Ossian Collection > Romance of the Highlands

FIDELITY AND ITS RESULTS. 119
afterwards explained that the oflfer of a sum equal to the
price of two sheep raised his suspicions, and he assumed
that their fair words were only meant to entrap him.
Nature had not endowed him with all the graces of man-
kind, but he was by no means deficient in the quality of
fidelity.
The story of the faithfulness of the clansmen to
Cluny McPherson after the Rebellion will for ever be
told to their credit. A year previous to this upsetting
event McPherson had been appointed to a command in
Lord Loudoun's Highlanders, and he had taken the
customary oath to the Government. The breaking of his
oath made the matter serious, and, in consequence, the
Government were all the more anxious to secure him. It
is asserted that he hesitated to take the step of joining the
Prince, and that his good lady did her utmost to dissuade
him from doing so, but the clan were impatient, and at
last, yielding to their importunities, he agreed to throw in
his lot with their choice. Be that as it may, the Govern-
ment had special reasons for securing him, and they
exercised their energies to the utmost. Yet, for nine long
years he lived in a cave — he called it "The Cage" — within
a short distance of his own house, a circumstance that was
known to at least one hundred people. Not one would
confess to any knowledge of his place of retreat, and the
;(^iooo that was offered for information which would lead
to his arrest went unclaimed. "The Cage" was situated
in a rocky precipice, shelving rocks completely obscuring
the entrance, and had been dug out by the tenantry. They
took the opportunity of working by night, and they
exercised every care and precaution in making it as safe
and comfortable as the circumstances would permit. All
loose impedimenta and rubbish were thrown into a
neighbouring loch in order to leave no clue to their
operations. The Government were not without their own