Fiction > Book editions > London, 1886 - Kidnapped

ACROSS   MORVEN.                                155
lying by in quiet places. And then Colin Campbell has
the sogers coming. But for all that, if I was his lady
wife, I wouldnae be well pleased till I got him home
again. They're queer customers, the Appin Stewarts."
I asked if they were worse than their neighbours.
"No they," said he. "And that's the worst part of
it. For if Colin Roy can get his business done in
Appin, he has it all to begin again in the next country,
which they call Mamore, and which is one of the
countries of the Camerons. He's King's factor upon
both, and from both he has to drive out the tenants; and
indeed, Mr. Balfour (to be open with ye) it's my belief
that if he escapes the one lot, hell get his death by the
other."
So we continued talking and walking the great part
of the day; until at last, Mr. Henderland, after ex-
pressing his delight in my company, and satisfaction at
meeting with a friend of Mr. Campbell's ("whom,"
says he, "I will make bold to call that sweet singer of
our covenanted Zion") proposed that I should make a
short stage, and lie the night in his house a little beyond
Kingairloch. To say truth, I was overjoyed; for I had
no great desire for John of the Claymore, and since my
double misadventure, first with the guide and next with
the gentleman skipper, I stood in some fear of any
Highland stranger. Accordingly we shook hands upon
the bargain, and came in the afternoon to a small house,
standing alone by the shore of the Linnhe Loch. The
sun was already gone from the desert mountains of