Blair Collection > Popular tales of the West Highlands > Volume 2

I 1 4 WEST HIGHLAND TALES.
They said that he would get that. He went and he
took her with liim on board, and he clothed her in
cloth and linen.
" IS'ow," said she " thou hast saved my life for me ;
thou must take care of thyself in this place. Thou
shalt go up now to yonder change-house. The man of
the inn will put a question to thee what cargo thou
hast. Say thou a cargo of coal. He will say that
would be well worth selHng in the place where thou art.
Say thou it is for selling it that thou art come ; what
offer will he make for it. He will say, to-morrow at
six o'clock there would be a ivaggon of gold going
down, and a waggon of coal coming up, so that the
sliip might be kept in the same trim* till six o'clock
on the next night. Say thou that thou wilt take
that ; but unless thou art watchful they will come in
the night when every man is asleep, with muskets and
pistols ; they will set the ship on the ground ; they
will kill every man, and they will take the gold with
them."
He went to the man of the inn, and agreed with
him as she had taught him. They began on the morrow,
in the morning, to put down the gold and take up the
coal. The skipper had a man standing looking out
that the vessel should be in trim. When the coal was
out, and the ship was as heavy with the gold as she was
with the coal ; and when he was on shore, she got an
order for the sailors to take her advice till he should
come. " Put up," said she, " the sails, and draw the
anchors. Put a rope on shore." They did that. He
came on board ; the ship sailed away through the night ;
they heard a shot, but they were out, and they never
caught them more.
They saUed till they reached England. Three
* Trump.