 how to spare a vanquished enemy. The Duke was struck, and even
affected. He bade the Colonel take up his commission, and granted the protection
he required. It was issued just in time to save the house, corn, and cattle at
Invernahyle from the troops who were engaged in laying waste what it was the
fashion to call »the country of the enemy.« A small encampment of soldiers was
formed on Invernahyle's property, which they spared while plundering the country
around, and searching in every direction for the leaders of the insurrection,
and for Stewart in particular. He was much nearer them than they suspected; for,
hidden in a cave (like the Baron of Bradwardine), he lay for many days so near
the English sentinels, that he could hear their muster-roll called. His food was
brought to him by one of his daughters, a child of eight years old, whom Mrs.
Stewart was under the necessity of entrusting with this commission; for her own
motions, and those of all her elder inmates, were closely watched. With
ingenuity beyond her years, the child used to stray about among the soldiers,
who were rather kind to her, and thus seize the moment when she was unobserved,
and steal into the thicket, when she deposited whatever small store of
provisions she had in charge at some marked spot, where her father might find
it. Invernahyle supported life for several weeks by means of these precarious
supplies; and as he had been wounded in the battle of Culloden, the hardships
which he endured were aggravated by great bodily pain. After the soldiers had
removed their quarters, he had another remarkable escape.
    As he now ventured to his own house at night, and left it in the morning, he
was espied during the dawn by a party of the enemy, who fired at and pursued
him. The fugitive being fortunate enough to escape their search, they returned
to the house, and charged the family with harbouring one of the proscribed
traitors. An old woman had presence of mind enough to maintain that the man they
had seen was the shepherd. »Why did he not stop when we called to him?« said the
soldier. - »He is as deaf, poor man, as a peat-stack,« answered the ready-witted
domestic. - »Let him be sent for, directly.« The real shepherd accordingly was
brought from the hill, and as there was time to tutor him by the way, he was as
deaf when he made his appearance as was necessary to sustain his character.
Invernahyle was
