CHAPTER XVII
THE HOLD OF A HIGHLAND ROBBER
The party preserved silence, interrupted only by the monotonous andmurmured chant of a Gaelic song, sung in a kind of low recitative bythe steersman, and by the dash of the oars, which the notes seemed toregulate, as they dipped to them in cadence. The light, which they nowapproached more nearly, assumed a broader, redder and more irregularsplendour. It appeared plainly to be a large fire, but whether kindledupon an island or the mainland Edward could not determine. As he sawit, the red glaring orb seemed to rest on the very surface of the lakeitself, and resembled the fiery vehicle in which the Evil Genius of anOriental tale traverses land and sea. They approached nearer, and thelight of the fire sufficed to show that it was kindled at the bottom ofa huge dark crag or rock, rising abruptly from the very edge of thewater; its front, changed by the reflection to dusky red, formed astrange and even awful contrast to the banks around, which were fromtime to time faintly and partially illuminated by pallid moonlight.
The boat now neared the shore, and Edward could discover that thislarge fire, amply supplied with branches of pine-wood by two figures,who, in the red reflection of its light, appeared like demons, waskindled in the jaws of a lofty cavern, into which an inlet from thelake seemed to advance; and he conjectured, which was indeed true, thatthe fire had been lighted as a beacon to the boatmen on their return.They rowed right for the mouth of the cave, and then, shifting theiroars, permitted the boat to enter in obedience to the impulse which ithad received. The skiff passed the little point or platform of rock onwhich the fire was blazing, and running about two boats' lengthsfarther, stopped where the cavern (for it was already arched overhead)ascended from the water by five or six broad ledges of rock, so easyand regular that they might be termed natural steps. At this moment aquantity of water was suddenly flung upon the fire, which sunk with ahissing noise, and with it disappeared the light it had hithertoafforded. Four or five active arms lifted Waverley out of the boat,placed him on his feet, and almost carried him into the recesses of thecave. He made a few paces in darkness, guided in this manner; andadvancing towards a hum of voices, which seemed to sound from thecentre of the rock, at an acute turn Donald Bean Lean and his wholeestablishment were before his eyes.
The interior of the cave, which here rose very high, was illuminated bytorches made of pine-tree, which emitted a bright and bickering light,attended by a strong though not unpleasant odour. Their light wasassisted by the red glare of a large charcoal fire, round which wereseated five or six armed Highlanders, while others were indistinctlyseen couched on their plaids in the more remote recesses of the cavern.In one large aperture, which the robber facetiously called his SPENCE(or pantry), there hung by the heels the carcasses of a sheep, or ewe,and two cows lately slaughtered. The principal inhabitant of thissingular mansion, attended by Evan Dhu as master of the ceremonies,came forward to meet his guest, totally different in appearance andmanner from what his imagination had anticipated. The profession whichhe followed, the wilderness in which he dwelt, the wild warrior formsthat surrounded him, were all calculated to inspire terror. From suchaccompaniments, Waverley prepared himself to meet a stern, gigantic,ferocious figure, such as Salvator would have chosen to be the centralobject of a group of banditti. [Footnote: See Note 15.]
Donald Bean Lean was the very reverse of all these. He was thin inperson and low in stature, with light sandy-coloured hair, and smallpale features, from which he derived his agnomen of BEAN or white; andalthough his form was light, well proportioned and active, he appeared,on the whole, rather a diminutive and insignificant figure. He hadserved in some inferior capacity in the French army, and in order toreceive his English visitor in great form, and probably meaning, in hisway, to pay him a compliment, he had laid aside the Highland dress forthe time, to put on an old blue and red uniform and a feathered hat, inwhich he was far from showing to advantage, and indeed looked soincongruous, compared with all around him, that Waverley would havebeen tempted to laugh, had laughter been either civil or safe. Therobber received Captain Waverley with a profusion of French politenessand Scottish hospitality, seemed perfectly to know his name andconnections, and to be particularly acquainted with his uncle'spolitical principles. On these he bestowed great applause, to whichWaverley judged it prudent to make a very general reply.
Being placed at a convenient distance from the charcoal fire, the heatof which the season rendered oppressive, a strapping Highland damselplaced before Waverley, Evan, and Donald Bean three cogues, or woodenvessels composed of staves and hoops, containing eanaruich, [Footnote:This was the regale presented by Rob Roy to the Laird of Tullibody.] asort of strong soup, made out of a particular part of the inside of thebeeves. After this refreshment, which, though coarse, fatigue andhunger rendered palatable, steaks, roasted on the coals, were suppliedin liberal abundance, and disappeared before Evan Dhu and their hostwith a promptitude that seemed like magic, and astonished Waverley, whowas much puzzled to reconcile their voracity with what he had heard ofthe abstemiousness of the Highlanders. He was ignorant that thisabstinence was with the lower ranks wholly compulsory, and that, likesome animals of prey, those who practise it were usually gifted withthe power of indemnifying themselves to good purpose when chance threwplenty in their way. The whisky came forth in abundance to crown thecheer. The Highlanders drank it copiously and undiluted; but Edward,having mixed a little with water, did not find it so palatable as toinvite him to repeat the draught. Their host bewailed himselfexceedingly that he could offer him no wine: 'Had he but knownfour-and-twenty hours before, he would have had some, had it beenwithin the circle of forty miles round him. But no gentleman could domore to show his sense of the honour of a visit from another than tooffer him the best cheer his house afforded. Where there are no bushesthere can be no nuts, and the way of those you live with is that youmust follow,'
He went on regretting to Evan Dhu the death of an aged man, Donnacha anAmrigh, or Duncan with the Cap, 'a gifted seer,' who foretold, throughthe second sight, visitors of every description who haunted theirdwelling, whether as friends or foes.
'Is not his son Malcolm taishatr (a second-sighted person)?' asked Evan.
'Nothing equal to his father,' replied Donald Bean. 'He told us theother day, we were to see a great gentleman riding on a horse, andthere came nobody that whole day but Shemus Beg, the blind harper, withhis dog. Another time he advertised us of a wedding, and behold itproved a funeral; and on the creagh, when he foretold to us we shouldbring home a hundred head of horned cattle, we gripped nothing but afat bailie of Perth.'
From this discourse he passed to the political and military state ofthe country; and Waverley was astonished, and even alarmed, to find aperson of this description so accurately acquainted with the strengthof the various garrisons and regiments quartered north of the Tay. Heeven mentioned the exact number of recruits who had joined Waverley'stroop from his uncle's estate, and observed they were PRETTY MEN,meaning, not handsome, but stout warlike fellows. He put Waverley inmind of one or two minute circumstances which had happened at a generalreview of the regiment, which satisfied him that the robber had been aneye-witness of it; and Evan Dhu having by this time retired from theconversation, and wrapped himself up in his plaid to take some repose,Donald asked Edward, in a very significant manner, whether he hadnothing particular to say to him.
Waverley, surprised and somewhat startled at this question from such acharacter, answered, he had no motive in visiting him but curiosity tosee his extraordinary place of residence. Donald Bean Lean looked himsteadily in the face for an instant, and then said, with a significantnod, 'You might as well have confided in me; I am as much worthy oftrust as either the Baron of Bradwardine or Vich Ian Vohr. But you areequally welcome to my house.'
Waverley felt an involuntary shudder creep over him at the mysteriouslanguage held by this outlawed and lawless bandit, which, in despite ofhis attempts to master it, deprived him of the power to ask the meaningof his insinuations. A he
ath pallet, with the flowers stuck uppermost,had been prepared for him in a recess of the cave, and here, coveredwith such spare plaids as could be mustered, he lay for some timewatching the motions of the other inhabitants of the cavern. Smallparties of two or three entered or left the place, without any otherceremony than a few words in Gaelic to the principal outlaw, and, whenhe fell asleep, to a tall Highlander who acted as his lieutenant, andseemed to keep watch during his repose. Those who entered seemed tohave returned from some excursion, of which they reported the success,and went without farther ceremony to the larder, where, cutting withtheir dirks their rations from the carcasses which were theresuspended, they proceeded to broil and eat them at their own pleasureand leisure. The liquor was under strict regulation, being served outeither by Donald himself, his lieutenant, or the strapping Highlandgirl aforesaid, who was the only female that appeared. The allowance ofwhisky, however, would have appeared prodigal to any but Highlanders,who, living entirely in the open air and in a very moist climate, canconsume great quantities of ardent spirits without the usual banefuleffects either upon the brain or constitution.
At length the fluctuating groups began to swim before the eyes of ourhero as they gradually closed; nor did he re-open them till the morningsun was high on the lake without, though there was but a faint andglimmering twilight in the recesses of Uaimh an Ri, or the King'sCavern, as the abode of Donald Bean Lean was proudly denominated.