Life of Flora Macdonald and her adventures with Prince Charles

ST
rocky cave,* Flora met them at the door and asked them,
"Am bheil e laghach? Am bheil e aoidheil? Am bheil e
idir iriosal agus taitneach ?" (Is he nice ? Is he cheerful ?
Is he at all humble and pleasant ?) On another occasion
she commenced, for her own amusement, to taunt them in a
jocular manner, by telling them that she was able to direct
them how to become far wealthier than Clanranald in less
than a day's time. " Oh ! tell us, do tell us, how that can
come to pass. More wealthy than our noble chief ! Can
such be really the case ?" " Oh, yes, perfectly true," said
Flora with a smile, " and I will now tell you what means
you are to use. Go immediately and give up the Prince to
my step-father, Captain Hugh Macdonald, and as sure as
the sun is now shining in the firmament, you shall have
fifteen thousand pounds a piece for your great loyalty in
doing so." The answer was short, but decisive — " Nior
leigeadh Ni Maith ! Ochan ! ged gheibheamaid an saoghal
mu'n iadh a' ghrian, cha bhrathamaid ur n-oganach Rioghail
gu brath " (Goodness forbid ! Alas ! should we receive the
world around which the sun revolves, we would never betray
our Royal youth). Neither would they, nor any other
Highlander then living ; but it is to be feared, although the
schoolmaster has long been abroad, that the same would
not hold true to-day,
Clanranald, Boisdale, and their namesakes at Baileshear,
with Lady Clanranald and Miss Flora, held a private
council at Ormiclade, as to what must be done, and done
immediately, seeing that every hour increased the danger
to their unfortunate Prince. It was resolved that he should
be transported to Stornoway, as probably he might there
* The Prince had a variety of places of concealment. Sometimes he
hid himself in caves, and at other times in the lonely huts of shepherds or
fishermen.