INVERNESS-SHIRE. 187 



in 1745, when an officer of the King's forces, in 

 command of a detachment of soldiers pursuing the 

 fugitives from Culloden, sought shelter from the fury 

 of a storm in a lonely hut in Knoydart. Only the 

 woman of the house and her infant were at home, 

 and the child beginning to cry, the officer exclaimed, 

 "Curse that child! If it lives it will only grow up 

 to be a rebel like its father;" on hearing this, the 

 sergeant of the party at once passed his sword through 

 the child, the distracted mother being a witness of 

 the brutal deed. When the storm subsided the 

 soldiers departed, with their officer mounted on a 

 white horse, but he, fearing pursuit and vengeance 

 from the father of the murdered child, shortly 

 after starting dismounted and proceeded on foot, 

 in the meanwhile placing on his own horse a prisoner 

 he was taking to Fort William. That which this 

 gallant officer feared shortly happened, for the out- 

 raged father, who had fled to the hills at the 

 approach of the soldiers, returned home as soon 

 as they had departed, and vowing vengeance, he 



