Wilson's Tales of the Borders and of Scotland, Volume 16
General
Wilson's Tales of the Borders and of Scotland, Volume 16
Scottish Borders (Scotland) -- Fiction
On the second day after Grace's departure, a young Irish officer, who
had been in the service of the Pretender, and who was well acquainted
with both Mr Cameron and M'Gregor--with the latter intimately, as they
had served together--arrived at Duntruskin House. He, too, was a
fugitive, and was now endeavouring to find his way back to Ireland, and
to avoid the numerous military parties that were scouring the country.
This gentleman, whose name was Terence Sullivan, was a genuine Milesian.
He was frank, open, generous, warmhearted, and brave to a fault; for he
was rash and impetuous, and never stopped an instant to reckon on the
odds that might be against him in any case, either of love or war. On he
went, reckless of consequences and fearless of results. Terence was
thus, in truth, rather a dangerous ally in cases where either caution,
deliberation, or forbearance, was necessary, and where their opposites
were attended with peril. Such as he was, however, he now appeared at
Duntruskin, on his way to the coast for the purpose already mentioned.
But Mr Sullivan brought a piece of intelligence with him which it was
rather singular he should have fallen in with; and it was intelligence
that greatly surprised and alarmed both Cameron and M'Gregor. This was,
that the place of concealment of the latter was known, and that he might
every moment expect to be apprehended; and, to show that his
information was well founded, he described the place of M'Gregor's
retreat with such accuracy that it was instantly recognised, and left no
doubt that a special information on the subject had been laid by some
person or other. Sullivan said that the way in which he came by the
intelligence was this:--He had slept on the preceding night in a small
public-house, and having been much fatigued, had retired early to bed.
This bed was in a recess in the wall, with a sliding-door on its front,
which he drew close. Soon after he had lain down, a party of military
came to the house in quest of refreshments; and, being shown into the
apartment where he lay, he overheard all that passed amongst them; and
part of this conversation, he said, was what he had just communicated.
On receiving this startling intelligence, Mr Cameron hastened to inform
M'Gregor of his danger, when an earnest conversation ensued between them
as to what steps the latter ought now to take to secure his safety.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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