Life of Flora Macdonald and her adventures with Prince Charles

with her servant, Niel MacEachainn, for Ormiclade. As
she had not been furnished with a passport from any
of the militia officers, she resolved to travel at night,
expecting to reach her destination in safety. In this,
however, she was sadly disappointed, for in passing one
of the fords on her way to Clanranald's mansion, she
and her attendant, the faithful MacEachainn, were pounced
upon by a party of Major Allan Macdonald's company, and
detained prisoners for the night. Major Allan was one of
the most inveterate and cruel officers in the whole service
against the adherents of the Prince, as will be afterwards
shewn. Flora felt very uncomfortable, dreading that she
might be detained as a prisoner, and that in consequence
her intended services to rescue the Prince might prove
abortive. She ventured to ask one of those in the guard-
house who the officer in command was, and when he would
appear there ? She was informed that Captain Hugh
Macdonald was in command and that he was expected to
be there in the morning at an early hour. This intelligence
at once dissipated the fears under which she had for some
hours suffered. On the arrival of the Captain, he was
surprised to find his step-daughter in the guard-house, a
small turf-built hut, roofed with bulrushes. A long con-
versation took place between them in private, in which, no
doubt, they fully discussed all the schemes and plans that
were to be resorted to to secure the preservation of the
Prince. The Captain cherished the most friendly feelings
towards his Royal Highness, and it was undoubtedly the
desire of his heart that he might escape. Had the Captain
been half as vigilant and inveterate as his Skye countryman
and neighbour, Major Allan Macdonald of Knock, Charles
would long before then have fallen into the relentless hands
of his enemies. Flora, in the hearing of the military present,