THE RED-COATS OUTWITTED. 189 



Ben Nevis. Meanwhile the soldiers visited Glenevis House, but, 

 disappointed at not finding the valuables they looked for in such a 

 residence, they burned and plundered the glen without mercy, the 

 terrified inhabitants taking to the mountains, only too glad to 

 escape with their lives, while their homesteads were in flames, and 

 their cattle either driven away or slaughtered on the spot. Lady 

 Glenevis was at last discovered in her cave by a party of soldiers, 

 who had somehow heard of her place of retreat, and had to 

 undergo much rude treatment at their hands, because, in defiance of 

 all their threats, she refused to tell where the valuables of which 

 they were in search had been hidden away. As they were about 

 to leave the cave, one of the soldiers, observing that she had some- 

 thing bulky in her breast, of which she seemed very careful, and 

 over which her plaid, fastened with a silver brooch, was carefully 

 drawn, made a snatch at the trinket, and, when the lady resisted, 

 drew his sword and made a thrust, which cut open the plaid at its 

 point of fastening, wounding her infant son at the same moment in 

 the neck ; for the hidden treasure in her bosom, though the soldier 

 doubtless thought it might turn out to be something of more 

 marketable value, was a child only a few months old. The soldiers 

 at last departed, carrying with them the brooch and plaid as the only 

 trophies of their victory over the defenceless lady of the cave. The 

 wounded child recovered, though he bore the mark of the sword- 

 thrust to his dying day. He lived to be laird of Glenevis, was 

 father of the late much-respected Mrs. Macdonald of Achtriachtan, 

 and grandfather of the ladies above mentioned. We remember 

 hearing our friend, the late Dr. Macintyre of Kilmonivaig, repeating 

 some very fine Gaelic lines to a waterfall, something in the style of 

 Southey's address to Lodore, which he said was by the Mrs. Cameron 

 of Glenevis above mentioned, and composed by her while in hiding 

 in the cave. When quieter times came round, the buried valuables 

 were of course exhumed, and were found to be none the worse of 

 their temporary interment. 



