The duty was one of mere routine.  Harry showed the note to Jacob, and said, “You may as well come with Hie, Jacob.  Your drilling is over for the day, and you can aid me looking through the stores.  Mike,” he said, “we shall be back to supper.  We are only going down to the port.”  The two officers buckled on their swords, and at once started on foot for the port, which was but half a mile distant.  Mike looked anxiously after his master.  Since the day when danger had first threatened him he had scarce let him out of his sight, following close to his heels like a faithful dog.  His present business seemed assuredly to forbode no danger.  Nevertheless, the lad felt restless and anxious when he saw his master depart.  A few minutes later he went to William Long’s tent.  “Master Long,” he said, “will you see that my master’s servant gets supper in readiness at the usual hour.  He has gone down to the port to inspect some recruits just arrived from Holland, by order of General Leslie, and said he would return by supper.  I know that it is foolish, but since the affair with Alan Campbell I am never easy when he is not near.  In this case, I do not see that there can possibly be any lurking danger.  Argyll could not know of his proceeding to the port, nor would he venture to attack him there where the streets swarm with our soldiers.  Nevertheless, I would fain go down and assure myself that all is well.”

William Long at once promised to look after the supper, and Mike hurried away after Harry and his companion.  These had, however, too far a start to be overtaken, and when he reached the wharf he saw a boat rowed by two men, and having two sitters in the stern.  It was already some distance from shore, and appeared to be proceeding toward a vessel which lay at anchor several hundred yards further out from the shore than the others.

“Can you tell me,” he asked a sailor, “whether that ship lying there is the Royalist?”

“That is the name she goes by to-day,” the sailor said, “for as I rowed past her this morning on my way from fishing, I saw the name newly painted on her stern.  They have put it on her boat too, which you now see lowing toward her, and which has been lying by the pier all day, in readiness to take out any one who might wish to go off to her.”

“But have they changed her name, then?” Mike asked.  “What have they been doing that for?”

“She has been called the Covenant for the last two years,” the sailor said.  “But I suppose Johnny Campbell, her master, thought the other more suited to the times.”

The name of the captain at once aroused Mike’s uneasiness to the fullest.

“Tell me,” he said, “good fellow, did that ship arrive this morning from Holland?”

“From Holland!” repeated the sailor.  “No.  She came down the coast from the north three days ago, with beasts for the army.”

Mike stood for a moment thunderstruck.  Then, without a word to the sailor, he turned and ran back at full speed through the town up to the camp.  At a headlong pace he made his way through the camp until he stopped at the tent of General Leslie.  He was about to rush in without ceremony when the sentinel stopped his way.