The Highland monthly - National Library of Scotland

Scenes of Long Aqo. 4 "7
lurking about the premises, Teviot tliought it best not to
press the matter further in the meantime, but rather to s^et
•clear as soon as possible of the ill-omened house,
Poor Bessie had spent an anxious night, but as she
heard no sound she hoped that no evil had been attempted
against her friends. She had little fear of their being overcome
in a scuffle. Rising at dawn she found that her door
had been fastened on the outside by those who had, no
doubt, taken this precaution to prevent any possibility of
surprise. Scarcely had this fastening been removed, when
Gillespie's voice rang through the house. The frightened
girl having hurriedly related these particulars, hastened
away to prepare for their departure. Ere she had told her
tale, Gillespie was already in the stable, getting ready the
horses ; and, within an hour, the party rode away from the
door of Logroy. It was a still morning, and the whole
landscape was covered with a heavy coating of snow.
When out of sight of the house Gillespie bade farewell to
his fellow travellers and, setting spurs to his horse, rode
furiously in the direction of Keilangus. Having reached the
stagehouse, he hired a fresh horse there ;
and
notwith-
standing the lo(jse snow which covered the road, he reached
the Deputy's office, early in the day, and gave him full
particulars of the robbery which had been committed. The
Deputy and his constables set out immediately for Anard,
where they found that the Macilvaines had not yet arrived.
The officers of the law then proceeded through a pass by
which the drovers would very likely journey from Logroy,
and that evening they were intercepted and arrested, They
had been taken unawares, and caught as in a trap, while
resting in a recess underneath a great boulder which had
fallen from the precipices of the Dark Pillars of Corrie
Goblin. They never supposed that their presence at
Logroy was known to their victims, and they were, of
•course, unaware that Teviot had been for a week on his
guard against them. Each was found to be armed with two
holsters, and one of the pistols had no ramrod. Glen-