Викрадений
Chapter 16
Therewasagooddealofferrying,asyouhear;theseainallthispartrunningdeepintothemountainsandwindingabouttheirroots.Itmakesthecountrystrongtoholdanddifficulttotravel,butfullofprodigiouswildanddreadfulprospects.
IhadsomeotheradvicefromNeil:tospeakwithnoonebytheway,toavoidWhigs,Campbells,andthe“red-soldiers;”toleavetheroadandlieinabushifIsawanyofthelattercoming,“foritwasneverchancytomeetinwiththem;”andinbrief,toconductmyselflikearobberoraJacobiteagent,asperhapsNeilthoughtme.
TheinnatKinlochalinewasthemostbeggarlyvileplacethateverpigswerestyedin,fullofsmoke,vermin,andsilentHighlanders.Iwasnotonlydiscontentedwithmylodging,butwithmyselfformymismanagementofNeil,andthoughtIcouldhardlybeworseoff.Butverywrongly,asIwassoontosee;forIhadnotbeenhalfanhourattheinn(standinginthedoormostofthetime,toeasemyeyesfromthepeatsmoke)whenathunderstormcamecloseby,thespringsbrokeinalittlehillonwhichtheinnstood,andoneendofthehousebecamearunningwater.PlacesofpublicentertainmentwerebadenoughalloverScotlandinthosedays;yetitwasawondertomyself,whenIhadtogofromthefiresidetothebedinwhichIslept,wadingovertheshoes.
