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Lady Dufferin

Escape of a Scottish Jacobite. r AJOR GALBRAITH, who fought for Charles Edward Stuart, gave a graphic account of his escape from the English soldiers who were tracking him.

After the battle of Culloden, Marion Galbraith, a 7 cousin-german of his secreted him in the Castle of Bassentyne; but, as soon as the place was in the hands of his enemies, it was found necessary to get him out of it. How this was effected, let us tell in his own words:

But what was the plan of escape? Everything was arranged; and what followed was speedily executed.

My attendant proceeded toward a recess in the chapel, and thence he brought forth a beam or wooden spar depth, communicated with the larger channel that flowed through a vast subterranean cavern perforating the base of the rocky island from east to west.

The cavern is about six hundred yards in length, and in the middle a stupendous darkness prevails, for the light of day cannot penetrate far within the opening at either extremity. But the two men bore torches in their hands as they guided the boat out of the creek into the larger channel; or, in other words, of some size, and to which the extremity of a rope- from the small diverging cavern into the main subladder was attached. I looked on with the utmost terranean. In the former place, it was not necessary suspense, as well as with amazement, for I saw not for what purpose this rope-ladder could serve. I turned and flung an inquiring glance upon Marion. She smiled and said: "Major, you are standing upon the means of your deliverance; the mode of safe egress is under your feet!"

I started in astonishment, but the mystery was soon cleared up. The man, bidding me stand a little aside, raised an iron ring which was let into one of the flagstones wherewith the chapel was paved, and by dint of some little exertion he lifted the stone itself. A depth of utter darkness was revealed, but my ear caught the plashing sounds of water. "Is he there?" demanded Marion, anxiously.

Yes, lady," was the man's reply, as a light gleamed at the bottom of the abyss. The spar was now laid across the opening in the chapel floor, and the ladder was lowered. The man hastened to descend, and as I still looked down into the abyss, I could distinguish a boat shooting from some unseen channel, until it stopped exactly beneath the opening. The man who was in the boat carried a torch, and as he glanced upward, I recognized his countenance; he was the other of my two servitors. All was now ready for my descent, and Marion said, "Farewell, Major."

I took her hand and I raised it to my lips as I poured forth a few parting words of the most fervid gratitude. Then I descended the rope-ladder, and took my seat in the boat, which the two men immediately began to propel forth from the subterranean creek, where it had received me. Scarcely had it moved away from below the aperture when I heard a to use the oars, for the passage itself was so narrow that the men guided the boat by pressing their hands against the rugged walls of rock. When the grand cavern was reached, the men bade me sit fast and cling to something, for along, the torches bringing into bold relief the stern, rugged, and almost awful appearance of the interior of that cavern. All of a sudden the men called out vehemently to me to hold tight, and scarcely was the warning given when the boat began to dash along as if with the speed of a horse at full gallop, plunging down a descent where the eddying waters rolled with a terrific din.

It was with almost lightning rapidity that the torrent had thus seized upon the boat and got it in its power, and it was with the greatest difficulty that either myself or my companions could save ourselves from being hurled into the turbid waters. The danger we incurred was frightful! No means were there to guide the boat; it would have been utter madness to put forth an oar or stretch out a hand to keep the bark away from the rugged jutting asperities of the rocky walls on either side. Thus every moment did I expect that the boat would be dashed to pieces. But, no! the torrent carried it in a line of unerring straightness and speedily shot us forth, as it were, upon smooth water. Then the two men betook themselves to the oars; the boat glided out upon the open bosom of the mouth of the Forth, and the Bass Rock was now behind us. In less than an hour we reached North Berwick.