Life of Flora Macdonald and her adventures with Prince Charles

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By this time Flora made her appearance, with an air of
smiling cheerfulness; and her conversation and presence
restored her Ladyship to a calm and collected state of mind.
They now held a consultation as to the best plan to adopt
in the morning ; when it was resolved that, in the mean-
time, the poor Prince who had been left for so many hours
alone in his cave, must be immediately seen to, and have
creature comforts supplied to him. They agreed to send
Niel MacEachainn to tell him that Kingsburgh proposed to
visit him on the shore very soon. Niel at once performed
this duty and speedily returned. In half-an-hour after, he
shouldered a musket and scampered across an intervening
field, as if in search of game, which, however, was suffici-
ently safe from Niel's approach, as his musket had neither
flint nor ramrod, and he was without powder or shot.
Kingsburgh soon arrived at the cave with some brandy
and wine for the Prince, as well as something substantial to
eat, but no Prince was there ! Niel who was in advance
waited Kingburgh's arrival, and remained in charge of the
refreshments, while Kingsburgh set off in search of Charles,
and walked across the fields in the direction of the house of
Scuddeburgh. At length, on seeing a flock of sheep,
moving with all their speed towards the high-grounds, as if
scared by some strange object, he beheld in the distance a
giant-like figure in female attire, stalking rapidly over the
meadow, with every pace a fathom in length, and every
movement more fantastic than the most fertile imagination
could delineate ! Kingsburgh made up to the ghastly
female, who, holding a rough, knotted club in her hand, put
the question — "Are you Macdonald of Kingsburgh?" "I
am, your Royal Highness ! " when, after congratulations of
no ordinary fervency, the Prince said — "Let us now go
back to the place I left." This was done, and the much