Life of Flora Macdonald and her adventures with Prince Charles

94
Meanwhile Captain Macleod and his companions returned
from Uig to Monkstadt, and had retired for the night. This
circumstance afforded the Prince's friends a better opportunity
for maturing their schemes. Lady Margaret, Flora, and
old Kingsburgh, with Captain Donald Roy Macdonald, as-
sembled after midnight in a private room, where they held
an earnest consultation as to the means immediately to be
adopted. It was arranged that Kingsburgh should take the
Prince next morning along with him to his own house,
twelve miles distant, and then pass him on through Skye to
the Island of Raasay. It was further arranged that Donald
Roy should that very night make all haste to Portree, the
capital of Skye, a distance of twenty miles from Monkstadt,
for the purpose of sending for, and of seeing the young
laird of Raasay, and securing a suitable boat to ferry the
Prince to that Island.
Macleod, alias "MacGille Challuim," the old laird of
Raasay, had embraced, with his clan, the Prince's cause;
but his son and heir resolved to remain loyal. Father and
son adopted this policy with the view of securing their
property against forfeiture, in the case of future adverse
circumstances coming to pass.
Their arrangements made, the party at Monkstadt retired
to enjoy a few hour's rest. Soon after sunrise Kingsburgh,
who failed to sleep any during the night, arose and entered
the dining-room, where he found Lady Margaret, Flora, and
Mrs. Macdonald, Kirkibost, sitting up together at that early
hour. Captain Macleod and his party were as yet enjoying
their slumbers in another wing of the house, and their absence
at that critical hour was neither missed nor regretted. It
was believed that the early departure of Kingsburgh that
Besides, Flora advised her Ladyship to keep entirely aloof from the Prince,
as she (Flora) had all along done to the last moment, as many others may
be implicated by combining even privately for effecting his rescue.