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           AlthoughhisEnglishwasverybadandbroken,yetAlan(accordingtohisveryhandsomeuse,wheneverIwasby)wouldsufferhimtospeaknoGaelic.Perhapsthestrangelanguagemadehimappearmorebackwardthanhereallywas;butIthoughthehadlittlegood-willtoserveus,andwhathehadwasthechildofterror.

           AlanwouldhavehadhimcarryamessagetoJames;buttheboumanwouldhearofnomessage.“Shewasforgetit,”hesaidinhisscreamingvoice;andwouldeitherhavealetterorwashhishandsofus.

           IthoughtAlanwouldbegravelledatthat,forwelackedthemeansofwritinginthatdesert.

           ButhewasamanofmoreresourcesthanIknew;searchedthewooduntilhefoundthequillofacushat-dove,whichheshapedintoapen;madehimselfakindofinkwithgunpowderfromhishornandwaterfromtherunningstream;andtearingacornerfromhisFrenchmilitarycommission(whichhecarriedinhispocket,likeatalismantokeephimfromthegallows),hesatdownandwroteasfollows:

           “DEARKINSMAN,—Pleasesendthemoneybythebearertotheplacehekensof.

           “Youraffectionatecousin,

           “A.S.”

           Thisheintrustedtothebouman,whopromisedtomakewhatmannerofspeedhebestcould,andcarrieditoffwithhimdownthehill.

           Hewasthreefulldaysgone,butaboutfiveintheeveningofthethird,weheardawhistlinginthewood,whichAlananswered;andpresentlytheboumancameupthewater-side,lookingforus,rightandleft.