Historical memoirs of Rob Roy and the Clan Macgregor

NOTICES OF LADY GRANGE. 309
expecting a storm, and it came on at midnight,
accompanied by thunder, the surface of the sea
seeming to be in a blaze. It continued till the
following night, when it became still more
dreadful. Dismay took possession of lady
Grange and all in the house, which they every
moment expected was to be blown down upon
them. They kneeled intuitively to the Being
who holds the limits of the storm, and whose
nod can quiet the raging spirit of the deep,
the master of the house devoutly imploring pro-
tection from the impending destruction ; but
before he had finished, a loud knocking was
heard at the door, and a voice begged for ad-
mission. The party stood amazed. The
women shrunk back, and the landlord hesi-
tated ; but no earthly being having ever ap-
palled him, he drew his dirk, and stepped to the
door. Having opened it, two men and a boy
entered, who, from their dialect, seemed to be
natives of Ireland. They had been shipwrecked
that day on a distant reef of rocks, and of six-
teen who were in the ship, they only were saved,
having taken to the long boat, and with the ut-
most difficulty reached this island. One of them
was the captain, who appeared melancholy, and
expressed great regret at the loss of his crew.