Life of Flora Macdonald and her adventures with Prince Charles

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that is, one each for myself and my servant, and one for my
mother's spinning-maid, the attempt of a fourth to escape
without a passport, and especially so Captain O'Neal, a gen-
tleman so well known to every officer and soldier all over
the island, would jeopardise the lives of us all."
To this firm and conclusive reasoning the Prince and
O'Neal yielded at once, although, no doubt, with consider-
able reluctance. About midnight Flora, Captain O'Neal,
and Niel MacEachainn took leave of the Prince, and left
him to meditate in his lonely solitude. Flora made the
best of her way to bid farewell to her brother, as the com-
ing evening was the one appointed for the attempt to get
across to Skye. Captain O'Neal was that morning arrested
by a party of the military on his way to Ormiclade, and
made prisoner.
When Lady Clanranald had arrived at her own home she
was rigidly and even rudely questioned by General Camp-
bell and Captain Ferguson, who insisted on her telling them
where she had been, when she left home, and what was the
cause of her absence ? She replied, with firm composure,
that she had a very good reason for her absence, and one
that caused her much grief; that she was visiting a dear
dying friend. And it was true that she did call on her way
home upon a young lady suffering in the last stages of a
rapid consumption.
About ten o'clock at night the following evening, being
Friday, the 27th June, 1746, the Prince, Flora, and Niel
MacEachainn proceeded to the sea-shore, to the place
where it was previously arranged they should meet the boat.
On their arrival, wet and weary, as the rain fell in torrents,
they observed to their horror several small vessels or wherries,
filled with armed men, sailing within a gunshot of the spot
where they lay concealed. Fortunately, however, these ob-