After journeying a considerable time in silence, he
could not help asking, ‘Was it far to the end
of their journey?’
’Ta cove was tree, four mile; but as Duinhe-wassel
was a wee taiglit, Donald could, tat is, might—would—should
send ta curragh.’
This conveyed no information. The curragh
which was promised might be a man, a horse, a cart,
or chaise; and no more could be got from the man with
the battle-axe, but a repetition of ‘Aich ay!
ta curragh.’
But in a short time Edward began to conceive his meaning,
when, issuing from the wood, he found himself on the
banks of a large river or lake, where his conductor
gave him to understand they must sit down for a little
while. The moon, which now began to rise, showed
obscurely the expanse of water which spread before
them, and the shapeless and indistinct forms of mountains
with which it seemed to be surrounded. The cool
and yet mild air of the summer night refreshed Waverley
after his rapid and toilsome walk; and the perfume
which it wafted from the birch-trees, bathed in the
evening dew, was exquisitely fragrant. [It is not
the weeping birch, the most common species in the Highlands,
but the woolly-leaved Lowland birch, that is distinguished
by this fragrance.]
He had now time to give himself up to the full romance
of his situation. Here he saw on the banks of
an unknown lake, under the guidance of a wild native,
whose language was unknown to him, on a visit to the
den of some renowned outlaw, a second Robin Hood,
perhaps, or Adam o’ Gordon, and that at deep
midnight, through scenes of difficulty and toil, separated
from his attendant, left by his guide.—What
a variety of incidents for the exercise of a romantic
imagination, and all enhanced by the solemn feeling
of uncertainty, at least, if not of danger! The
only circumstance which assorted ill with the rest,
was the cause of his journey—the Baron’s
milk-cows! This degrading incident he kept in
the background.
While wrapped in these dreams of imagination, his
companion gently touched him, and pointing in a direction
nearly straight across the lake, said ‘Yon’s
ta cove.’ A small point of light was seen
to twinkle in the direction in which he pointed, and
gradually increasing in size and lustre, seemed to
flicker like a meteor upon the verge of the horizon.
While Edward watched this phenomenon, the distant dash
of oars was heard. The measured sound approached
near and more near, and presently a loud whistle was
heard in the same direction. His friend with
the battle-axe immediately whistled clear and shrill,
in reply to the signal, and a boat, manned with four
or five Highlanders, pushed for a little inlet, near
which Edward was sitting. He advanced to meet
them with his attendant, was immediately assisted into
the boat by the officious attention of two stout mountaineers,
and had no sooner seated himself than they resumed
their oars, and began to row across the lake with
great rapidity.
