This was the end of all my hopes I was too tired and miser able to speak so I silently gave him the letter and sat down to eat the porridge

Your father's been dead a long time he asked giving me a quick look from his sharp eyes

Three weeks sir I said

He was a secretive man Alexander was Perhaps he didn't talk much about me Or about the house of Shaws

I never knew he had a brother sir or ever heard the name of Shaws

To think of that he replied A strange man But he seemed very pleased and began to look at me with more inter est Soon he jumped up and said We're going to get on well Davie What's mine is yours man and what's yours is mine Blood's thicker than water and there's only ye and me of the name of Balfour Now I'll show ye to your bed

He took me up some dark stairs and showed me into a room I could not see anything Can I have a light sir I asked No ye can't No lights in this house I'm afraid of fires ye see Good night to ye Davie my man And before I had time to reply he pulled the door shut and locked it from the outside The room was very cold but luckily I had my plaid with me so I covered myself with it like a blanket and soon fell asleep

The next day my uncle and I had a small bowl of porridge and a glass of water for breakfast lunch and supper He did not speak much to me but was clearly thinking hard I often noticed him looking at me while pretending to do something different and he never left me alone in the kitchen with the locked chests in which I supposed he kept his money I did not like the way he looked at me and began to wonder if he was a little crazy and perhaps dangerous

After supper he said suddenly Davie I've been thinking I promised your father a bit of money for ye before ye were born A promise is a promise and so I'm going to give ye forty pounds These last words seemed very painful to him He added in a kind of scream Scots

A Scottish pound was the same as an English shilling I could see that his story was a lie so I laughed at him saying Oh think again sir English pounds surely

That's what I said 'replied my uncle quickly Go outside for a moment and I'll get the money for ye

I was smiling as I went out sure that he would give me nothing at all It was a dark night and I could hear wind in the hills There may be thunder later I thought not knowing how important the weather would be to me that night

But when my uncle called me in again he counted thirty eight English pounds in gold into my hands It clearly hurt him to do it and he kept back the last two pounds but I did not mind that Surprised and pleased I thanked him warmly

Now he said looking cleverly at me ye can give me something Davie I'm getting old now and I need help

Of course sir I answered What can I do

Well go outside and climb the stairs at the other end of the house where the building isn't finished yet Go up to the room at the top and bring down the chest that ye'll find there It's got valuable papers in it

Can I have a light sir I asked

No he said sharply No lights in my house Very well sir Are the stairs good

They're grand said he The stairs are grand Out I went into the night As I was feeling my way along the outside wall there was a sudden flash of lightning then darkness again I found the stairs and started climbing I was about fifteen metres above the ground when there was another flash of lightning That was lucky for me because it showed me that the steps were uneven and that I could easily fall to my death These are the grand stairs I thought Perhaps my uncle wants me to die Now I was very careful and I felt each step with my hands before I put my foot on it A few steps later my hand felt cold stone and then nothing more The stairs ended there twenty metres above the ground I felt cold with fear when I thought of the danger that I had been in Sending a stranger up those stairs in the dark was sending him straight to his death

Angrily I turned and felt my way down There was a crash of thunder and suddenly the rain came down At the bottom of the stairs I looked towards the kitchen and could see in the next flash of lightning a figure standing still in the doorway listening When the thunder sounded again louder than before he ran back inside and I followed as softly as I could I found him sitting in the kitchen drinking whisky straight from the bottle and shaking with fear Quietly I came up behind him and putting my hands sud denly on his shoulders cried Ah

My uncle gave a kind of broken cry and fell to the floor like a dead man His face was a strange blue colour and I began to think that he really was dead At last his eyes opened and he looked up and saw me Oh man are ye alive or a ghost he cried Get me my medicine Davie it's for my heart I found the medicine bottle and gave him some He soon began to look a little better Why did you lie to me I asked angrily Why did you give me money And why did you try to kill me Answer me

I'll tell ye tomorrow Davie I promise Help me to bed now will ye He still looked very ill so I could not refuse But this time I locked his bedroom door and went to sleep in front of the kitchen fire

When I woke up in the morning I felt very pleased with myself He thinks he's cleverer than me but he isn't I thought When I let my uncle out of his room I asked him again for an explanation After a while he said Davie I have some business with a ship's captain at Queensferry Now we could walk over there and when I've done my business we could visit the lawyer Mr Rankeillor He'll answer all your questions He's an honest man and he knew your father What do ye say to that

I thought for a moment I had never seen the sea but had always wanted to It's a grand idea I said

It was a morning's walk to Queensferry Which was west of Edinburgh but we did not say a word to each other on the way Suddenly at the top of a hill we could see the Firth of Forth below us blue and calm with white sails on it

Ye see that public house asked my uncle Captain Hoseason's there to do business with me There's the ship's boat on the beach waiting to take him to the ship And there's the ship itself A grand ship

I had to agree with him The sailors were getting the ship ready for sailing and I thought what an exciting adventure that would be to sail away to a foreign country

We walked down the hill to the public house and met the captain there He was a tall dark serious-looking man who shook hands politely with me Stupidly I left these two men to their business and ran down to the beach to talk to the sailors and look at the boats It was all new and very interest ing to me

As I was coming back I met the owner of the public house

Good morning he said Did ye come with Ebenezer

I did I replied He isn't well liked I understand

That's true he answered Nobody speaks well of him It all started with that story about Mr Alexander his brother

What story I asked

Oh just that Ebenezer had killed him Did ye never hear that

And why would he kill my f I mean Alexander

To get the house of course the house of Shaws

Aye man Was my was Alexander older than Ebenezer

Indeed he was No other reason for killing him

This was a great surprise to me I had thought that my fa ther was the younger brother and I now understood why my uncle had lied to me and wanted to kill me The house of Shaws had belonged to my father not my uncle and now I had inherited it The poor country boy who had walked from Essendean was the owner of a fine house and farmland My head was full of the wonderful things that I could do in my life as I looked unseeing at the sea

Just then my uncle and the captain came out of the public house The captain smiled in a friendly way as he spoke to me Sir he said Mr Balfour has told me a lot about ye I'm only sorry I haven't time to get to know ye better But I'd like ye to come on to my ship for half an hour before we sail and have a drink with me

Now more than anything in the world I wanted to see the inside of a ship but I remembered that I had to be careful My uncle and I have to see the lawyer sir I replied so I'm afraid we may not have enough time

Aye aye he answered I know but ye see the ship's boat can put ye both down near Rankeillor's house after ye've seen the ship so ye won't lose any time Suddenly he said quietly in my ear Watch out for the old man he wants to hurt ye Come and talk about it Putting his arm in mine he said loudly What can I bring ye back from my travels A friend of Mr Balfour's is a friend of mine

By this time we were on the beach and he was helping my uncle and me into the boat I thought that I had found a good friend and helper and I was very excited as we came closer to the great ship full of busy noisy sailors The captain and I were the first to climb up the ship's side and at the top the captain immediately put his arm through mine and began to talk about the ship

But where is my uncle I asked suddenly I pulled myself away from the captain's arm and ran to the side of the ship Sure enough there was the boat returning to Queensferry with my uncle sitting in it I screamed Help help Murder and my uncle slowly turned to look at me

I did not see any more Already strong hands were pulling me away Then something hit my head I saw a great flash of fire and fell to the ground

2 Kidnapped

When I woke up in darkness my head was hurting badly and I was unable to move my hands or feet I could hear the sailors shouts and the sound of the wind and the waves The whole world seemed to go up up up and then down again I felt very ill and at first could not under stand what was happening After a while I realized that I must be somewhere inside the ship which was moving very fast through the water I've been kidnapped I thought angrily It was clear that my uncle and the captain had planned it together I began to feel frightened and hopeless as I lay there in the dark

Some hours later a light shone in my face Mr Riach one of the ship's officers stood looking down at me He washed the cut on my head gave me some water and told me kindly to go to sleep The next time he came I was feeling very hot and ill He had brought Captain Hoseason with him

Now sir see for yourself said Mr Riach The lad's seriously ill We must take him out of this unhealthy hole at once

That's none of your business answered the captain Ye're paid to do your job not to worry about the by He's staying down here

I'm only paid to be an officer on this ship replied Mr Riach sharply He looked hard at the captain I'm not paid like you to kidnap and murder

Hoseason turned on him angrily What did ye say be cried What do ye mean

You understand said Mr Riach looking calmly at him

You should know me by now Mr Riach I'm a hard man But if ye say the lad will die

Aye he will said Mr Riach

Well sir put him where ye like

So I was carried up into the sunlight a few minutes later and put in a cabin where some of the sailors were sleeping It was a wonderful feeling to see the daylight and to be able to talk to people again I lay in the cabin for several days and after a while began to feel better The sailors were kind to me in their way They brought me food and drink and told me about their families at home I discovered from them that the ship was sailing to the Carolinas in North America There the captain was planning to sell me as a slave to work in a rich man's house or on a farm

I also learnt that both the ship's officers Mr Riach and Mr Shuan enjoyed drinking far too much The sailors liked Mr Shuan but said that he was sometimes violent when he had drunk a lot One of the sailors was a young boy called Ransome His job was to bring meals to the captain and officers in the round-house a big cabin on the top of the ship where the officers slept and ate When Ransome dropped something or did something wrong Mr Shuan used to hit him and I often saw the poor boy crying

One night about nine o clock I heard one of the sailors in the cabin saying quietly to the others Shuan's killed him at last We all knew who he meant Just then the captain came in I was surprised to see him walk towards me and say kindly My man We Want ye to help us in the round-house From now on ye'll sleep there instead of Ransome As he spoke two sailors carried Ransome into the cabin His face was as white as a sheet and he did not move My blood ran cold when I saw him

I obeyed the captain and ran to the round-house It was a large room with a table a bench and locked cupboards All the best food and drink was kept there under the captain's eyes as well as the guns When I entered I saw Mr Shuan sitting at the table with a bottle of whisky in front of him He did not seem to notice what was happening around him and was looking fixedly at the table

Mr Riach soon joined the captain and me He looked at Hoseason meaningfully and I understood from his look that Ransome was dead We three all stood silently looking down at Mr Shuan

Suddenly the captain stepped forward Do ye know what ye've done he cried Ye've murdered the boy

Mr Shuan put a hand to his head Well he said he brought me a dirty glass

The captain and Mr Riach and I looked at each other almost frightened Then Hoseason took Mr Shuan by the arm and told him to go to bed The murderer cried a little at first but he took off his boots and lay down like a small child

Mr Riach said the captain when we could see that Mr Shuan was asleep nobody on land must know what happened tonight We'll say that the boy fell into the sea Get us a drink David we both need one and he gave me the key to the cupboards

In the next few days I was very busy running here and there with the officers food and drink Mr Riach and the cap tain were surprisingly patient with me when I made mistakes Perhaps they were thinking of the poor boy who had died But Mr Shuan was very strange after Ransome's death He did not seem to know what he had done or to recognize me On my second day in the round-house he looked at me with a white face and fear in his eyes You weren't here before he asked

No sir I replied

There was another boy he asked Ah Yes I thought so and sitting down he called for some more whisky

It wasn't a hard life for me I was able to eat well and talk to Mr Riach who spoke to me like a friend But I could not forget poor Ransome As the days passed I became more and more worried I knew that when the ship arrived in the Carolinas I would no longer be a free man but a slave I thought hard but there did not seem to be any way of escaping

About a week later we were sailing round the rocky coast of northern Scotland in very bad weather It was difficult to see anything because of the thick fog One evening there was a great crash and the officers ran out to see what had happened I thought we had hit a rock but in fact it was a small boat As we watched the boat broke in two and went to the bottom with all its men except the one passenger At the moment of the crash this man managed to jump up and catch the side of the ship and pull himself up

The captain brought him into the round-house He was smallish but well-built with an open sunburnt face and bright amused eyes When he took off his long coat I could see that he had a pair of pistols and was wearing a sword at his side Although his life had clearly been in great danger he seemed very calm and spoke politely to the captain Hoseason was looking with interest at the man's clothes He Was Wear ing a hat with feathers a blue coat with silver buttons and expensive-looking lace round his neck

I'm sorry about the boat sir said the captain

I've lost some grand friends today replied the stranger and that's worse than losing ten boats

Well sir there are more men in the world than boats replied the captain still watching him closely I know be cause I've been in France like you

He said these last words clearly and carefully They seemed to have a special meaning The stranger put his hand quickly on his pistol

Don't worry said Hoseason Ye've a French soldier's coat on your back and a Scottish tongue in your head that's true but so has many an honest man these days

Well sir replied the stranger I must tell you that I'm one of those honest Highlanders who were proud to fight for their homes their clan and their country in 1745 against the English King And I must tell you another thing If King George's soldiers find me I'll be in trouble I was on my way to France where some of my clansmen live now But in the fog my boat missed the French ship that was meeting me So if you can take me to France I'll pay you well

He opened his purse and showed that it was full of gold coins The captain seemed excited as he looked at the money and then at the man's face

To France he replied No I can't do that But to the Highlands aye we can discuss that They sat down together and in the end agreed that the captain would take the stranger to Loch Linnhe on the northwest coast of Scot land for sixty pounds There the Highlander would be among friends and safe from the English army He and Hoseason shook hands and the captain left me alone with the stranger

He had told the captain that the gold was not his own Some of the Highlanders had escaped to France after the Forty-Five but their friends and clansmen in Scotland sometimes managed to find a little money to send them It was this man's job to take the money across to France and he did this by travelling secretly to Scotland as often as possible I thought he was very brave If he's caught by the English army they'll kill him I told myself I liked the way he seemed to enjoy living dangerously

When he asked me for whisky I had to go to ask the cap tain for the key to the cupboard I found Hoseason and his officers talking quietly in a corner and heard them planning to kill the stranger and steal his money They seemed to think that I would help them and asked me to bring them secretly some guns from the round-house I went slowly back to the stranger not sure what I should do But when I entered the round-house and saw him eating his supper I decided at once

They're going to attack you and murder you I told him

What he cried jumping up Will ye stand with me against them

I will I'm no thief or murderer I replied bravely

Are ye for King George

More or less I answered

Well Mr More-or-Less what's your name

David Balfour I said and then thinking that a man with so fine a coat must like fine people I added of Shaws

My name is Stewart he said proudly Alan Breck they call me And Stewart is a king's name so it's good enough for me although I have no name of a farmhouse to add to it He looked around him Now David I'll take any man who comes in through this door You must watch the window and the door behind me and shoot anyone who tries to enter

He gave me a pistol I was very frightened but tried hard not to show it The ship seemed very quiet Suddenly there was the sound of running feet and a shout and then I heard fighting in the doorway I looked over my shoulder and saw Mr Shuan just as Alan drove his sword into the officer's body Then several men ran at my door I did not want to hurt them but it was now or never I lifted my pistol and shot at them One man fell and the others ran away After a few moments the sailors attacked again Alan fought as bravely as before his sword now red with blood He was clearly enjoying himself I had no time to think but when two more men appeared at the window I shot them too Now there were several bodies on the floor and blood everywhere

Suddenly I realized that we had won and that the danger was over Alan was driving the men out of the round-house like sheep When he returned he took me in his arms

David he cried I love ye like a brother And oh man am I not a grand fighter I had to agree He took a knife from the table and cut a silver button off his blue coat Take this David The buttons come from my father Duncan Stewart where ye show that button the friends of Alan Breck will come to ye He spoke as proudly as a king and I tried not to smile

We slept in the round-house one of us keeping watch all night and the next morning the captain came to speak to us Ye'veve won the fight sir he said to Alan We're sailing through the Little Minch now and I'll keep my promise to take ye to Loch Linnhe But ye've killed my chief officer Shuan and without him I can't find my way safely round these rocky coasts We'll go round the island of Mull but I warn ye it'll be dangerous

Hoseason was right to be worried All that day Alan and I sat in the round-house and told each other the stories of our lives but by night the wind was growing stronger and the sailors found it hard to keep the ship away from the dangerous rocks As we came round Earraid a small island close to the larger island of Mull there was a sudden terrible crash and we realized that the ship had hit a rock There was only one thing to do-leave the ship and try to reach land in the ship's boat But as we were climbing down into the boat a great wave hit the ship and knocked some of us into the sea

I went down and came up again several times . Then luckily I managed to find a piece of wood which helped me to stay up in the water I looked round but could not see Alan , or any of the sailors or the boat My only hope was to try to swim to Earraid which I could see not far away in the moonlight It was hard tiring work but I reached it and was very grateful to step on to dry land at last

3 David is alone

It was a cold night so I could not sit down to rest In stead I walked up and down on the beach trying to keep warm There was no sound except the crash of the waves I felt very lonely and afraid

In the morning I climbed a hill and looked out over the sea but there was nothing at all on the water And around me on the island I could not see any houses or people I did not like to think what had happened to my friend Alan and the others and I did not want to look at this emptiness any longer So I climbed down again and walked eastwards I was hoping to find a house where I could dry my clothes and get something to eat I soon discovered that nobody lived on Earraid It was too far to swim to Mull which could see across the water I thought perhaps I could wade across but when I tried it the water was too deep and I had to turn back By now it had started to rain and I felt very miserable

Then I remembered the piece of wood which had already saved my life once It would help me to get across the sea to Mull So I walked all the way back to the beach where I had arrived The piece of wood was in the sea so I waded into the water to get it But as I came closer it moved away from me And when the water was too deep for me to stand the piece of wood was still several metres away I had to leave it and went back to the beach It was a terrible moment for me I was feeling very tired hungry and thirsty with no hope of getting away from this lonely island For the first time since leaving Essendean I lay down and cried I do not want to remember the time that I spent on Earraid I had nothing with me except my uncle's gold and Alan's silver button and as I had never lived near the sea I did not know what to eat or how to fish In fact I found some shellfish among the rocks on the coast and ate them but I was very sick afterwards That was the only food that I could find so I was always hungry on Earraid All day and all night it rained heavily but there was no roof or tree on the island and my clothes were cold and wet on my body

I chose to spend most of my time in the north of Earraid on a little hill From here I could see the old church on the island of Iona not far away to the west and smoke from people's houses on Mull to the east I used to watch this smoke and think of the people there and their comfortable lives This gave me a little hope in my lonely life among the rocks and the rain and the cold sea

Two days passed and on the third day two things happened First I discovered that I had lost almost all my money through a hole in my pocket I only had three of my uncle's thirty-eight pounds left But worse was to come While I was sitting on a rock looking out over Iona I suddenly noticed a small boat moving fast through the Water I jumped to my feet and shouted as loudly as I could The two men in the boat were near enough to hear They shouted back in Gaelic and laughed But the boat did not turn and sailed on right in front of my eyes to Iona I could not understand why they did not come to help me I continued shouting wildly although I could no longer see them And then I lay down and cried for the second time This time I wasn't sad but angry because I thought that they had left me to die alone in that terrible place

The next morning I was surprised to see that the same men were sailing towards Earraid from Iona At once I ran down to the rocky coast to meet them The boat came near me but stayed a few metres away in the water There was a third man in the boat who was talking and laughing with the others Then he stood up and spoke fast to me in Gaelic which I could not understand But sometimes he used an English word and once I heard the word tide This gave me a flash of hope Do you mean that when the tide is low I cried and could not finish Yes yes he called back tide and laughed again I turned my back on the boat and ran back excitedly to the east of the island where Earraid was the closest to Mull And sure enough there was now only a little water between the is lands I was able to wade through it easily and reached Mull with a happy shout How stupid of me not to realize that it was possible to get to Mull twice a day at low tide Now I felt very grateful to the boatmen for guessing my problem and coming back to help me I walked towards the smoke that I had seen so often from Earraid and reached a long low house built of stone Outside sat an old man smoking his pipe in the sun He spoke a little English and told me that the officers and sailors from the ship had all arrived there safely a few days before Was one of them dressed in fine clothes I asked Aye there was one like that he smiled Ye must be the lad with the silver button Why yes I said surprised Well then your friend says that ye must follow him to the house of his clansman James Stewart in Appin

He and his wife gave me food and drink and let me sleep that night in their house In the morning I thanked them for their kindness and started my journey to Appin

I walked across Mull to Torosay where I took a boat across the water to Lochaline Then I walked to Kingairlock where I took another boat across Loch Linnhe to Appin This took six days and on my way I met and spoke to a number of travellers I heard all about Alan's clan the Stewarts and their enemies the Campbells Although they were both High land clans the Campbells and Stewarts had hated each other for years and now the Campbells were helping the English army drive many Highlanders out of their homes Indeed in a day or two I heard red-haired Colin Campbell himself was com ing to Appin with King George's soldiers to drive the Stew arts out and so destroy his enemies But I heard also of James Stewart head of the Stewart clan in Appin and that he and his clansmen would dearly love to see Colin Campbell dead

People also talked of a man called Alan Breck Some called him a murderer others said that he was a brave fighter He was in danger every time he returned to the Highlands be cause the English would pay a good price for him-dead or alive I listened with interest to everything that they told me But I liked it best when I heard Alan described as a fine man and an honest Highlander

When I got out of the boat in Appin I sat down among some trees to decide what to do next Should I go on and join Alan whose friends were King George's enemies and whose life was full of danger or should I go back south again quietly and safely to the Lowlands

As I was thinking four men on horses came past me on the road As soon as I saw these men I decided to continue my adventure although I cannot explain why

I stopped the first man who was tall and red haired

Could you tell me the way to James Stewart's house sir I asked

All the men looked at each other The red haired man did not reply but spoke to one of the others who looked like a lawyer Is Stewart calling his people together do ye think

The lawyer replied We'd better wait here for the sold iers to join us before we go any further

The red haired man I suddenly realized must be Colin Campbell himself If you're worried about me I said I'm not a Stewart but a Lowlander and I'm for King George That's well said replied Campbell but if I may ask why is an honest Lowlander like you so far from his home Today is not a good day for travelling This is the day when the Appin Stewarts have to leave their farms and there may be trouble

He was turning to speak to the lawyer again

when there came a sudden bang from the hill and Campbell fell off his horse They've shot me he cried holding his heart

He died almost immediately The men's faces were white as they looked down at his body I saw something move on the hill and noticed among the trees a man with a gun turning away from the road

Look The murderer I cried and began to run up the hill towards him He saw me chasing him and went faster Soon he disappeared behind a rock and I could no longer see him I stopped next to some trees then I heard a voice below on the road

The lawyer was shouting to a large number of redcoated soldiers who had just joined the men around Campbell's dead body Ten pounds if ye catch that lad he cried He's one of the murderers He stopped us in the road to give the killer a better chance to shoot Campbell

Now I felt a new kind of fear My life was in serious danger although I had not done anything wrong

My mouth felt dry and for a moment I could not move I stood there in the open on the hill while the soldiers lifted their guns ready to shoot

Jump in here among the trees said a voice near me

I did not know what I was doing but I obeyed As I did so I heard the banging of the guns and realized that the sol diers were shooting at me In the shadow of the trees I found Alan Breck standing there It was he who had spoken to me

4 Escape through the heather

We had no time for conversation Come Alan said and started running along the side of the hill keeping low to the ground I followed him like a sheep We ran and ran faster than I had ever run before and my heart was beat ing wildly Sometimes to my surprise Alan straightened his back and showed himself to the soldiers who were chasing us

After fifteen minutes Alan stopped lay flat in the heather and turned to me Now he said this is serious Do what I do if ye don't want to die And just as fast but much more carefully and secretly we went back almost the same way that we had come At last we arrived back in the wood where I had found Alan

We fell down in the heather and lay without moving for a long time My legs hurt my head was aching and I thought I was dead

Alan was the first to speak Well he said that was hot work David

I said nothing I had seen murder done I knew that Colin Campbell had been Alan's greatest enemy and I had found Alan hiding in the wood Although I didn't think that he had actually shot Campbell I felt sure that he had planned the killing I coult not look at him

Are ye still tired he asked

No I replied my face turned away from him no I'm not tired now Alan I can't stay with you I must leave you I liked you very much but we're two different people that's all

Ye must explain what ye mean by that David said Alan looking very serious

Alan why do you ask You know very well that Colin Campbell is lying dead in the road in his own blood

Alan was silent for a moment Well Mr Balfour of Shaws he said at last I promise ye that I did not plan the murder or know anything about it

Thank God for that I cried and offered him my hand

He did not appear to see it I don't know why ye're so worried about a dead Campbell he said I know that you hate their clan Alan but taking a life in cold blood is a terrible thing to do Do you know who did it

I wouldn't recognize him again said Alan shaking his head sadly I'm good at forgetting David

I had to laugh at that Then I remembered something But when we were running away you showed yourself to the sol diers to give the murderer a chance to escape

Any Highlander would do that The best place for the lad who shot Colin Campbell is the heather and we must all do what we can to help him keep away from the soldiers

I shook my head at this These Highlanders were strange wild people to be sure But Alan was ready to die for what he thought was right and I liked him for that I offered him my hand again and this time he took it

Now David he said we must escape too The Campbells will accuse us both of the murder

But we didn't do it I cried We can prove that in court

Man I'm surprised at ye said Alan Do ye not know that if a Campbell is killed the accused has to go to court in Inveraray in the heart of Campbell country When the Campbell lawyers have finished with ye ye'll be dead

This frightened me a little All right Alan I said I'll go with you

But remember said Alan it'll be a hard life Ye'll have to sleep in the open air and ye'll often have an empty stomach Ye can choose-either live in the heather with me or die at the hands of the Campbells

That's easy to decide I said and we shook hands on it

When we looked between the trees we could just see the redcoats of the soldiers still moving away from us across the hills Alan smiled and told me that we would go first to the house of his clansman James Stewart and then to the Low lands The Campbells and the English soldiers would not think of looking for us there and Alan could find a place on a ship sailing to France

We walked for several hours and arrived that night at a large house in a valley

There were lights in all the windows and people were running in and out of the open doors Alan whistled three times and we were met at the door by a tall good-looking man of about fifty who welcomed us in Gaelic

James Stewart said Alan I'll ask ye to speak in English because my friend here comes from the Lowlands and cannot speak Gaelic

James spoke politely to me for a few moments but soon he turned back to Alan with a very worried look on his face This is a terrible accident he said It will bring trouble to all of us

Well man said Alan ye should be grateful that Colin Campbell is dead

Aye replied James but he was killed in Appin remem ber that Alan so it's the Appin Stewarts who'll be accused And I'm a man with a family

I looked around me Men with white frightened faces were hurrying here and there without any clear idea of what they ought to do first

Some were hiding guns and swords while others were burning papers When James saw me looking sur prised he explained The soldiers'll search my house first ye see and I don't want them to find anything

We went inside and met James's wife and children who were crying in a corner I felt very sorry for them but we did not have much time to talk Alan explained what we needed for our escape and soon James's men brought us two swords two pistols some food a cooking pot and a bottle of whisky We needed money too because Alan had given his gold to an other man to take to France But James had only a little to give us

Ye must find a safe place somewhere near he said and send me a message I'll find some more money for ye and send it to ye

But Alan and here he stopped for a moment biting his finger worriedly I'll have to accuse ye of killing that Campbell I'll have to If I don't they'll accuse me I have to think of myself and my family Do ye see that

Aye said Alan slowly I see that

And I'll have to accuse your friend from the Lowlands too Ye see that Alan say that ye see that

Alan's face went red It's hard on me James I brought him here and now my friends accuse him of murder

But just think Alan man cried James The Campbells will be sure to accuse him And I have children

Well sir said Alan turning to me what do ye say If ye do not agree I won't let James do it

I cannot understand why we don't accuse the man who did kill Campbell I replied sharply but accuse me Mr Stewart if you like accuse Alan accuse King George I am Alan's friend and if I can help his friends in any way I don't mind the danger

So that night we started our long journey to the Lowlands Sometimes we walked and sometimes we ran But although we travelled as fast as we could daylight began to appear before we had found a good hiding place We were in the rocky valley of Glencoe with high mountains on both sides and a river running fast through the middle Alan was clearly worried The soldiers will find us easily here he said He looked around and saw a great rock about seven metres high With difficulty we both climbed to the top of it Then I saw why he had chosen it The top of the rock was shaped like a plate and there was room for two or three men to lie there hidden from people in the valley

At last Alan smiled Aye he said Now we have a chance Ye can sleep for a while I'll watch for soldiers

But when I woke up several hours later the valley was full of redcoats and Alan was looking worried again If they go up the sides of the mountains they'll see us he said We'll just have to stay here and hope they don't When it's dark we'll try to get past them

That was a terrible day We lay on the rock baking in the sun with no water only whisky to drink We could hear the English voices of the soldiers all around us but luckily they did not look up at our rock In the afternoon when the soldiers seemed sleepy after their lunch we decided to try to escape and we climbed very quietly down from the rock The soldiers did not notice us as we moved carefully from rock to rock and soon we were safely in the next valley That evening we washed ourselves in the river and ate cold porridge which is a good meal for a hungry man

We continued walking eastwards all night over the great dark mountains Alan was very pleased that we had left the soldiers behind and whistled happily as he walked

Before daylight we reached a cave that Alan had used before and here we stayed hidden for five days Alan went down one night to the nearest village to the housc of one of his clansmen He sent this man to James Stewart to tell him where we were hiding and after three days the clansman re turned with a purse of money for us and a message from Mrs Stewart We discovered that James was already in prison ac cused of murder although people were saying that Alan Breck had actually fired the shot And there was a price of one hun dred pounds on my head as well as on Alan's

I began to think that I would be safer alone Alan was very recognizable in his fine French clothes It was going to be dan gerous to stay with Alan and expensive too Mrs Stewart had only managed to send five pounds and Alan had to travel as far as France But I still had two pounds and only needed to reach Queensferry so I would have to give some of my money to Alan Staying with Alan meant both danger and ex pense

But my honest friend did not think in this way at all He felt sure that he was helping me So what could I do except keep quiet and hope that everything would be all right

We started travelling again across the mountains and by daylight came to wild open moors covered with purple heather Because anyone on the hills around us could easily see us when we stood up we had to walk or run on our hands and feet like animals It was another hot summer day and my back achcd badly after a few hours I wanted a rest and a drink of water but when we stopped we saw the redcoats of soldiers on one of the hills and we had to go on

We walked or ran all day and all night People who talk of tiredness do not know what the word really means I did not know who I was or where I was going and I did not care I thought that every step would be my last and I hoped that death would come soon Alan drove me onwards and I felt that I hated him but I was too afraid of him to stop and rest

When daylight returned we were stupid with tiredness and had become careless Suddenly three or four wild looking men jumped out of the heather and took us prisoner I was not afraid only happy to stop running for a moment But Alan spoke to them in Gaelic

These are Cluny Macpherson's men he said quietly to me Ye remember him the head of the Macpherson clan They fought well against the English in the Forty-Five After that he didn't go to France like the other clan chiefs No he's been hiding here ever since and the soldiers have never managed to find him His clansmen bring him what he needs

We were taken to a cave well hidden by trees and rocks and Cluny Macpherson himself came forward to welcome us like a king in his palace He seemed to live well in his cave and he offered us an excellent meal prepared by his cook But I was too tired to eat so I lay down at once and slept In fact although I did not know it I was seriously ill and could not get up for two days

I woke up once in a kind of fog to find Cluny and Alan playing cards and a second time to hear Alan asking to borrow my money I was too sick and sleepy to refuse and gave him my purse

But when I woke up again on the third day I felt much better although not very strong I noticed that Alan was looking very ashamed and I realized at once what had hap pened

David he said miserably I've lost all our money at cards yours as well as mine

No no ye haven't lost it cried Cluny Of course I'll give your money back It was just a game I wouldn't keep your money Here And he pulled gold coins out of his pocket

I did not know if it was right to accept the money or not but we needed it so I thanked Cluny and put the coins in my purse But I was very angry with Alan and as we left Cluny's cave and continued our journey I refused to speak to him

At first Alan tried hard to talk to me He said that he was sorry and that he loved me like a brother He was worried about my health and offered me a hand when we crossed a river or climbed a hill But after two or three days when he realized that I was still angry with him he too became angry and laughed at me when I fell or seemed tired

We travelled by night through endless rain and strong winds and slept in the wet heather by day I was feeling more and more miserable My illness had returned and I was beginning to think that this terrible journey would only end in my death Alan will be sorry when I die I thought How childish I was

Alan continued to laugh at me and call me names and by the sixth night I had had enough I stopped and spoke angrily to him Mr Stewart I said why do you laugh at me I should laugh at you You may have a king's name but you're a loser You spend your life running away You're not brave enough to fight the Campbells and the English and win

Alan looked sharply at me David he said There are things that ye should never say things that can never be for gotten

If you don't like what I say I'm ready to fight I answered stupidly I knew that I was not strong enough to hold a sword

David he cried Are ye crazy I cannot fight ye It would be murder He pulled out his sword and looked at me No I can't I can't he said And he dropped his sword on the ground

When I saw how much he loved me I was no longer angry only sick and sorry I remembered all his kindness to me and how he had always helped me through difficult times Now I had lost that friend for ever My illness seemed to get worse and worse and I could only just stand I wanted to say that I was sorry but I knew it was too late for that Suddenly I realized that a cry for help was the only way of bringing Alan back to me

Alan I said my voice shaking If you cannot help me I must just die here I did not need to pretend

He looked up quickly surprised Can ye walk

Not without help Alan if I die will you forget what I said In my heart I've always been your friend you know that

Quiet cried Alan Don't talk of dying David man ye know He could not go on but put his arm around me Davie I'm a bad friend to ye

I didn't remember that ye're just a bairn I couldn't see that ye were dying on your feet He was almost crying Hold on to me Davie and ye'll be grand

He helped me down into the valley to the nearest house which luckily belonged to a clan who were friendly to the Stewarts There I lay for several days unable to move Alan refused to leave me and took the greatest care of me Little by little I got better with his help and before a month had passed we went on our way again

This time we did not argue We did not see any more soldiers and our journey was easier now We walked through the warm summer nights ate our porridge drank our whisky and slept in the dry heather in the daytime Now that we were in the Lowlands we were almost safe and we both felt happy and hopeful When we crossed the Forth River by boat from Limekilns we were only five kilometres from Queensferry where Mr Rankeillor lived

5 David comes home

We decided that Alan would stay hidden in the fields while I walked to Queensferry to find Mr Rankeillor Alan promised not to come out until he heard me return In order to be sure that it was me he taught me to whistle a little Gaelic song I have never forgotten it I think that it will run in my head when I lie dying Every time it comes to me I think of that last day of my travels with Alan whistling oppo site me in the grass while the first light of the sun touched his face

Soon I arrived in Queensferry When I saw people looking strangely at me and realized how dirty my clothes were I be gan to feel afraid Would Mr Rankeillor want to talk to me How could I prove who I was I had no papers with me I was too ashamed to ask any of the townspeople for help so I walked up and down not knowing what to do

By midday I was tired and hungry I stopped in front of a large house with clean windows flowers in the garden and a dog sitting on the doorstep

Suddenly the door opened and a large well-dressed kind-looking man came out

What are you doing here my lad he asked

I'm looking for Mr Rankeillor's house sir I answered

Well I'm Rankeillor and this is my house

Who are you

My name is David Balfour I replled

David Balfour he repeated and looked closely at me Come inside Mr Balfour and we'll talk

In Mr Rankeillor's comfortable sitting room I told him the story of my early life and explained that my uncle had paid Captain Hoseason to kidnap me and take me to sea

The lawyer listened carefully I heard that Hoseason's ship went down near the island of Mull two months ago he said

What have you been doing since then

I can easily tell you sir I replied but if I tell you a friend's life may be in danger Promise me that you will not get him into trouble or tell the soldiers about him

Although he looked a little worried at first he promised and I told him the rest of my adventures While I talked his eyes were closed and he seemed to be asleep but I discovered soon afterwards that he had understood and remennbered everything

Whem O spoke the name of Alan Breck he opened his eyes and sat up Don't use unnecessary names Mr Balfour he said A lawyer has to be very careful when discussing High landers I don't think I heard your friend's name very well Let's call him Mr Thomson

Of course I thought all over Scotland people are talk ing about Alan now that he's accused of the murder of Colin Campbell I was sure that Rankeillor had recognized his name But I just smiled and continued my story using the name of Mr Thomson instead of Alan Breck Well well said the lawyer when I had finished what an exciting adventure You will have to write it down one day I had heard of you Mr David from your friends in Essendean who wrote to me when they had no word from you Your uncle then told me that he had given you money to study in Europe but I did not think that was true I'm afraid we all know that Ebenezer Balfour is not a very good or honest man Then Captain Hoseason appeared saying that you were lost when his ship went down But now I understand what really happened and I know that you are David Balfour He put a hand on my shoulder in a fatherly way and continued You'll want to know about the house of Shaws It's a strange story When they were young your father Alexander and his younger brother Ebenezer loved the same girl Your father was always a kind loving brother so when the girl decided to marry him Alexander left Cramond and let Ebenezer have the house and farmland Well I think it was a bad mistake What happened was that your parents were always very poor and Ebenezer became more and more interested in money He never married of course

Well sir I said and now what will happen

Now that your father is dead replied the lawyer you own the house of Shaws and the farms around it But Ebenezer won't accept that and it will be expensive if he wants us to prove it in court In fact we must stay out of court if possible The kidnapping will be difficult to prove and we don't want people asking questions abut your friend Mr Thomson No I think that we should leave Ebenezer at Shaws where he's been for twenty five years and ask him to pay you some money everyyear instead of giving you the house What do you think

That sounds excellent to me sir I replied But I think that we could accuse my uncle of kidnapping me It's easier to prove than you think Listen and I described my plan to him

He was very pleased with it Yes Mr David very good If we can catch Ebenezer like that he can't refuse to give you some of the money that belongs to you He called to his sec retary Torrance You must come with us tonight Torrance You'll have to listen to the conversation you hear and write it all down And bring the Balfour papers with you Then he turned to me But if I accept your plan Mr David I'll have to meet your friend Mr Thomson who may be I only say may be a criminal He was silent for a while thinking deeply then went on Well let's talk of something different Do you know the other day I saw Torrance in the street But because I wasn't wearing my glasses I didn't recognize him My own secretary Ha ha ha and he laughed happily at himself

I smiled politely Perhaps he's getting old I thought

But later that evening when Mr Rankeillor Torrance and I were walking out of Queensferry the lawyer suddenly cried out laughing Well how stupid of me I've forgotten my glasses And I understood why he had told met he story about Torrance Now he could meet Alan a man wanted for murder and if the soldiers asked him later for information he could say that he never saw Alan clearly and could not possibly recognize him

When we arrived near Alan's hiding place I whistled the little Highland song When he appeared we explained to him what we wanted him to do and he readily agreed

So the four of us continued walking until we reached the house of Shaws

It was a dark night and there were no lights in the windows My uncle was probably in bed Mr Rankeillor Torrance and I hid below the steps near enough to hear any conversation while Alan went straight up to the door and knocked loudly After some time my uncle opened his bedroom window and called down in a frightened voice What do ye want at this time of night Who are ye

I do not want to give ye my own name replied Alan but I've come to talk to ye about someone called David

What cried my uncle And after a moment he said un happily Will ye come inside to discuss the matter

I will not said Alan sharply It's here on this doorstep that we must talk

Come down and speak to me

After Ebenezer had thought about it he decided to do what Alan wanted It took him a long time to come downstairs and a longer time to unlock the heavr door but at last we saw him in the doorway holding his gun in his shaking hands

Now said Alan ye're intelligent enough to see that I'm a Highlander I have friends who live near the island of Mull Well it seems that a ship went down near there and soon afterwards my friends found a lad half dead on the beach Your nephew Mr Balfour Since then they've been taking care of him And now they'd like to know Mr Balfour if ye want him back Ye'll have to pay if ye do My friends are very poor

I don't want him back said my uncle He wasn't a good lad I won't pay a shilling for him

Blood's thicker than water sir said Alan He's your brother's son But if ye don't want him back will ye pay us to keep him And ye'll have to hurry I'm not waiting here all night

Give me a minute to think will ye cried my uncle

In two words sir do ye want us to kill or keep the lad

Oh sir cried Ebenezer Don't talk of killing

Well killing's easier and quicker and cheaper

I'm an honest man said my uncle and no murderer

Well well replied Alan and now how much will ye pay for us to keep him First I need to know how much ye paid Hoseason to kidnap the lad How much was it

Hoseason Kidnap What are ye talking about man screamed my uncle jumping up and down on the doorstep

Hoseason himself has told me about it said Alan calmly so ye needn't pretend Just answer the question or ye'll find my sword in your stomach

Don't get angry cried my uncle I gave him twenty pounds that's all But to be honest with ye he was going to sell the lad as a slave and keep that money ye see

Thankyou Mr Thomson that's excellent saidthe lawyer stepping forward Good evening Mr Balfour

he said politely to the old man

And Good evening uncle Ebenezer said I

And It's a grand evening Mr Balfour added Torrance

My uncle said nothing but stood there on the doorstep with his mouth open We took him into the kitchen and sat down to discuss matters After an hour it was all decided My uncle accepted that Shaws belonged to me but he would stay there during his lifetime He agreed to pay me money every year and Mr Rankeillor would check that he did

We all stayed that night at the house of Shaws But while Alan and Torrance and Mr Rankeillor slept on the hard beds upstairs I lay down on the kitchen chests which now belonged to me I who had slept out on the hills for so many days and nights was now the owner of a large house and several farms

My head was full of exciting plans and ideas and I found it difficult to sleep

The next day while Mr Rankeillor and I were having breakfast together I talked to him about Alan

Mr Thomson is still in danger said the lawyer He must leave the country as soon as possible and stay with his friends in France for a while I'll give you money to buy him a place on a ship He'll have to stay hidden until then

And his clansman James Stewart who's in prison I asked I know he didn't kill Colin Campbell I saw the mur derer I must speak for James Stewart in court

My dear boy said Rankeillor it's dangerous for anyone to speak for a Stewart in Campbell court But you must do what you think is right I'll write you a letter to a good lawyer who will be able to help Mr Thomson's clansman He stood up Well I think that we've finished our business here I must leave now and go back to my work

Come and see me often Mr David Goodbye

Alan and I started walking towards Edlnburgh while Mr Rankeillor and Torrance turned back to Queensferry we talked about what would happen next Alan was going to hide in the countryside near Edinburgh until it was safe for him to take a ship to France

When I had found him a place I would send him a message Then I planned to go back to the High lands to help James Stewart return to his family

Alan and I walked slowly We were both thinking that soon we would have to leave each other And we had been through so much together We stopped when we came to the top of the Corstorphine Hill and looked down at Edinburgh We knew that this was the moment to say goodbye but we stood there silently for a while

Well goodbye said Alan and held out his hand

Goodbye I said and took his hand

Then I went off down hill I did not look back at him but I felt very miserable and wanted to sit down and cry like a baby

Edinburgh was full of noise and traffic and people but I did not notice any of that All the time I was thinking of Alan on the hill and there was an ice-cold feeling inside me

In the months that followed I kept Alan's silver button safe and often looked at it remembering our escape through the heather in the wild Highlands I felt proud to call Alan Breck Stewart my friend and wondered if I would ever see him again When I returned to the Highlands to help his clansman James I found that my adventures with the Stewarts were far from finished but that is another story