Part 5 (1/2)

Algernon sat gingerly on the stone wall, and the two men hovered uncertainly above him. Algernon was in a flaming temper.

'Couldn't catch two wenches, could you? Call yourselves ”His Majesty's soldiers”? The terror of the Highlands?

You wouldn't frighten a one-armed dairymaid. Here' he turned to the man who'd been supporting him 'pull this boot off.' The soldier leant down, and as he held the boot, Algernon pushed against his shoulder, sending him over backwards with the boot. 'Ah, that's better,' said Algernon.

'I've done enough walking for one day. You two go and fetch my horse. And if you're not back in an hour, six lashes apiece. Do we understand each other?' The frightened soldiers saluted. 'Well, what are you waiting for?' said Algernon. 'Go!' The men turned and started back along the path.

'Imbeciles!' Algernon screamed after them. 'Leave the lantern here. You think I want to be left in the dark?' The soldier with the lantern brought it over and placed it by Algernon. 'Right! Now, quick march!' The soldiers turned and scurried away down the path.

The two girls crouching in the pit heard every word.

Kirsty whispered in Polly's ear. 'He's staying there. Now what can we do?' Again, her eyes filled with tears.

Polly gave an exasperated sigh. 'Oh, not again. Didn't the women of your age do anything but cry?' she whispered.

'Aye?' said Kirsty, completely uncomprehending.

But Polly wasn't about to enlighten her on the difference between a girl from the eighteenth century and a girl from the twentieth century.

'Never mind,' she whispered, 'I've got an idea. Now listen. Since our officer has so obligingly parked himself outside our pit, let's lure him to join us down here.'

'Oh no,' said Kirsty, but Polly picked up the dirk and handed it to her. 'You're better with this thing than I am, and we can handle him between us. Now, here's what we can do.'

Above them Algernon was making himself as comfortable as the night and the damp air would permit.

He had opened a pouch left by the soldiers containing bread, a chicken leg, and onions. Now he raised the chicken leg and was about to bite into it when he heard a low moan from the pit, rising to a wail and then slowly dying away. The sound was high-pitched and eerie in the extreme. Algernon dropped the chicken leg back into the pouch and reached for his sword hilt. He raised the lantern and looked fiercely around him.

As Algernon did so, another wail arose. Raising the lantern, Algernon quickly established that this ghost-like wail was coming from just behind the wall. His hand shook, but he stood up. He was, after all, an English officer and not supposed to be afraid of ghosties and ghoulies and things that go b.u.mp in the night. He drew his sword, holding the lantern out, and scrambled over the wall just as a third wail of a slightly different timbre started up and then cut off abruptly in mid-sound. It appeared to come from a clump of trees beyond a rough patch of ground.

(Algernon could not see the gaping hole left by Polly as the other end of the pit was still covered by a cunningly designed matting of branches and gra.s.s stalks.) He put his foot on a clump of gra.s.s and crashed through into the pit, lantern and all.

The fall completely knocked the wind out of him, and for a moment all he could see was stars. Then he felt the cold steel of a knife held along his throat, and when he opened his eyes he saw before him a strange girl, dressed in a costume that the prim Englishman would have found immodest on a girl of six, never mind a fully grown wench, as he put it to himself, of nearly twenty.

A low Scottish voice hissed in his ear. 'Move and I'll slit your throat from ear to ear.'

Algernon tried to move but felt the cold steel pressed deeper against his throat.

'She will, too,' said the strange girl, 'so you'd better keep still. Here.' Polly unbuckled and pulled off his sword belt, then wrapped it tightly around his legs. 'Use the strap for his wrist,' she said to Kirsty. Between them the girls trussed up the fuming young officer.

'Do you know that for a.s.saulting a King's officer...'

Algernon spluttered.

'I know,' said Polly, 'thirty lashes. But you're not in charge now. We are. Kirsty,' she said, 'turn out his pockets.'

Kirsty, a little shocked, started back. 'Ach, no, I couldna do that.'

'Why not,' said Polly, 'he has money, and we need it.'

'By gad!' Algernon burst out. 'You cannot mean to rob me.'

At his words, Kirsty overcame her scruples. 'And why not?' she said. 'You and your kind have robbed our glens.'

She opened his pouch. 'He has food, look... chicken, bread.'

'Great,' said Polly. 'Now, my gallant gentleman, your pockets.'

'I have done you no harm...' began Algernon.

'No harm!' said Kirsty. 'It is no thanks to you that my father and Jamie were not hanged. They're probably rotting in Inverness gaol by now.' She felt in his pocket and brought her hand out. Then reacted in wide-eyed incredulity. 'Will you look at this?' she cried.

As Polly bent forward to look, she saw in Kirsty's hand the gleam of golden guineas.

7.

The Water Dungeon 'Right old rathole this is,' said Ben. Ben, the Doctor, Jamie and Colin were in a circular cell, like a medieval dungeon.

Colin, still only half conscious, was propped up on two steps that led down to the floor cell, behind him the strong oak door with a narrow-barred grille. The walls oozed damp, and were covered with green moss. As Ben looked down, he saw that water was beginning to seep in through cracks in the rough stone walls. Illumination came from a spluttering tar torch stuck in a bracket beside the door. As they looked up, they could see an iron grille, and through it the white gaiters of the English sentry. Jamie was sitting on the step beside the Laird, and the Doctor was stretched out on a rough stone bench built against the wall, his legs out, seemingly unconcerned with his surroundings.

Jamie looked over at Ben. 'If you think this is a rathole, King George has worse to offer, never fear.'

'Yeah, I reckon you're right,' said Ben. 'I'm glad, at least, that Polly's out of this. I wonder if she's all right.'

The last remark was directed at the Doctor, who didn't seem to have heard, lost in his own thoughts, and humming gently to himself.

'Doctor,' said Ben. 'Doctor.'

The Doctor looked at him. 'I expect she's all right,' he said, 'she got away.'

'Why did we ever get mixed up with this lot?' said Ben.

'Well,' said the Doctor, 'it wasn't exactly my idea.'

Then, as he saw Ben's face fall, he went on, 'Oh, don't worry, I'm rather glad we did. It's quite an adventure. I'm just beginning to enjoy myself.'

Then, as Ben raised his eyes heavenward he would never understand the Doctor no matter how long he spent in his company the Doctor continued, 'I bet this place has an echo. It's a cla.s.sic shape. Let's try, shall we?' He put his hands beside his mouth and at the top of his voice yelled, 'Down with King George!' His voice, picked up by the circular room, produced an echo that took several seconds to die down. 'There,' said the Doctor, satisfied, 'I'm right.'

'Silence, you Jacobite pigs! Unless you want a touch of this bayonet,' the sentry called.

Jamie turned round to the Doctor, wide-eyed. 'So you are for the Prince after all?'

'Oh, not really,' the Doctor shrugged. 'I just like listening to the echo. Well, to work,' he said. He went over to Colin. 'Let's have another look at that wound, shall we?'