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+The Project Gutenberg EBook of Donalblane of Darien, by J. Macdonald Oxley
+
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
+almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or
+re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
+with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
+
+
+Title: Donalblane of Darien
+
+Author: J. Macdonald Oxley
+
+Illustrator: W. Rainey
+
+Release Date: September 14, 2010 [EBook #33722]
+
+Language: English
+
+Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
+
+*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK DONALBLANE OF DARIEN ***
+
+
+
+
+Produced by Al Haines
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+[Illustration: Cover art]
+
+
+
+
+
+[Frontispiece: "HE PLACED THE CHILD UPON THE CHEST, AND HELD HIM THERE
+THAT HE MIGHT NOT FALL OFF."  p. 38.]
+
+
+
+
+
+DONALBLANE OF DARIEN
+
+
+BY
+
+J. MACDONALD OXLEY,
+
+
+_Author of_
+
+"_Norman's Nugget_," "_In the Swing of the Sea_,"
+  _etc., etc._
+
+
+
+
+_ILLUSTRATED BY W. RAINEY, R.I._
+
+
+
+
+TORONTO:
+
+THE MUSSON BOOK COMPANY, LIMITED.
+
+1902
+
+
+
+
+CONTENTS.
+
+
+CHAP.
+
+    I.  BY WAY OF BEGINNING
+   II.  DONALBLANE CARRIES HIS POINT
+  III.  OFF TO DARIEN
+   IV.  A RESCUE AND A RETREAT
+    V.  ACROSS THE ATLANTIC
+   VI.  A BRUSH WITH BUCCANEERS
+  VII.  THE FOUNDING OF THE CITY OF DARIEN
+ VIII.  A SUCCESSFUL EMBASSY
+   IX.  IN PERILOUS PLIGHT
+    X.  THE CHASE OF THE MANATEE
+   XI.  THE MIDNIGHT ATTACK
+  XII.  NEW YORK AND HOME
+
+
+
+
+ILLUSTRATIONS
+
+
+"HE PLACED THE CHILD UPON THE CHEST, AND HELD HIM THERE THAT HE
+  MIGHT NOT FALL OFF." . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . _Frontispiece_
+
+"'YE'VE A GREAT LIKING FOR THE SEA, THEY TELL ME, LAD,' BEGAN MR.
+BLANE."
+
+"THE RAVENING SWINE WERE GAINING UPON HIM."
+
+"GLARING DOWN UPON HIM ... THE MOST APPALLING EYES HE HAD EVER BEHELD."
+
+"PRESENTLY RAYMON ROSE IN THE BOW, HARPOON IN HAND."
+
+"CHANCED TO OVERHEAR A CONVERSATION WHICH MADE IT CLEAR THAT THEY HAD
+DESIGNS UPON MR. PATERSON'S LIFE."
+
+
+
+
+DONALBLANE OF DARIEN.
+
+
+CHAPTER I.
+
+BY WAY OF BEGINNING.
+
+It was not just an ordinary sort of name, but one of those which made
+you think "thereby hangs a tale."  In this case the thought goes to the
+mark, and the tale in question will be told after a fashion in the
+following pages.
+
+At the outset a quick glance back to times long past is necessary in
+order to a fair start, and without a fair start it were hardly worth
+going ahead.
+
+As the seventeenth century drew to its close there came into prominence
+in England a remarkable Scotsman named William Paterson, among whose
+notable achievements was having a large share in the founding of the
+Bank of England, which subsequently grew to be the greatest monetary
+institution in the world.
+
+He was a member of the board of directors at the opening of the bank,
+but appears to have sold out not long after, and with his money in hand
+to have looked about him for some way of investing it that would be for
+the public good.
+
+Now, these were the days of vexatious monopolies and irritating
+restrictions in commerce.  The trade of Britain with the distant parts
+of the globe was divided between two great grasping corporations--the
+East India Company and the African Company--which, although they were
+at deadly enmity with each other, heartily co-operated in crushing
+every free-trader who dared to intrude within the elastic limits of
+their "spheres of action."
+
+William Paterson was an ardent free-trader, and he became inspired with
+the noble mission of freeing commerce from the hurtful restraints laid
+upon it by short-sighted selfishness.  With a keenness of instinct that
+makes it easy to understand his previous success, he surveyed the then
+known world and put his finger upon the spot best suited for the
+carrying out of his beneficent design.
+
+The Isthmus of Panama, or Darien, is, beyond a doubt, one of the most
+interesting, as it is certain yet to be one of the most important bits
+of terra firma on this round globe.  The connecting-link between the
+continents of North and South America, it is also the barrier dividing
+the Atlantic from the Pacific Oceans, and, in fact, one side of the
+world from the other.
+
+From the time of its discovery and occupation by the Spaniards, it has
+been a matter of general belief that whoever had command of this narrow
+neck of land held the key to the commerce of the world.  Here would
+naturally be concentrated the mutual trade of the Atlantic and Pacific
+coasts of America.  Moreover, it would necessarily form an important
+stage in the shortest route between Europe and the Indies, as well as
+the innumerable islands lying far to the south of the equator.
+
+Little wonder, then, that the Spaniards wanted to keep the isthmus to
+themselves, and always did their very best to make it particularly
+unpleasant for anybody who sought to share its advantages with them;
+and in fine contrast to their dog-in-the-manger policy--for they really
+made little use of their splendid opportunities--was the spirit in
+which William Paterson conceived his great Darien project, and with
+characteristic energy proceeded to carry it into effect.  It was in the
+year 1695 that he obtained from the Scottish Parliament an Act for the
+incorporation of "the Company of Scotland trading to Africa and the
+Indies," which thenceforth became popularly known as "the Darien
+Company."
+
+This company was granted very extensive powers, and had the imposing
+capital of £600,000, one-half of which, it was shrewdly stipulated,
+must ever be held by _Scotsmen residing in their own country_, thus
+ensuring the permanence of the national character of the undertaking.
+
+As it turned out, however, this provision might have been omitted, for
+when, after the Scotch half of the stock had all been subscribed, the
+books were opened in London for the other half, there came such a rush
+of applicants for shares that it was soon all taken up.  This so
+aroused the hostility of the two great English companies already
+mentioned that they actually called upon the House of Commons to assist
+them in crushing their Scottish rival, and the House of Commons
+unfortunately was weak enough to yield to the pressure brought to bear
+upon it.
+
+The London subscribers to the new company were threatened with
+prosecution for concerting to infringe upon the rights enjoyed by the
+other companies, which so alarmed them that with one consent they
+backed out and forfeited their holdings.
+
+With ordinary people this would have meant the collapse of the whole
+enterprise.  Not so, however, with the sturdy Scots who were behind it.
+The provoking action of their English cousins only served to arouse the
+national spirit.  Their expected allies had failed them.  Well, what if
+they had?  Scotland was not to be daunted.  She would go on alone, and
+reap for herself all the glory and the more substantial rewards of the
+great undertaking.  Accordingly another hundred thousand pounds of
+stock was subscribed by this thrifty, determined people, and so, with a
+capital only two-thirds as big as had been counted upon, the Darien
+Company proceeded to carry out the chief purpose of its formation.
+
+But all these disappointments and difficulties had, of course, meant
+delay, and consequently it was not until the year 1698 that the first
+expedition was made ready to start.
+
+Among those most warmly interested in William Paterson's project was
+Alexander Blane, of Leith, a worthy and enterprising shipowner, who had
+won a snug fortune in the service of that fickle mistress, the sea.
+After working his way up from cabin-boy to captain, he had settled down
+on shore, while others commanded his craft for him, and being a shrewd,
+far-sighted, close-fisted man of business, had prospered from year to
+year, in spite of occasional inevitable losses.
+
+He had held aloof from the Darien scheme at the start, as was indeed
+characteristic of him, but when the London folk acted so shabbily his
+Scottish blood was set a-boiling.
+
+"Hech!" he exclaimed, in high indignation, "the Southrons would have
+the world to themselves, eh?  They're just dogs in the manger, and we
+Scots shall teach them the lesson they need.  I hadna thought of taking
+ony shares in Mr. Paterson's company, but if it's only to spite the
+English I'll put me doon for five hundred pounds."  And he was not only
+as good as his word, but he interested himself actively in securing
+other subscriptions to a considerable amount.
+
+Not having been blessed with bairns of his own, Mr. Blane had adopted a
+nephew from the Inverness Highlands, whose own name had been foregone
+in favour of his second father's.
+
+Donald Blane, or Donalblane, as he soon came to be called for short,
+was a pretty uncouth specimen of a boy when, at the age of ten, he was
+taken into the Blane household.  The term "halflin" would describe him
+sufficiently to Scots folk, but for others some further particulars may
+be required.
+
+The son of a shepherd, whose tiny shieling with only a "but and ben"
+seemed to shelter an impossible number of children, he had practically
+run wild upon the mountains.
+
+Bare-headed and bare-footed the greater part of the year, he had grown
+up as sound, strong, and sturdy as one of the shaggy ponies which he
+loved to bestride in a wild gallop over moor and heather, and although
+his most partial friends could hardly pronounce him handsome, he bore a
+frank, fearless, wide-awake countenance that did not fail to make a
+good impression upon those who took the trouble to look into it.  His
+thick, tousled hair showed a slight tinge of red in the sun; his eyes
+were deep-set and of a fine, clear grey; his mouth a trifle large, but
+firm; his chin square, and full of character.
+
+But the most attractive feature of the boy, if so it may be called, was
+his smile.  When Donalblane was pleased or amused his face lit up
+wonderfully, and his parting lips revealed a double row of snow-white
+teeth that were a gift of beauty in themselves.
+
+Five years of city life wrought many changes in his outward appearance
+without in any wise impairing the fineness of his nature.  He learned
+to endure the at first irksome restraints of such troublesome things as
+trousers, collars, hats, and shoes, and--still harder lesson--to become
+accustomed to the daily drudgery of school, so that both in body and
+mind he showed very decided improvement.
+
+But his love of outdoor life lost none of its strength, and there being
+no moors near by to range over, he took to the water instead, spending
+as much of his free time as possible with the sailormen, who had such
+marvellous yarns to spin, climbing up and down the rigging of brigs and
+barques and ships, and now and then getting a short trip about the
+Firth of Forth when his uncle permitted.  Thus he became filled with a
+passion for the sea that was at its height when the proposed Darien
+enterprise set Scotland afire, and down in his heart Donalblane
+determined that he would do his very best to join the brave band of
+adventurers into the wonderful New World.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER II.
+
+DONALBLANE CARRIES HIS POINT.
+
+It was one thing for Donalblane to make up his mind to go to Darien,
+and quite another to carry his resolution into effect.
+
+Alexander Blane was a masterful man, who had no fancy for accepting
+advice or suggestions from other folk.  He much preferred thinking of
+things himself, and Donalblane knew well enough that for him to make a
+direct request meant its being turned down both promptly and finally.
+Strategy was therefore necessary, and, after some deep thought and the
+casting aside of various schemes, he hit upon one that gave promise of
+success if judiciously carried out.
+
+Thanks to his natural quickness of mind and his interest in his
+studies, he had quite won the heart of the dominie who with book and
+birch ruled his little educational kingdom, and so to wise William
+Laidlaw he went with his scheme.  Now, as it happened, no man in
+Scotland had been more fired by Paterson's daring project than this
+school-teacher of Leith.  He was a Scot of the Scots, and the bitterest
+regret of his life was that a crippled leg, which made active movement
+impossible, barred his own way to joining the expedition.
+
+Disappointed in that direction, he had done what was perhaps even
+better--he had invested the entirety of his own savings in the stock,
+and he had by tongue and pen done all in his power to promote the
+interest of the enterprise.  It was therefore only natural that he
+should listen to Donalblane's bashful confidence with a swelling and
+sympathetic heart.
+
+"Ay! ay! laddie," he said, regarding the eager, earnest boy with a look
+of unwonted tenderness, "and so ye wad fain gang tae Darien?  I dinna
+blame ye.  Glad wad I be to gang myself, if I were na too auld for sic
+a far-going.  But if I be too old, are ye na too young, Donald?"  And
+he bent a keen look upon him from under his shaggy brows.
+
+Donalblane flushed and moved uneasily on his seat.  That was the very
+argument he most feared.  "I am owre young, maybe," he replied; "but
+I'm verra strong, and big for my age;" which was true enough, as he
+looked full two years older than he really was.  "And then, ye ken,
+there'll no be anither such chance as this to see the world for the
+rest of my life."
+
+The dominie smiled shrewdly.  That was the usual talk of youth.  He
+knew much better; but somehow the lad's passion for the adventure took
+strong hold upon him, and the upshot of their talk together that summer
+evening was that Donalblane went home joyful of heart because he had
+enlisted an ally who was pledged to help him in realising his desire.
+
+Mr. Laidlaw was on excellent terms with Mr. Blane, and no excuse
+therefore was needed for a friendly visit, in the course of which the
+talk naturally enough came round to the Darien expedition, already in
+course of being fitted out.
+
+"Hech! but I wad fain be going myself," said the dominie, heaving a
+huge sigh of regret, "and if it were na for this halting leg of mine,
+I'd be putting my name down."
+
+Mr. Blane indulged in a sympathetic smile.  The idea of the limping
+dominie venturing to face the perils and privations on sea and land
+that were sure to be encountered touched his sense of humour, but he
+was too courteous to betray it.
+
+"I'm inclined a bit that way likewise," he responded, "and were I only
+twenty instead of sixty, I'd be offering myself to Maister Paterson."
+
+"Have ye thought o' sending any one in your stead?" inquired the
+dominie, as innocently as if no hidden purpose inspired him.
+
+"Ay, I have thought something of it, but I've not made up my mind at
+all," was the reply.
+
+Having thus secured his opening, the wily dominie, by strategic
+devices, which did infinite credit to his ingenuity and knowledge of
+human nature without putting any strain upon his conscience, at last
+succeeded not only in filling Mr. Blane's mind with the idea of Donald
+being sent out in some sense as his representative, but in so doing it
+that the worthy shipmaster quite supposed he had conceived the notion
+himself.
+
+Accordingly, a few days later Mr. Blane called Donald into his own
+room, and began asking him some questions that made the boy's eyes
+glitter with hope.
+
+The sagacious dominie, knowing Mr. Blane, had counselled Donald not to
+let on in any way how eagerly he desired to go to Darien, but to seem
+simply willing to do whatever he was told.  He therefore put a strong
+curb upon himself, and responded respectfully to what was asked of him.
+
+"Ye've got a great liking for the sea, they tell me, lad," began Mr.
+Blane, with a keen glance at the bright face and sturdy figure.
+
+[Illustration: "'YE'VE A GREAT LIKING FOR THE SEA.  THEY TELL ME, LAD,'
+BEGAN MR. BLANE."]
+
+"Oh, yes, sir," answered Donald emphatically.
+
+"And wad ye care to go away altogether on a ship?" asked his uncle.
+
+"Ay, that I would, sir," was the hearty reply; and then, in a sly,
+apologetic tone, "But of course I'd like to come back again."
+
+Mr. Blane smiled grimly.  He quite understood the boy's eagerness to be
+rid of the restraints of school and of town life, and did not take at
+all amiss the readiness he expressed to leave the roof that had
+sheltered him so comfortably, and fare forth into unknown difficulties
+and dangers.
+
+"And what wad ye say to going with Mr. Paterson away out to America, if
+he'll let you?" was the next question; and Donald could feel his
+uncle's deep-set eyes piercing him like arrows.
+
+But he controlled himself wonderfully, and in a quiet, steady voice,
+that touched no chord of opposition, said, "I wad like it verra weel,
+if _you_ will let me go, sir."
+
+Mr. Blane was better pleased by this response than he showed, and,
+after a brief silence, he got up, saying, "Well, well, we'll think
+about it--we'll think about it.  Ye're owre young, maybe, to be leavin'
+your friends to gang among strangers; but ye're a likely lad, and it
+may go towards making a man of you.  Say naething about it--do you
+hear?--for the present--not a word."
+
+Donald promptly promised, and left his uncle with a heart full of hope.
+Only to the dominie did he mention the interview, and then for nearly a
+week he was kept on tenterhooks of anxiety.
+
+In the meantime Mr. Blane conferred with Mr. Paterson, and having been
+assured by him that he would take a kindly interest in the boy, and
+allow him to return at the end of the year if he wished, he fully
+decided to let him go.
+
+When this was communicated to Donald, he had great difficulty in
+restraining the impulse to give a great shout and fling his
+tam-o'-shanter to the ceiling, but by an heroic effort he kept himself
+in hand, and, after expressing his gratitude to his uncle, hurried away
+to the dominie with the good news.  Thus was this momentous matter
+settled, and now came the business of getting ready.
+
+Owing to the withdrawal of the English subscribers and the consequent
+decrease in the amount of capital aimed at, the expedition could not be
+fitted out on so large a scale as Mr. Paterson had at first intended.
+Nor was this the only difficulty he had to encounter.  If the funds
+were somewhat deficient, there was no lack of enthusiasm.  The chivalry
+of Scotland had been aroused, and hundreds of men of high family were
+ready to exchange their prospects in their own country for the golden
+hopes held out by America, recking little of doubts and dangers.
+
+It became a delicate and troublesome task to select from such a throng
+of eager volunteers, for, of course, all could not go, and, alas! for
+the success of the enterprise, in too many cases family interest or
+personal influence prevailed to find a place for some good-for-nothing
+scapegrace instead of an honest, hard-working man, who would have been
+a valuable addition.  If only Mr. Paterson had been able to inspire
+those associated with him with his own unselfish zeal and high
+integrity, there might have been a different story to tell.  Unhappily,
+he stood almost alone in seeking no advantage or profit.  Everybody
+else had a keen eye to number one.  As a natural consequence,
+numberless jealousies, suspicions, and antagonisms arose.  Instead of
+working harmoniously together, the council in charge of affairs plotted
+and counterplotted, wrangled and fought, until poor Paterson's patience
+was utterly exhausted, and he had good reason to wish himself well out
+of the business.
+
+Not only were the members of the expedition ill-selected, for the
+reasons given, but the ships that were to carry them, the arms,
+provisions, goods, and entire equipment, were all contracted for in a
+manner that greatly enriched the merchants at the expense of the
+enterprise, and led to the loss of many a life in the after-days.
+
+The ships were old and rotten, but so painted and fixed up as to
+disguise the fact.  The arms were of inferior quality, the provisions
+adulterated so shamefully as to be hardly fit for human food, and the
+merchandise taken for traffic with the natives of the Land of Promise
+consisted mainly of shop-worn remainders; yet for everything the
+highest price was charged and paid.
+
+To crown all, the ships were commanded by coarse, brutal, and ignorant
+captains, jealous of and hostile to one another, and caring little for
+the authority of the council.  But Donalblane knew nothing of this,
+and, beyond warning him to be very careful to keep his own counsel and
+to be chary of making new friends, his uncle had not given him any hint
+of it.
+
+Proud of his substantial wooden chest, containing not only an excellent
+outfit of clothes, but a good pair of pistols, a sword, and a small
+quantity of beads and trinkets wherewith to do a little trafficking
+with the natives on his own account, he stood on the deck of the
+largest of the little fleet of five vessels one bright day in July 1698.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER III.
+
+OFF TO DARIEN.
+
+Five ships, not one of them really fit for the long and perilous
+voyage, composed the expedition, and they looked gay enough as,
+bedecked with flags and crowded with excited people, they swung at
+their moorings ready for departure.
+
+The heart of Scotland beat high with hope.  It was her first attempt at
+founding a colony, although her sons had done so much to help in the
+founding of English colonies, and now all the glory and the gold to be
+won in the new world would be hers, and hers alone: no other nation
+should have any share in them.
+
+Donalblane felt something of this patriotic enthusiasm stirring his
+young heart.  He was not wholly selfish in his desire to be a member of
+the expedition.  Of course, his head was full of wild dreams of what
+wonders he would see, and the great things he would do in his own
+interest.  But above it all rose a national pride that did him credit.
+He was a Scot to the backbone; and whether he realised all his own
+expectations or not he was passionately eager that the great scheme
+itself should be accomplished, and that his country should take a proud
+place among the nations.
+
+His uncle, having bidden him good-bye and God-speed, had returned to
+the quay, and Donalblane, leaning over the bulwarks, was waiting
+somewhat impatiently for the anchor to be hoisted and the sails set,
+when a hand was laid gently on his shoulder, and a deep voice said in a
+kindly tone, "Beginning to feel a little homesick already, lad?"
+
+Looking up quickly, Donald found beside him the master-spirit of the
+enterprise, William Paterson, to whom he had been once introduced in
+his uncle's office.
+
+"Na, na, sir!" was his prompt, respectful reply; "I'm wearying to be
+off.  Will the ships be ganging soon, sir?" and he fixed his big grey
+eyes upon Mr. Paterson's face.
+
+"Oh! is that the way the wind lies?" was the response, as the great man
+smiled approvingly at the boy, for he was much pleased with his spirit.
+"You are eager for adventure, eh?  Well, my lad, you are likely to have
+your fill of it."  And his handsome countenance clouded as he spoke,
+for the execution of his scheme had been marked by many disappointments
+which boded no good for its ultimate success.  By his frank, honest way
+and earnest efforts to do what was best for the interests of the
+expedition, not for the profit of those supplying the outfit, he had
+aroused the hostility of many who had not hesitated to plot against
+him, with the result that latterly he had been practically set aside,
+and had been compelled to witness gross imposition and fraud which he
+was powerless to prevent.  No wonder, then, that his downcast face
+presented a striking contrast to that of the enthusiastic boy as they
+stood on the deck together; and, influenced by the other's contagious
+confidence, he brightened a little before continuing.  "We can hardly
+fail to have adventures, for it is a new world we are going to, where
+savages, and, worse than savages, the cruel, grasping Spaniards, are
+already, and we shall have to reckon with them before we can succeed in
+our scheme.  But with the providence of God protecting us, we shall
+succeed," and his voice took on a triumphant tone that revealed his
+faith in the Divine approval of his project.  "Be careful what friends
+you make on board here," he added, once more laying his hand upon the
+boy's shoulder.  "There are many to be shunned, and remember that, for
+your uncle's sake and your own, I shall always be glad to be of such
+service to you as may be in my power."  And ere Donald could get out
+his thanks, Mr. Paterson hastened away to speak to one who had just
+come on board.
+
+The interview had been a short one, but it made a deep impression upon
+Donald.  That the great man of whom his uncle and the dominie always
+spoke in such terms of admiration should address him so graciously,
+touched the lad to the core, and from that moment he was ready to yield
+to Mr. Paterson the same passionate devotion that the Highland clansmen
+used to hold for their chieftain.
+
+At last, amid fluttering of flags, booming of cannon, and solemn
+offering of prayer, the ships weighed anchor and, with all sails set,
+stood out to sea, the favouring breeze taking them in a few hours well
+out of the sheltered Firth of Forth into the exposed expanse of the
+North Sea.
+
+They had not long been tumbling about amongst ever-troubled waters when
+Donalblane, in common with very many of his shipmates on the _Bonnie
+Scotland_, had a new experience.  Hitherto his personal acquaintance
+with the sea had been limited to short trips between Leith and
+neighbouring ports, and now for the first time he was out of sight of
+land and entirely at the mercy of wind and wave.  An old salt would
+have called the wind before which the ships of the expedition bowled
+southward just "a fresh breeze," but Donalblane thought it a gale, and
+the _Bonnie Scotland_ had not long been pitching and tossing in lively
+fashion before something began to go wrong inside of him, making him
+feel so uncomfortable that he was fain to leave the quarter-deck, where
+he had been enjoying himself, and to seek a snug corner in which he
+could curl up unnoticed.  By the end of an hour he was completely
+overcome, and if Mr. Paterson had happened along then with his
+question, he certainly would not have received so prompt and resolute a
+response.  Not one day's illness had Donald known in the whole course
+of his life, and this misery of sea-sickness made him as angry with
+himself as was possible in his prostrate condition.
+
+As the ships got down towards the English Channel they tumbled about
+more than ever, until the poor boy began to think he was really going
+to die, and heartily wished himself back upon solid ground.  But once
+they were out in the Atlantic matters improved.  Fine, bright weather
+succeeded, the vessels moved steadily along before a favouring wind,
+and Donald was soon established on his sea-legs.
+
+He now had a chance to become acquainted with some of his
+fellow-passengers, the majority of whom had shared his sufferings.
+They were certainly a very mixed company of men, women, and children.
+Highlanders and lowlanders, peers and peasantry, grave ministers and
+gay scapegraces, shaggy shepherds from the hills, and bronzed
+sailor-men from the coast--a motley throng indeed, the members of which
+Donald studied with keen interest, for he had a sociable nature, but
+bore in mind the good advice given him by Mr. Paterson in regard to
+making acquaintances.
+
+As it fell out, his first friend was won in a decidedly dramatic
+fashion.  Among the occupants of the first cabin was a gentleman by
+name Henry Sutherland, whose wife and child, a beautiful boy of four
+years, accompanied him.  Donald was greatly attracted by the child, and
+anxious to make friends with him, but had no opportunity, until one day
+a startling thing happened.
+
+It was fine and warm, and the little fellow was playing happily about
+the quarter-deck near his mother, when a sprig of the nobility, the
+Hon. Hector Simpson, who had been sent out by his family in the hope of
+improving his habits, sauntered along, and, moved by a spirit of
+mischief, picked up the child, and held him over the bulwarks, saying
+teasingly, "How would you like to go and play with the fishes?"  The
+mother screamed and started forward, and the child, terrified on his
+own account, gave so sudden and violent a wrench as to free himself
+from his tormentor's grasp and fall into the sea, leaving a portion of
+his dress in the latter's hands.  Appalled by the utterly unexpected
+outcome of his foolish act, and unable to atone for it by springing
+after the child, for he could not swim a stroke, the Hon. Hector joined
+his shouts for help with the shrieks of the frenzied mother.
+
+At that moment Donalblane was leaning over the bulwarks near by and
+feeling very lonely.  He longed for friendly companionship, but was
+bashful about breaking the ice with any of those to whom he felt drawn,
+and so far no one, save Mr. Paterson, who always had a pleasant smile
+and kindly word for him, had taken any particular notice of him.
+
+Now Donald was a strong, expert swimmer.  He had dared the depths of
+many a dark loch before he left his native mountains for the coast, and
+at Leith he had always been one of the first to take a dip in the
+spring, and one of the last to give it up in the autumn.  Without a
+question of fear, therefore, but thinking only of the pretty boy in
+peril of death, he threw off his coat and leaped over the bulwarks into
+the heaving waters.  Happily the little one was still afloat when
+Donald's powerful strokes brought him within reach.
+
+"There now, dearie, I've got you all safe!  Dinna fear; ye'll no'
+droon.  Keep still and ye'll be a' richt," panted Donald, as he put his
+left arm about the terror-stricken child.
+
+Whether the little fellow really understood or was paralysed by fright
+he certainly obeyed.  And well was it for them both that he did, for
+having cleared the brine from his eyes and got a good look at the
+_Bonnie Scotland_, Donald realised with a sinking of heart that many
+minutes must elapse before they could be rescued.  The ship had already
+been brought up into the wind, and efforts were being made to lower a
+boat; but in the meantime his helpless burden was becoming heavier and
+heavier.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER IV.
+
+A RESCUE AND A RETREAT.
+
+Well was it for both Donalblane and the child that all those on board
+the _Bonnie Scotland_ did not lose their heads so completely as the
+young fellow whose foolish action had caused the trouble.
+
+Among the first to take in the situation was William Paterson, and
+instinctively he looked about him for something to throw over after the
+brave boy which might serve to buoy him up until help reached him.  As
+it happened, some one had brought on deck an empty wooden chest to
+serve for a seat.
+
+"The very thing!" exclaimed Mr. Paterson when his eye fell upon it,
+and, without pausing to ask permission, he lifted it up and flung it
+over the bulwarks.
+
+It fell not far from where Donald struck the water, and, although he
+did not see it at first, it presently attracted his attention.
+
+"Eh! what's that?" he asked himself, as the black thing bobbed up and
+down on the waves.  For a moment he feared it might be the back of a
+shark coming to the attack, but on a second look fear gave way to joy.
+"It's a box!" he cried, "and it will keep us up, if I can only get to
+it."
+
+The child lay like a log, whimpering a little when the water splashed
+in his face; and it seemed to demand all Donald's strength just to keep
+from sinking, so that he did not see how he was to reach the chest,
+which was at least twenty yards distant.
+
+"Wae's me!" he groaned, "but I'm near spent, and if I canna lay hold of
+that box, I maun droon."
+
+Happily the wind was blowing towards him, and, although he could not
+make much progress against it, the chest was helped by it in his
+direction, so that, just when he thought he could keep up no longer, it
+bobbed within his reach, and, with a sigh of unutterable relief, he
+laid hold of it.
+
+"Noo then, my bairnie, just get atop o' that," he said cheeringly, as
+he placed the child upon the chest, and held him there that he might
+not fall off.
+
+The chest accepted the responsibility and bore it bravely, taking all
+the strain off Donald's tired arms, and enabling him to recover his
+strength and wind in a measure.  Of course it was no easy matter to
+keep the little one in place with the waves so full of motion, but it
+was ever so much less strain than it had been before, and the sturdy
+boy could have maintained the struggle a little longer still, when the
+welcome rattle of oars and the encouraging shouts of men told him that
+rescue was near.
+
+The boat came dashing up under the strenuous strokes of four brawny
+oarsmen, and in her bow stood William Paterson, his eager glance bent
+upon the two imperilled ones, and his arms outstretched ready to grasp
+them.
+
+"God bless you, my noble boy!" he exclaimed, as, after tenderly lifting
+the child into the boat, he caught Donald under the arms to help him
+in.  "You've taught us a lesson in heroism this day."
+
+Donald sat down in the bow so utterly exhausted that he was hardly
+conscious of Mr. Paterson's warm words, nor of the hearty praise of the
+men, but he had an exquisite sense of relief and of having become a
+person of importance.
+
+The first to greet him on the deck of the vessel were the parents of
+the child, and Mrs. Sutherland turned from hugging her rescued darling
+to throw her arms around Donald's neck and kiss him again and again,
+greatly to the bashful boy's embarrassment, while her husband was
+thumping him on the back, and exclaiming huskily, "How can I ever repay
+you for saving my child's life?"
+
+It was really very trying to Donald to be the subject of such
+demonstration, and he was quite glad to get away from the grateful
+parents and the applauding crowd to his own cabin to put on some dry
+clothes.  But when the first excitement subsided and he found that he
+had not only won the respect of his shipmates, but also the warm
+friendship of the Sutherlands, who were very fine people, he felt that
+the game was well worth the candle, and that he was splendidly repaid
+for the risk he had taken.
+
+The first part of the long voyage across the great Atlantic Ocean was
+devoid of special incident.  The ships presently scattered, so that
+each was alone in the vast expanse; and the days followed one another
+monotonously enough until the _Bonnie Scotland_ sighted the Azores
+Islands, and, to the delight of all on board, it was announced that a
+call at Fayal would be made in order to replenish the supply of water.
+
+By this time Donalblane had got a pretty good understanding of all his
+fellow-voyagers.  His likes and dislikes were clearly defined, and,
+young as he was, his natural shrewdness told him that there were only
+too many in the company it would have been far better to have left at
+home.
+
+The Sutherlands were his special friends.  He had won their hearts
+completely, and he took great delight in the company of their little
+son Walter, who loved him as though he fully understood that he owed
+him his life.
+
+At Fayal the four of them went ashore together, and Donalblane thought
+he had never before realised how pleasant it was to be on the solid
+ground as after these weeks of tossing about in an overcrowded ship.
+
+"Eh, but this is bonnie!" he exclaimed enthusiastically, as his big
+eyes roamed over the novel and picturesque landscape.  "I'd like well
+if this were Darien, and we need gang no farther."
+
+Mr. Sutherland smiled at the boy's frankness.  "You've evidently had
+enough of the _Bonnie Scotland_, Donald," he said.  "So, too, have I.
+I'd be right glad to be rid both of the ship and many of her company.
+But we're not half-way to Darien yet."
+
+The striking combination of rugged grandeur with tropical beauty which
+the Azores presented delighted Donald, and during their stay he spent
+the whole day ashore exploring the islands, usually in company with Mr.
+Sutherland.  They revelled in the oranges and other fruit that were to
+be had almost for the asking, and Donald used to amuse Mr. Sutherland
+exceedingly by his lively effort to make himself understood by the
+inhabitants, who were chiefly Portuguese.
+
+One adventure befell him that might have had a serious result.  He had
+gone off wandering on his own account, and lost his way amidst the
+ravines which pierce the mountains in every direction, and lead one
+into another in a puzzling fashion.  The harder he strove to extricate
+himself from the maze, the deeper he got into it, until at last, a
+little before sundown, he found himself in a regular _cul-de-sac_, from
+which there appeared to be no exit save by climbing the precipitous
+cliffs which shut him in, and it would soon be too dark to attempt
+that.  "Losh me!" he sighed ruefully, "but I'm fair trapped, and what
+shall I do for the nicht?"
+
+The question was more easily asked than answered.  Of course to a son
+of the Highlands the spending of a night in the open was not a serious
+matter, so far as exposure was concerned; but how about danger from
+wild animals?  This was what concerned Donalblane, and he was glad that
+he had put a pistol in his belt before leaving the ship.  Wearied and
+perplexed, he had thrown himself down on the sward, when there suddenly
+hove in sight a big boar leading a small band of sows and piglings.  He
+was a tusker of most forbidding appearance, and the instant his wicked
+little eyes fell upon Donalblane he bristled up and began gnashing his
+tusks ominously.
+
+The boy sprang to his feet and drew his pistol, while he looked
+anxiously about him for a way of escape.  "Save us a'!" he cried.
+"What a fearsome brute!  He means ill to me, I'm thinking."
+
+There seemed nothing for it but to stand firm and trust to his pistol.
+So, after a swift glance to make sure that the priming was in its
+place, he braced himself for the attack.
+
+The boar did not waste much time.  Having satisfied himself that this
+intruder upon his domain deserved no mercy, he charged fiercely at him,
+the foam flying from his gleaming tusks, and the thick bristles
+standing out on his mighty front.
+
+Donalblane wisely waited until the fierce creature was within a few
+yards of him, and then fired, taking aim at the very centre of the
+forehead.  At the report of the pistol the boar pitched forward,
+driving his snout into the ground, so great was his impetus, and
+Donalblane, thinking him dead, shouted triumphantly, "Noo, ye fool!
+will ye be trying to scare folk who meant ye no harm?"  But his words
+had hardly left his lips when the boar, which had been only stunned,
+his tough, wrinkled hide proving an effectual shield, got upon his feet
+again and renewed the charge so furiously that Donalblane barely saved
+himself by a sudden spring aside.  Baffled for the moment, the maddened
+brute swiftly swung round for a fresh onset, and Donalblane was fain to
+flee towards the cliffs, followed by the boar and his whole family,
+grunting and squealing.
+
+There was no boy in Leith could out-foot him, and he dashed away at
+such a speed as gave him a good lead.  But where was he to go, in order
+to escape the relentless monster that sought to rend him?  And if it
+came to a question of endurance, the boar would assuredly run him down
+in the end.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER V.
+
+ACROSS THE ATLANTIC.
+
+Running as one runs whose life is at stake, Donalblane looked hither
+and thither for some break in the cliffs that would give him a chance
+to climb out of his fell pursuers' reach.  At last, with a thrill of
+joy, his eye perceived one, and, summoning all his energies for a
+supreme effort, he darted thither.
+
+The ravening swine were gaining upon him at a rate which meant his soon
+being overtaken, and if he should stumble his fate was certain.
+
+[Illustration: "THE RAVENING SWINE WERE GAINING UPON HIM."]
+
+But the sure-footed faculty of the Highlander stood him in good stead.
+He neither slipped nor tripped, and kept steadily on, until well-nigh
+spent he won his race for life by so scanty a margin that the baffled
+boar drove hard against the friendly rock up which his intended victim
+had sprung to safety.
+
+It was little more than a ledge which afforded Donalblane such timely
+sanctuary, and it did not lead far; but, about twenty feet from the
+ground, he found a sort of niche wherein he could dispose his exhausted
+body with some degree of comfort.
+
+"Eh, man, but I'm well-nigh dead!" he panted, as he stretched out on
+the moss-covered rock.  "Anither ten yards and he'd have had his tusks
+into me.  Ah, weel, he'll no' get anither chance, though I stay here a'
+nicht!"
+
+As the boar was grunting and gnashing, and his squealing family were
+evidently determined to invest the place, Donalblane proceeded to
+settle down as comfortably as he could.
+
+Happily the moss lay thick on the rock, and really made quite a soft
+couch.  It was a fine, warm night, and if he had only had food and
+drink he would not have greatly minded.  But the pangs of hunger, and
+especially of thirst, took possession of him, and he had a wretched
+time of it as the long hours dragged slowly by.  Some time during the
+night the pigs disappeared, and when day dawned the coast was clear.
+
+Feeling very stiff and sore and out of sorts, Donalblane clambered down
+into the valley, and set off to find his ship.  By a lucky chance,
+after a couple of hours' vain wandering, he came upon a couple of
+natives laden with oranges evidently intended for market.
+
+They, of course, could not understand his words, but by vigorous
+pantomime he got into their heads the two facts, that he wanted some of
+their oranges, and to be shown the way to the harbour.
+
+For a bit of silver they filled his hands with the fruit, which the
+starving boy found very refreshing if not quite satisfying; and then,
+by keeping them company, he came in due time to where the welcome sight
+of the _Bonnie Scotland_ gladdened his eyes.  On his return to the ship
+he found his friends in great concern about him, and Mr. Sutherland
+actually organising a party to go in search of him.
+
+They were considerably amused at his story, and thereafter he had to
+endure many a joke in regard to his supposed fondness for pork.
+
+Leaving the lovely islands with good stores of fruit, fresh provisions,
+and water, the _Bonnie Scotland_ pursued her way westward through storm
+and {50} calm until the drawing near of the New World was announced by
+tropical things that came out to meet her on the bosom of the deep.
+
+Thenceforward every eye scanned eagerly the horizon, and Donalblane
+spent most of his time high up the mainmast, it being his ambition to
+be the first among the passengers to sight the land.  Mr. Paterson,
+whose kindly interest in the boy had increased during the voyage,
+promised him a golden guinea if he did sight land first, and this of
+course intensified his desire.
+
+His patience was sorely tried, for when the ship reached the dreaded
+Sargasso Sea her onward progress was checked for many a weary day by
+the provoking seaweed which held her fast.
+
+"I'm afraid you'll not soon win your guinea, Donald," said Mr.
+Sutherland, after they had been apparently motionless for several days.
+"We're bound to stay where we are until a strong wind is good enough to
+spring up and help us out."
+
+But the wind seemed in no hurry to come, and the gulf-weed kept them
+prisoners until at last something in the nature of a hurricane struck
+the _Bonnie Scotland_, and she scudded helplessly before it under bare
+poles for a whole day, her passengers' impatience to sight land being
+for the time replaced by a lively fear of foundering.
+
+In spite of being so poor a craft, however, the _Bonnie Scotland_
+braved out the peril, and the following morning Donalblane, who had
+taken to the mast as soon as he had swallowed his breakfast, made the
+hearts of all on deck thrill with joy by the cry of--
+
+"The land! the land!  I can see it!  Look!  Look!"
+
+An instant later the look-out at the bow confirmed him by shouting--
+
+"Land ho! on the weather bow!" and the ship-wearied folk forgot for the
+moment their mutual animosities which had abounded during the long
+voyage, and rejoiced together that the end of their trials was at hand.
+
+"Here's your guinea, my lad," said Mr. Paterson, as he handed
+Donalblane a bright new coin.  "You've earned it well, and I hope that
+good fortune may always befall you."
+
+As Donalblane thanked his kind friend he vowed to himself that that
+beautiful gold piece should not be hastily spent, but that he would
+keep it as long as possible in memory of the giver, and the reason for
+the gift.
+
+It was one of the West India Islands they were approaching, and as they
+passed within half-a-league its wealth of tropical vegetation presented
+so pleasing a picture that the passengers besought the captain to make
+a landing in one of the tempting coves, so that they might have a run
+on shore, and probably get some fruit.  But he was a surly fellow, and
+refused the request with an oath, saying that he was sick of the whole
+lot of them, and wanted to be rid of them with as little delay as
+possible.
+
+So the _Bonnie Scotland_ kept on her course, leaving the lovely islands
+astern, and out of sight as she passed into the wide expanse of the
+Caribbean Sea.
+
+Coarse and brutal as he was, her captain understood navigation, and
+knew how to get the best out of the old hulk of which he had command.
+Now, as the end of the voyage drew near, and the seas seemed kind, he
+cracked on all the sail the ship would carry, greatly to the delight of
+Donalblane, who loved to have the vessel plunging along at full speed.
+
+More than half the breadth of the sea had been traversed when the
+look-out one morning shouted--
+
+"Sail ho!  Sail ho!"
+
+"Where away?" roared the captain from the poop.
+
+"Right abeam, and coming towards us," was the response after a moment's
+hesitation.
+
+At once there was much excitement on board.  The members of the
+expedition took it for granted that this was one of the other ships
+from which they had long parted company, and began to speculate which
+one it was, and whether it would overtake them.
+
+"I was hoping ours would be the first vessel to reach Darien," said Mr.
+Sutherland to Donalblane.  "It would be something to boast of
+considering what a poor thing she is.  I wonder which one of the others
+this is?"
+
+"Ye canna tell so far away," responded Donalblane.  "Maybe it winna
+catch us.  We're sailing fine now."
+
+The _Bonnie Scotland_ certainly was doing wonders, but in spite of
+every inch of canvas her sticks could carry being spread, the other
+ship gained steadily, and the captain's grim countenance grew darker
+and darker.
+
+Mr. Paterson's fine features also became perturbed, although he kept
+his own counsel, and those who noticed supposed he was simply anxious
+that the _Bonnie Scotland_ should win the race to Darien.
+
+As the afternoon advanced the pursuing vessel, which seemed to be
+sailing two knots to the other's one, came fully into view, and
+everybody on board saw that it not only was not one of the five which
+had set out from Leith, but that it bore a strange look which somehow
+seemed to bode no good.
+
+They were not long left in uncertainty.  "Yon's one of they
+buccaneers," growled the captain; "and if ye're going to fight him off
+ye'd better be gettin' ready."
+
+At once the ship was filled with alarm and confusion, women weeping,
+children wailing, men threatening.  The very name of buccaneer sent a
+chill of terror to every heart, and if the blood-stained butchers of
+the sea had ranged alongside at that moment, the _Bonnie Scotland_
+would have proved an easy prey.  But there was one man on board equal
+to the emergency.  William Paterson had been shamefully treated by his
+associates, his advice flouted, his authority denied, his confidence
+betrayed.  Now he rose superior to them all.  He alone was calm amid
+the pitiful panic, and the first to respond to his call for concerted
+action were Mr. Sutherland and Donalblane.
+
+"We must resist to the death," were his earnest words, steadily spoken.
+"There can be no question of surrender.  The buccaneers do not know the
+meaning of mercy."
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VI.
+
+A BRUSH WITH BUCCANEERS.
+
+There was no lack of arms on board the _Bonnie Scotland_, but they were
+curiously assorted, and by no means all of the best quality.  Muskets
+and pistols, claymores and short swords, battle-axes and
+boarding-pikes, they were all hurriedly got out on deck, and each man
+chose the weapon he thought he could handle to the best advantage.
+
+Donalblane, whose Highland spirit rather rejoiced at the prospect of a
+fight, snatched up a sword, which he hung at his belt in addition to
+his own pair of pistols.
+
+"Can we beat the buccaneers, do you think?" he asked, looking up
+eagerly into the grave face of Mr. Sutherland, whose one thought was
+for his wife and child.
+
+Mr. Sutherland glanced over the confused crowd of agitated men, many of
+whom were evidently in a state of unmanly terror, and there was an
+undertone of contempt in his voice as he replied--
+
+"We ought to, if we keep our heads.  There are certainly enough of us."
+
+Counting her crew the ship carried three hundred men, and if these
+stood to their weapons they should prove a match for the enemy, whose
+numbers would probably not exceed one hundred.  But the utter lack of
+discipline or order amongst the expedition filled both Mr. Paterson and
+Mr. Sutherland with fears as to the result.
+
+In addition to small-arms, the _Bonnie Scotland_ carried eight
+carronades which had been neglected during the voyage, but were now
+hastily got in order and double-shotted under the direction of Mr.
+Paterson, who seemed to know how everything should be done.
+
+Meanwhile the buccaneer was steadily coming on, and evidently
+manoeuvring to approach astern so as to prevent the _Bonnie Scotland_
+using her broadside.
+
+But the veteran captain saw through the trick, and at once changed his
+vessel's course, saying with a sardonic smile--
+
+"Red Angus is no sae simple as ye think.  He kens your wicked wile, and
+just how to fool ye."
+
+Mr. Paterson, disgusted as he had been by the brutality of the captain
+during the voyage, could not help now admiring the consummate skill
+with which he handled his clumsy craft, for the _Bonnie Scotland_ was
+far from being what she ought to have been.
+
+He seemed to be able to divine every movement of the buccaneer, and to
+meet it by a counter-movement which prevented the latter obtaining the
+advantage sought.  Thus the two vessels dodged about among the
+white-caps, for a strong breeze was blowing, until at last the
+buccaneer apparently gave up all strategy, and bore directly down upon
+the _Bonnie Scotland_ at the risk of a broadside.
+
+"Now then, gunners, be ready to fire when I give you the word," was Mr.
+Paterson's command, and, matches in hand, the men he had selected for
+the duty stood beside the carronades, waiting his word.  He did not
+speak until the buccaneer was not more than a hundred yards distant,
+and then the captain, by a sudden turn of his wheel, throwing the
+_Bonnie Scotland_ around so that she presented her beam to the
+advancing vessel, Mr. Paterson shouted--
+
+"All together!  Fire!"
+
+The three carronades roared as one, and their iron missiles went
+hurtling into the rigging of the buccaneer and along her crowded decks,
+bringing a lot of the rigging down by the run, injuring the foremast so
+that it showed signs of tottering, and killing and wounding a number of
+the scoundrels, who were evidently not expecting so heavy a broadside.
+Certainly the immediate effect of the discharge was most encouraging,
+and Donalblane clapped his hands gleefully as the damaged vessel fell
+off, while the _Bonnie Scotland_ kept on her course.
+
+"They got it then, didn't they?" he exclaimed.  "That'll teach them to
+leave honest folk alone, eh?" and he waved his sword exultantly towards
+the enemy.
+
+"It is wise not to hurrah until you are out of the wood, my boy," said
+Mr. Paterson, who just then chanced to be passing.  "That is only first
+blood for us.  The buccaneers will soon return to the attack, and then
+may Heaven defend us!"
+
+If the _Bonnie Scotland_ had been anything but the slow-going tub she
+was she might have made her escape while the buccaneer was repairing
+damages.  But it was not in her to do this, and she wallowed cumbrously
+in the waves until the enemy once more ranged close.
+
+Although her sides were pierced for many guns whose black muzzles were
+thrust threateningly out, the buccaneer, for some reason, reserved her
+fire.  Perhaps, having no doubt as to the issue of the struggle, her
+commander wished to save the other vessel as far as possible uninjured.
+
+Approaching more warily this time, he so managed as to come up astern
+of the _Bonnie Scotland_, and, in spite of the latter's efforts to
+avoid the onset, bore down upon her, the two ships colliding with a
+grinding crash and the rattle of interlocking spars.
+
+The sight of the buccaneers as they crowded the bulwarks, ready to
+spring on board their prey, was certainly enough to affright the
+stoutest heart.  Every countenance seemed that of an incarnate fiend,
+rendered more hideous by the blood-red handkerchief which was their
+only head-covering.  They were seething with rage at the loss they had
+already suffered, and shook their cutlasses fiercely, while they
+shouted like madmen.
+
+Donalblane's eagerness for a fight was decidedly chilled by the
+appalling appearance of these assailants, but he did not lose control
+of himself, and when Mr. Paterson gave the command, fired his pistols
+one after the other into the yelling horde of scoundrels.  With what
+effect he never knew, for the next instant all was the wildest
+confusion, the men of the _Bonnie Scotland_ opposing the buccaneers
+with boarding-pike, battle-axe, sword, and claymore, and beating them
+back again and again with much shedding of blood on both sides.
+
+Whatever other virtues they lacked, these adventurers were certainly
+not deficient in brawn or bravery.  They stood their ground splendidly,
+and Donalblane's heart thrilled with pride as he saw that the
+buccaneers were gaining no advantage.  He himself was no idle
+spectator.  Throwing aside his pistols he seized a big boarding-pike,
+and taking his place near Mr. Paterson, made it his business to be
+ready to protect him so far as might be in his power.  Nor did he fail
+of an opportunity.  In spite of the determined defence, a few of the
+buccaneers forced their way on board, and one of them, a powerful
+fellow, with the face of a tiger, made a rush upon Mr. Paterson, whom
+he no doubt recognised as the person in command.  At the moment Mr.
+Paterson was looking in another direction, and the ruffian's cutlass
+would infallibly have cloven his head had not Donalblane perceived the
+peril in time to swing his boarding-pike across the buccaneer's shins,
+bringing him headlong to the slippery deck, where Donalblane followed
+him with another crack, this time on the skull, that rendered him
+senseless and harmless for the time being.
+
+Mr. Paterson knew nothing of his danger until the miscreant fell
+clattering at his feet, and then he realised how narrow had been his
+escape.
+
+"God bless you, my boy!" he exclaimed fervently, throwing his arm about
+Donalblane's neck.  "I owe you my life.  I shall never forget the
+service you have done me."
+
+Donalblane's face flushed with delight.  He felt proud of himself and
+proud of his patron.  He would rather have saved his life than that of
+any one else on board.
+
+"I'm verra, verra glad, sir," he replied.  "Losh! but he was a fearsome
+creature.  He thought fine he wad cut ye in two."
+
+"Well, you have done for him, Donald.  May we all do as well.  Thank
+Heaven we're still keeping the rascals off our decks!" and so saying
+Mr. Paterson rushed into the thick of the fight again.
+
+The stubborn, sturdy defence of the Scotsmen began to tell.  Only a few
+of their assailants had broken through their ranks, and these were
+speedily put _hors de combat_.  The buccaneers, who had judged from the
+appearance of the _Bonnie Scotland_ that she would prove an easy prey,
+were amazed by the number of men on board, and the fierceness with
+which they fought.  As one after another of their crew was killed or
+wounded, their fury slackened, and when after half-an-hour's
+hand-to-hand struggle they had gained no advantage, they were fain to
+sheer off to reconsider the situation.
+
+Hearty cheers rose from the _Bonnie Scotland_ as the buccaneer ship
+sullenly slid astern.  Donalblane, who had been so lucky as to escape
+all injury, springing into the rigging, and waving one of the
+buccaneer's blood-red kerchiefs as he shouted jeeringly--
+
+"Noo then, ye murdering villains, have ye got your fill?  Ye'll ken
+better than to be attacking honest folk like us again."
+
+A hearty laugh from below showed that the boy's taunts expressed the
+feelings of his shipmates; but when the next instant a bullet whistled
+perilously near his head, he realised how he was exposing himself, and
+slid down the rigging much faster than he had climbed up.  Considering
+the heat of the conflict it was remarkable how slightly the defenders
+of the _Bonnie Scotland_ had suffered.  Three killed, and a dozen
+wounded, none of them mortally, made up the list of casualties, and
+when these had been given proper attention, and the decks cleaned and
+cleared up, the ministers, of whom there were several on board, called
+upon all to join with them in giving thanks to Providence for their
+deliverance.
+
+And so, with the baffled buccaneers still in sight, they sang
+triumphant Psalms, and lifted up fervent praise to Almighty God who had
+given them the victory.  The women and children, who had been shut in
+the cabins during the fight, came out to join in this service of
+praise, their pallid faces showing how they had suffered from fear and
+anxiety while thus cooped up.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VII.
+
+THE FOUNDING OF THE CITY OF DARIEN.
+
+Whether the buccaneers went off for reinforcements, or simply withdrew
+sadder and wiser, if not better, men, cannot be said.  They certainly
+disappeared before sunset, and no more was ever seen of them.  For once
+at least the blood-stained Brethren of the Coast had met more than
+their match, and been foiled in their villainous work.
+
+Having repaired the damage done to the spars and rigging, the _Bonnie
+Scotland_ continued her course, and on the first day of November came
+in sight of the long-desired Golden Island--the goal of their hopes,
+the end of their weary voyage.
+
+Wonderfully refreshing was the sight to the delighted eyes of the
+expedition, sick of the monotonous sea.  Clothed with rich green sward,
+from which rose lofty trees laden with fruit, and surrounded by still
+waters of crystalline purity, this island stood forth like a beautiful
+specimen of the vast regions beyond, which it was hoped were some day
+to become a province of Scotland.
+
+Donalblane's freckled face glowed with joy.  "Eh, but it's bonnie--it's
+verra bonnie!" he exclaimed, grasping Mr. Sutherland's arm.  "There's
+naethin' like that in Scotland."
+
+"No, indeed, Donald," responded Mr. Sutherland, smiling at the boy's
+enthusiasm.  "It's very different from Scotland, and far more
+beautiful; and if its fulfilment only equals its promise we shall have
+done well to come here."
+
+By a clever bit of strategy Donalblane managed to get into the first
+boat that left the ship, and, curled up in the bow, waited until they
+touched ground, when he sprang out, recking naught of wet feet so long
+as he was really the first one of the expedition to set foot on the New
+World.
+
+"Hurrah!" he shouted, waving his cap as he raced up the beach.  "Come
+along and see the land!"
+
+There were plenty to follow his example, and before long the little
+island which lay at the mouth of the Golden River had been pretty well
+explored.
+
+It was indeed a lovely spot, but it did not afford the good harbour or
+the natural facilities for defence which were necessary for the
+permanent establishment of the expedition.  Mr. Paterson, however,
+thought it best for the _Bonnie Scotland_ to remain there until the
+other ships put in an appearance.  This they did in the course of the
+next few weeks, one at a time straggling in, each with its own tale of
+storm and stress, of baffling winds and disheartening calms, but none
+of them having shared the _Bonnie Scotland's_ experience with the
+buccaneers.
+
+After all had been rested and refreshed, Mr. Paterson, who had well
+employed the interval of waiting by exploring the surrounding region,
+Donalblane being usually permitted to accompany him, announced that he
+had decided upon the site of the city whose foundations they were to
+lay, and under his directions the little fleet moved thither.
+
+The spot was so admirably adapted for their purpose that it seemed as
+if it had been destined by nature.  About a cannon-shot southward from
+the Golden Island a peninsula, having a deep harbour at its extremity,
+stretched out into the sea.  The outer arm of the harbour was lofty and
+commanding, affording protection to the water within.  The other arm
+was low, and well fitted for the construction of forts and other
+defences; while between the two lay a wide, calm, sheltered bay capable
+of containing all the fleets of Europe.
+
+The shores of the bay were of bright yellow sand that suggested gold to
+the eager eyes of the new settlers; and the waters were so clear that
+full five fathoms deep you could see the shells and coral fragments as
+through the purest glass.  In many places mangroves dropped into the
+pellucid water, their boughs laden with a strange kind of fruit, for
+they bore oysters that were good to eat.  Beyond the golden beach rose
+stately palms interspersed with orange and other fruit trees, and here
+and there spread rich savannahs ready for homes to be built upon them.
+
+It seemed an earthly paradise indeed, and Donalblane expressed the
+feelings of the rest when he exclaimed in his characteristic way--
+
+"Here we've come and here we'll bide, for there can surely be no
+bonnier place on all the earth!"
+
+Only one member of the entire expedition had any knowledge of the
+country.  This was William Paterson, the founder of the expedition; and
+so at the outset all his counsel and directions were unquestioningly
+obeyed.
+
+When, just before sunset, the ships came to anchor in the noble
+harbour, and with utmost haste the boats were filled and urged ashore,
+Mr. Paterson was the first to land.  His first action was to fall on
+his knees and offer up fervent thanksgiving for their safe arrival.
+Each Scotsman as he landed followed his example, until the whole
+expedition formed one great congregation worshipping upon that shore
+which had never before heard the name of God.
+
+Their prayer ended, they rose and embraced one another in the impulse
+of mutual congratulation.  Every heart beat high with hope; and that
+night there was not a single member of the party who was troubled by
+the slightest doubt as to the success of their great undertaking.
+
+They had arrived in the very best season of the year, it being the
+springtime of that climate, when Nature was at her best in every way,
+and they made haste to get out of their cramped quarters on shipboard
+and put up temporary huts and tents in the shade of the trees in which
+they could live until permanent homes were built.
+
+Donalblane was immensely happy.  He had no hut to build.  He could
+sleep on the ship or ashore just according to his fancy, so he was a
+gentleman of leisure, and he thoroughly enjoyed himself exploring the
+wonderful New World.
+
+By common consent the settlers took holiday at first.  They hunted the
+wild boar in the depths of the forest; they fished in the neighbouring
+streams and surrounding seas; they threaded the woods, where almost
+every bough bore some kind of fruit with which they were glad to make
+acquaintance.
+
+Then they turned their attention to work, and, after huts had been
+provided for all, a fort was built commanding the harbour, and
+threescore guns, taken from the ships, mounted upon its battlements.
+Their next proceeding was to cut a canal across the isthmus, thereby
+rendering their peninsula an island; and having named the fort St.
+Andrews, and the surrounding region Caledonia, they began to feel more
+at home.
+
+While they were thus occupied, and everything seemed to be going on
+smoothly and prosperously, Mr. Paterson thought it well to make a
+journey into the interior in order to open up friendly relations with
+the natives, and by effecting treaties with them to secure a proper
+title to the land upon which the expedition had settled.  He
+accordingly made up a party for this purpose.
+
+It included Mr. Sutherland, and he was thoughtful enough to let
+Donalblane know of the project.
+
+"Ay; but I'd like fine to be going with you," said the boy, his face
+full of eagerness.  "Can ye no' tak me?"
+
+"It's not for me to say, Donald," replied Mr. Sutherland kindly; "but
+suppose you have a word with Mr. Paterson?  We're starting in the
+morning."
+
+Donalblane needed no second hint.  He set off at once in search of Mr.
+Paterson, and, happening to find him disengaged, promptly proffered his
+request.
+
+"Can I gang wi' you to-morrow?" he said, fixing his big grey eyes upon
+him, his whole frame trembling with the eagerness that possessed him.
+
+Mr. Paterson woke from the reverie in which he had been lost, and,
+regarding Donalblane with a half-puzzled, half-amused smile, asked--
+
+"To-morrow?  Where?"
+
+"I dinna ken, sir," was the odd response.  "But wherever ye're going
+yersel'.  Away off yonder," he added, pointing inland, where, in the
+remote distance, a range of mountains, blue and vague, enclosed the
+horizon.  Mr. Paterson now fully understood him.
+
+"And why do you want to go with me, Donald?  Are you not content here?"
+he inquired in the gentle, winning tone that was one of his many
+personal charms.
+
+"Ay, to be sure," responded the boy heartily.  "But you're ganging to
+see the Indians, and I'd like fine to see them too."
+
+Mr. Paterson laughed at this frank confession of curiosity, and then
+was silent for a brief space while he seemed lost in thought.
+
+Donalblane, thrilling with anxiety, kicked a hole in the turf as he
+waited.
+
+"I think you may come with us, Donald," said Mr. Paterson presently,
+laying his hand upon the other's shoulder.  "But you must be a very
+good boy, and do just what you are told."
+
+"You may be sure I'll do that!" cried Donalblane, giving a jump of
+delight.  "Mony thanks, sir, for your kindness."
+
+Thus it was settled to Donalblane's satisfaction, but to the great envy
+of others who would have liked to be in his place.
+
+Bright and early the following morning the party set forth.  It
+comprised twelve of the Scots all fully armed, and half as many of
+natives whose friendship had been already secured; these latter serving
+in the double capacity of guides and bearers of the presents intended
+to be given to the Indian chieftains.  They were all in high spirits,
+the hard work of founding St. Andrews having made a holiday very
+welcome, while the novelty and interest of the trip certainly promised
+to be sufficient to satisfy the most enterprising.
+
+Mr. Sutherland kindly took Donalblane as his companion, and they
+trudged along together, their attention alert for everything in nature
+that was strange or beautiful.  For the most part their route lay
+through shadowy forests, into whose dim recesses the hot rays of the
+sun never penetrated, with here and there a grassy glade that brought
+them into sunlight again.  They travelled at a leisurely pace and in
+short stages, as they were not pressed for time, and Donalblane enjoyed
+every moment.  He was as happy as a hummingbird.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VIII.
+
+A SUCCESSFUL EMBASSY.
+
+During his previous visit to the Darien region Mr. Paterson had gained
+some knowledge of the native language, and this now stood him and his
+companions in good stead, as it caused them to be received not only
+with kindness, but with honour, by the Indians when they met them.
+
+It was towards the close of their second day's journey that the quick
+ear of Donalblane, who was in the lead with the guides, caught a sound
+that was different from anything he had hitherto heard.
+
+"Eh! but is na that music?" he cried, turning to the nearest guide, who
+smiled assent, although in truth he did not understand the question.
+"I maun gang and tell Mr. Paterson;" and he raced back with the
+information.
+
+Mr. Paterson was very pleased at the news, for he understood it to mean
+that the report of their expedition had preceded them, and that the
+Indians were coming to welcome them in their own way; and so it proved,
+for the music grew louder as they advanced, until, on entering one of
+the long forest aisles, they beheld a group of musicians playing upon
+reeds, accompanied by a chorus who joined in from time to time with a
+kind of musical humming.
+
+Donalblane's eyes opened wide at this.  He had never expected to find
+an orchestra and a choral society among savages, and he expressed his
+surprise to Mr. Sutherland, who smilingly replied--
+
+"Don't be astonished at anything in this strange New World, my lad.  It
+is as full of wonders as it is of perils."
+
+When the Scotsmen had come up to them, the musicians changed their
+march into a curious kind of dance, which continued until they crossed
+a small savannah and drew near a lofty grove standing by itself, within
+whose recesses it was understood the king awaited his visitors.
+
+Then the dancing ceased, the music resumed, and there issued from the
+grove a bevy of graceful girls, glittering with golden ornaments, and
+carrying garlands of flowers which they threw over the necks of Mr.
+Paterson and his companions, not neglecting Donalblane, who blushed to
+the roots of his sandy hair at this unlooked-for adornment.
+
+Guided by them, the visitors at length were ushered into the presence
+of the King of Darien, and Donalblane caught his breath at the imposing
+sight.  Seated upon a huge throne of mahogany logs, decked with Spanish
+crimson cloth, and wearing a great crown of gold, the dusky
+potentate--albeit his robes were only of some light cotton stuff, and
+big shining rings dangled from his ears and nose--looked every inch a
+king.
+
+So royal indeed was his appearance that the Scotsmen, moved by a common
+impulse, not only bowed, but knelt before him, which mark of respect
+evidently impressed his Majesty very favourably.  Standing about him
+were fine-looking men, whose stature was heightened by diadems of the
+gold plumage of the mocking-bird, out of which rose two long feathers
+from the scarlet macaw.  They leaned upon gleaming spears, and were no
+doubt ready to execute the commands of their master for life or death.
+
+Thanks to Mr. Paterson's acquaintance with the native language, there
+was no need of an interpreter, and he proceeded to explain the purpose
+of his visit.
+
+"We are come," said he, "from the other side of the globe to greet you,
+O King!  We are come as friends, not as enemies.  We would take nothing
+from you without due payment.  We offer to purchase from you sufficient
+land for our settlement, and we want not only your land, but your
+friendship.  If you treat us kindly, if you deal with us honourably, we
+will help to make you and your people greater and richer, and we will
+also aid you against your enemies.  We will be your allies; and if you
+are attacked, our guns and our swords will be at your service, for your
+cause will be ours.  What say you, O King?"  And without waiting for a
+response, the shrewd leader of the expedition proceeded to exhibit the
+presents of beads, trinkets, and scarlet cloth which he had brought.
+
+The dignity of the monarch was not entirely proof against this tempting
+display.  His dark eyes gleamed with eager desire, and it was by a
+manifest effort that he controlled the impulse to make a hasty descent
+from the throne in order to take the presents into his royal hands.
+
+Suddenly the ceremony, which had been proceeding so auspiciously, was
+interrupted by an extraordinary disturbance that thoroughly startled
+every member of the visiting party save Mr. Paterson.
+
+During the progress of the solemn function there had gathered in the
+trees overhead a curious congregation, to wit, a large troop of
+monkeys, whose curiosity had evidently been excited by what was going
+on below.  They came in thousands, leaping from bough to bough, and
+from tree to tree, until they assembled right above the king and his
+visitors.
+
+Here they remained tolerably quiet for awhile, until, just as his
+Majesty was about to reply to Mr. Paterson, the impudent intruders
+broke into a deafening chorus of chattering and screaming which made
+every other sound inaudible.  Not only so, but, in utter fearlessness
+of human presence, they began a series of wild antics, which culminated
+in their forming living chains, one holding on to the other's tail, and
+then they let themselves down from the lofty trees until they were
+actually within reach of the people below.
+
+One of these animated chains swung to and fro so near to Donalblane
+that he thought the grinning, grasping creatures meant to attack him,
+and he drew his cutlass to strike at them, when happily Mr. Paterson
+divined his intention, and with a quick movement caught his arm.
+
+"Let them alone, my lad," he said almost sternly.  "They will do you no
+harm.  They are sacred here.  Be careful."
+
+It was well he had been so quick, for already some of the stalwart
+attendants of the king had observed Donalblane, and were lifting their
+long spears menacingly.
+
+Donalblane's weapon went back into its sheath; and, bracing himself up,
+he said under his breath--
+
+"Ye grinning loons, ye'll not scairt me, but gin ye do lay hands on me,
+I'll gi'e ye a clout that'll teach ye manners."
+
+The uneasiness of the Scotsmen at the monkeys' antics must have been
+amusing enough to the natives, who not only tolerated the saucy
+creatures, but looked upon them as sacred, and therefore regarded their
+appearance on the scene as a favourable omen; in fact, nothing more
+fortunate for the success of the embassy could have occurred.  The
+pawarress, or priests, were particularly pleased.  So, too, was the
+king; and when at last the monkeys, doubling up their chains again,
+returned to the tree-tops and scampered off in high glee, both he and
+the priests were ready to enter into negotiations.
+
+A treaty was accordingly drawn up and ratified, whereby full freedom
+was given to the Scots to settle in the land and enjoy it, and between
+them and the natives there was declared to be peace "as long as rivers
+ran, and gold was found in Darien."  Then followed a banquet prepared
+and served in true native style.  The roast flesh of the peccary,
+broiled fish from the mountain streams, and luscious fruit from the
+trees all around composed the bill of fare; and the hungry visitors
+needed no urging until there was produced the dish of honour, being a
+huge lizard, called the iguana, carefully baked and served up with
+tomato sauce.
+
+One look at it was quite sufficient to make the Scotsmen suddenly lose
+their appetites.  With one consent they began to invent excuses for
+letting the tempting dish go by them.  All except Mr. Paterson.  He had
+tasted iguana before and knew it was not at all unsavoury.  Moreover,
+good manners required that this item should not be treated with
+disgust.  So he bravely helped himself to a goodly slice, and when it
+came round to Donalblane, he, by way of atoning for his mistake in
+regard to the monkeys, did likewise.
+
+It was a hard job getting down the first morsel, but the flesh proving
+white, firm, and of fine quality, with a flavour somewhat resembling
+chicken, he actually managed to polish off his portion, being rewarded
+therefor by a look of warm approval from Mr. Paterson.
+
+The following morning the embassy set forth on their return to the
+coast, attended by all the honours and marks of goodwill that had
+marked their arrival; but before they reached their destination
+Donalblane had an adventure that came within an ace of costing him his
+life.
+
+The purpose of their mission having been so satisfactorily
+accomplished, Mr. Paterson readily assented to the request of his
+companions, that they should linger on the way back in order to enjoy
+some hunting.
+
+This delighted Donalblane, who was impatient to try what he could do as
+a sportsman, and, in company with Mr. Sutherland and a native guide, he
+set out joyously.  There was no lack of game to be feared.  From the
+harmless iguana or more attractive _corrosou_ (wild turkey) up to the
+fierce wild boar or terrible panther or jaguar, the forest simply
+swarmed with fair subjects for his bullets.  It was only a question of
+picking and choosing.  Following their guide he and Mr. Sutherland had
+been tramping for several hours, and securing a creditable "bag," when,
+feeling weary, they threw themselves down to rest under a big tree, and
+quite naturally fell sound asleep.  An hour slipped by, and Donalblane,
+from a troubled dream, awoke to find glaring down upon him from an
+upper branch the most appalling eyes he had ever beheld.  Their baleful
+gleam seemed to freeze his blood.  He was for the moment paralysed.  He
+could not turn aside to glance at his companions, who lay like logs a
+few feet away, and his tongue refused to act.  He could just discern
+through the deep shade a great dark body crouched behind the eyes, and
+his instinct told him that the most dreaded denizen of the forest--the
+black panther--was preparing to spring upon him!
+
+[Illustration: "GLARING DOWN UPON HIM ... THE MOST APPALLING EYES HE
+HAD EVER BEHELD."]
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER IX.
+
+IN PERILOUS PLIGHT.
+
+Donalblane's paralysing panic was only for the moment.  The power of
+action presently returned to him, and, grasping his gun, he aimed at
+the diabolical eyes, while he shouted to his companions: "Up wi'
+ye!--up wi' ye!  We're in danger!"
+
+So heavy was their slumber, however, that neither of them stirred at
+his call; but when the report of the gun rang out, they both bounded to
+their feet just in time to see a great dark body fly through the air
+with a fearful scream, and light upon poor Donalblane, who fell back
+beneath it!  They realised at once what had happened, and Mr.
+Sutherland, seizing his musket, and the Indian his spear, sprang to the
+boy's assistance.
+
+So completely did the panther cover him that Mr. Sutherland dared not
+fire, lest the bullet should penetrate both bodies; but he sought a
+chance to use the butt of his musket on the brute's head, while the
+Indian made play with his spear, stabbing it into the creature's side.
+Meantime Donalblane, into whose shoulder the terrible teeth had sunk
+while the merciless claws were tearing his clothes to ribbons, fighting
+for his life, with both hands buried in the soft, thick fur, strove
+frantically to throttle his mighty assailant.
+
+Had he been alone there could have been no doubt as to the issue of the
+struggle--the panther must have done him to death; but the stunning
+blows from Mr. Sutherland and the repeated stabs of the Indian's spear
+soon began to tell.
+
+They had not only weakened the brute's strength, but they turned his
+attention from Donalblane to his other opponents, and, after a space of
+time that seemed an eternity to the boy, but was in reality barely a
+minute, the panther, giving a hideous growl, relaxed both teeth and
+claws in order to prepare for a spring at Mr. Sutherland.
+
+This gave the latter the opportunity for which he had been waiting.  He
+was an expert shot, and never had had more need of his skill than at
+this moment.  Quickly throwing his gun to his shoulder, and aiming full
+at the panther's breast, he pulled the trigger.
+
+Happily the musket did not miss fire, and the heavy charge sped
+straight to its mark, going clean through the animal's heart.  With one
+last fiendish scream the fearful creature sprang straight up into the
+air, and fell back a limp, lifeless mass of fur.  Not waiting to look
+at his quarry, Mr. Sutherland rushed to Donalblane, who lay senseless
+on the sward, with the blood streaming from nearly a score of wounds.
+
+"My poor boy," he exclaimed, as he took Donald's head upon his knees,
+"surely that black brute has not killed you!"  Then to the Indian, who
+was wonderingly examining the panther, he called indignantly, "Leave
+that thing alone, and get me some water--quick!"
+
+When the Indian returned with the water Mr. Sutherland tenderly washed
+the boy's wounds, which he was glad to find were none of them very
+deep--those made by the teeth on the shoulder being the worst--and did
+his best to bind them up with handkerchiefs and what other linen was
+available, the Indian proving a very helpful assistant.  Before it was
+quite done Donalblane recovered consciousness, and at first was so
+dazed that he had no idea as to what had happened.
+
+"What's the matter?" he asked, starting to put his hand to his head,
+and then dropping it because of the pain in his shoulder.  "I'm verra
+sore.  Ah!  I ken--I ken--that awfu' black thing.  I fair thought it
+wad kill me."  And he groaned deeply, for his sufferings were keen.
+
+"Not a bit of it, my boy," responded Mr. Sutherland cheerily, as he
+patted his pale cheek.  "You're not even half killed, and that awful
+black thing is killed completely.  But you've had a very narrow escape,
+and you've got some nasty wounds, and you must keep very quiet here
+until we can get you back to St. Andrews."
+
+Mr. Sutherland was a man of thought as well as of action, and it did
+not take him long to arrange matters.  The Indian was dispatched to the
+settlement with a note telling what had happened, and asking that a
+litter be sent back for the sufferer.  In the meantime he himself would
+stay by the wounded boy until the litter arrived.
+
+Happily they were not at the time a very great distance from St.
+Andrews.  Another Indian, having been promised liberal payment if he
+was very quick, ran the whole way thither, and the litter party lost
+not a moment in making the return trip.  It was indeed well for
+Donalblane that they were so prompt, for he presently began to be
+feverish, and to require the utmost skill of the physicians who had
+accompanied the expedition to combat the effect of the serious wounds
+he bore.  There was great sympathy felt for him, as he was a general
+favourite, owing to his bright, frank, manly ways; and both Mr.
+Paterson and Mr. Sutherland were as concerned about him as if he had
+been their own child.
+
+Even with the best of care some weeks must elapse before he would
+regain his former vigour, and while he lay in his hammock, a not too
+docile and submissive patient, affairs went on not at all prosperously
+at St. Andrews.
+
+Although absent only a week, Mr. Paterson found on his return that a
+spirit of discontent and dissension had already broken out in the
+colony.  All the men were not workers.  Some were useless drones, and
+those who had toiled hard laying the foundation of the new city began
+to grumble and protest.  There was no settled or acknowledged
+authority.  Once the novelty of the situation had passed away, Mr.
+Paterson ceased to be looked up to and obeyed, and it seemed impossible
+for any one to be agreed upon as supreme governor.
+
+The settlement certainly presented a curious appearance at this time.
+Over a thousand persons, all foreign to the soil, were lodged in rude
+wooden huts roofed with palmetto leaves, the inside furnishing of which
+were of the simplest description.  Chests and lockers did duty for
+seats and tables; tartan shawls of brilliant hues, hung up as curtains,
+formed the only partitions; spades, mattocks, axes, and hatchets
+littered the walls, while carefully disposed in the dryest corners were
+the claymores and muskets which formed their weapons of defence.
+
+One large building was set apart for public worship, and here services
+were daily held by the Presbyterian ministers, several of whom had
+accompanied the expedition, and were much given to lengthy sermons.
+Another building was the storehouse, to which the provisions brought
+out by the ships were removed.  Now, mention has already been made of
+advantage being taken by those who supplied the expedition to palm off
+much inferior stuff than they had contracted to furnish; and this
+rascality became revealed when it was discovered that the greater part
+of the stores, upon which the colonists must depend until they had
+raised their own harvests, was absolutely unfit for human food, and had
+to be cast into the sea, where it attracted swarms of sharks that
+henceforth infested the harbour, rendering its waters full of danger.
+
+This was a terrible blow to the hopes of the settlers, who were already
+disappointed at the failure of their expectations in the matter of
+gold, which they had counted upon being able to obtain in abundance,
+whereas all the gold they had seen were the ornaments of the King of
+Darien.
+
+It was determined to dispatch one of the ships to the island of Jamaica
+for a fresh supply of provisions, and in the meantime, through the
+influence of Mr. Paterson, the King of Darien placed the services of a
+large body of Indian hunters at his disposal, and these men, through
+their knowledge of the country and their skill, were able to secure
+game and fish in abundance when the Scotsmen could get nothing.
+
+As soon as Donalblane had recovered from his wounds, nothing daunted by
+his thrilling experience, he devoted himself to hunting, as that suited
+his taste far better than tilling the ground or working on the
+fortifications.
+
+Keen of eye, quick of ear, light of foot, long of wind, and well-nigh
+tireless, he set himself to learn from the Indians their hunting wiles
+and devices, and was so apt a pupil that ere long he became a match for
+the best of them, particularly as his musket and pistols, always kept
+in perfect order, were immensely superior weapons to their spears and
+arrows.
+
+The magnificent region round about afforded a hunting-field vast and
+varied enough to satisfy the most exacting sportsman.  The forests were
+full of animals, from the amusing, harmless monkeys up to the fierce
+wild boar or the terrible jaguar; while the waters fairly teemed with
+fish, from the delicious mullet up to the gigantic manatee, or
+sea-cow--if this can be properly called a fish.  The first time
+Donalblane saw a manatee he was filled with amazement--it seemed so
+huge, so hideous, so extraordinary a monster; but when he got over his
+first surprise, he became possessed with the notion of adding one to
+his list of trophies.
+
+"Do so, by all means," said Mr. Paterson, when he mentioned his purpose
+to him.  "The manatee's flesh, in spite of the creature's ugly
+appearance, is equal to the best pork, and we cannot have too much of
+it for our hungry people."
+
+"Then I'll just do my verra best to get ye one, and maybe two, for they
+tell me they are in plenty up yon river," said Donalblane, pointing
+towards the so-called Golden River.
+
+"Good luck to you, my lad," rejoined Mr. Paterson, patting him on the
+shoulder.  "Be sure that the chief hunter goes with you, for the
+manatee can give plenty of trouble, if you do not know how to handle
+him."
+
+Donalblane promised to be sure of having Raymon, whose heart he had
+already won by various little kindnesses, and hastened off to make
+arrangements for a start the following morning.  He had no difficulty
+in securing the co-operation of Raymon, who was only too glad to join
+him, and who undertook to procure a canoe and two of the best paddlers
+in his tribe.  Accordingly, at dawn of the next day Donalblane set out
+on his hunt for a manatee.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER X.
+
+THE CHASE OF THE MANATEE.
+
+Several hours' steady paddling brought the hunting party, ere the full
+heat of the day, to a part of the river where the banks were densely
+clothed with mangroves, broken here and there by bayous, whose shallow
+bottoms were lush with rank vegetation.
+
+"We get him there," said Raymon, pointing to one of these bayous.
+"When sun going down.  Plenty of manatee in dat place."
+
+Donalblane was impatient to begin the hunt right away; but Raymon knew
+his business better, and so they sought a landing in one of the cool,
+dark recesses of the mangrove forest, and, after eating their lunch,
+lay down for the inevitable siesta.
+
+It was well on in the afternoon before Raymon pronounced it time to get
+to work, and, thrilling with eagerness, Donalblane took his place in
+the stern of the canoe, his musket ready for a quick shot, while Raymon
+crouched in the bow, holding a harpoon to which was attached a long,
+thin rope.  Noiselessly the expert paddlers sent the canoe over the
+bosom of the bayou, turning this way and that, in accordance with
+whispered directions from Raymon, whose keen eyes searched the still
+waters in front.
+
+Several times Donalblane thought he saw ripples which suggested the
+presence of their prey, but Raymon took no notice of them, and he was
+beginning to grow impatient, when, at a signal from the Indian, the
+paddlers suddenly plied their blades with tremendous energy, and the
+light craft shot ahead at an amazing pace.
+
+Donalblane could perceive nothing to explain this action, but rejoiced
+at it nevertheless, and held his musket in readiness to fire.
+
+On dashed the canoe, and presently Raymon rose in the bow, harpoon in
+hand, and poised himself for a throw.  Still Donalblane could make out
+nothing, and he marvelled at the keenness of the Indian's vision, until
+suddenly, not twenty yards in front of the canoe, the smooth surface of
+the water was broken by the emergence of the hideous head and broad
+shoulders of a monstrous manatee.
+
+[Illustration: "PRESENTLY RAYMON ROSE IN THE BOW, HARPOON IN HAND."]
+
+"Hurrah!" shouted the boy, quivering with excitement.  "There he is;
+and, my sakes, what a big fellow!  Shall I fire at him, Raymon?"
+
+But Raymon, without turning round, intimated by a warning gesture of
+his free hand that Donalblane was to keep still, and the latter was
+accordingly fain to curb his impatience.
+
+In spite of his clumsy form, the manatee had a wonderful turn of speed,
+and the sinewy paddlers strained every nerve to bring Raymon within
+striking distance.  The creature was evidently making for the deeper
+waters, and if he succeeded in doing this before the harpoon struck
+him, there was a good chance of his effecting his escape.  For a few
+minutes the issue of the race seemed much in doubt, and then, to
+Donalblane's delight, the canoe began to gain.  Yard by yard it drew
+nearer, until at last, raising the harpoon as high as he could, Raymon,
+with the whole strength of his arm, hurled it at the manatee.
+
+It was a splendid throw, and the keen barb buried itself deep in the
+thick, wrinkled grey hide, while at the same moment the stricken
+creature sank out of sight, leaving a stain of blood upon the water.
+
+"Grand!--grand!" cried Donalblane, putting down his gun for a moment
+that he might clap his hands enthusiastically.  "Ah!  I wad like fine
+to be able to do that."
+
+Raymon's usually sombre countenance lit up with a pleased smile, as he
+replied--
+
+"We got him all right, if rope no break."
+
+When, a moment later, the manatee, having recovered from the first
+shock of the wound, set off through the water at a rapid pace, towing
+the well-laden canoe as though it was a trifle, Donalblane began to
+wonder if the rope, which was only a thin one, would stand the strain.
+But Raymon did not appear at all anxious about it.
+
+Straight out towards the deep water went the manatee, and as the canoe
+ploughed through the water in its wake, Donalblane thought that this
+must be something like the whale-hunting about which some of his sailor
+friends at Leith had told him such thrilling tales.
+
+For a full half-mile the powerful creature kept on, rising every now
+and then to the surface for breath, and sinking again as soon as
+relieved.  But presently its speed began to slacken, and Raymon was
+able to get a pull upon the rope, which brought the canoe nearer.
+
+"Now, senor, you fire when I call," he said to Donalblane, who nodded
+back at him joyfully, for he was burning to take part in the hunt,
+instead of sitting idle.
+
+Little by little the rope came back, until soon there were not more
+than ten yards of it separating the canoe and the manatee.
+
+"Next time he come up, you fire," was Raymon's next order; and
+Donalblane, every nerve thrilling with excitement, braced himself in
+the stern of the canoe for a careful shot.
+
+With a swirl and splash the manatee appeared, and as Raymon excitedly
+shouted, "Now, señor--now!" Donalblane pulled the trigger.  But alas,
+for the pride of youth!  The prized musket, hitherto so trusty, played
+him false.  It flashed in the pan.  There was no report, and its
+intended victim sank out of sight unharmed.
+
+Just how it happened Donalblane never understood.  Perhaps either he or
+Raymon, in their chagrin at the failure of the shot, made some sudden
+movement; but, however it was, the next instant the canoe overturned,
+and all the four of its occupants were tumbled into the water,
+Donalblane holding on to his gun, although the additional weight helped
+to deepen his involuntary dive into the turbid current.
+
+Up he came, gasping and angry, to find that the Indians had happily
+been quick enough to secure the canoe and to cut the harpoon line,
+which otherwise would have torn it away from them.  Still grasping his
+gun, which he was determined to save if possible, Donalblane struck out
+for the others, and when he neared Raymon, the latter said cheeringly,
+"Me help you--they get canoe all right," and, taking the heavy firearm
+from the boy, swam as easily with it as if it were a walking-stick.
+
+Meanwhile the paddlers, with a skill that astonished Donalblane,
+proceeded to right the canoe, free it of water, and clamber in, Raymon
+following their example and then assisting the young Scotsman to do
+likewise.  Donalblane took it for granted that the untoward upset put
+an end to the manatee hunt, but Raymon had no such notion.
+
+"Manatee soon die--we go after him," he said, and, after a keen
+scrutiny of the surrounding water, he gave directions to the paddlers,
+who resumed their work as stolidly as if nothing had happened.
+Donalblane thought it would be very much like hunting for a needle in a
+hay-stack, but kept his own counsel while the canoe sped shoreward.
+
+They were more than half-way thither when Raymon, who had fastened the
+remainder of the rope on to a small spear, showed signs of excitement.
+
+"Me see him!" he exclaimed in a stage whisper.  "We get him this time."
+
+Sure enough, just as he spoke, the ugly grey head of the manatee rose
+above the water, and it was evident from the slowness of its movements
+that its strength was fast failing.
+
+Steadily the canoe gained, until once more it was within striking
+distance, and Raymon hurled his spear with no less accuracy than he had
+the harpoon.  The poor manatee made one furious plunge forward as the
+sharp steel reached a vital part, and then all motion ceased.  The hunt
+was ended.
+
+One of the paddlers instantly sprang into the water and caught the end
+of the severed harpoon line, which was at once secured to the canoe,
+for otherwise the great body would sink and all the trouble be in vain.
+Then the bulky prize was towed ashore, and Donalblane had the
+satisfaction of having taken part in a successful manatee hunt, even if
+he had been denied the privilege of getting a shot.
+
+The Indians had good reason to be proud of their quarry, for he was a
+monster of his kind, and would afford a fine supply of excellent meat.
+As he would prove altogether too heavy a cargo for the light canoe, the
+paddlers were dispatched to the settlement for assistance, while
+Donalblane and Raymon remained on guard, the former taking the
+opportunity to dry his dripping clothes, and feeling very well pleased
+with the success of the hunt.
+
+Indeed, he had enjoyed it so keenly that he went again and again in the
+weeks that followed, Mr. Sutherland sometimes joining him, and many a
+plump monster was thereby secured for the benefit of the colonists.
+
+It was well for him that he could thus divert himself, as the state of
+affairs at St. Andrews was rapidly growing worse.  Not only were the
+Scotsmen threatened with famine, but with disease also.  The hot, damp
+climate, so different from that to which they were accustomed, bred
+deadly fever.  Every day the number of the men who strove to complete
+the fortifications and to till the ground for the harvest they were
+destined never to reap grew less.  Many of the pale, gaunt, but still
+resolute labourers passed quickly from their work to the overcrowded
+hospital, and thence with little delay to their graves, until the
+burial-ground came to have more occupants than the huts.
+
+And yet, despite their double danger, the colonists kept up their petty
+strifes, their jealousies, their mutual antagonisms, and refused to
+admit of any settled authority.  Then came back the ship which had been
+sent to Jamaica for provisions as empty as she had gone, and bringing
+the astounding news that, by a royal edict obtained through the evil
+influence of the rival companies, all the English colonies in America
+and the West Indies were strictly forbidden to afford any assistance
+whatever to the struggling Scotch colony at Darien, whose utter ruin
+now seemed inevitable.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XI.
+
+THE MIDNIGHT ATTACK.
+
+Donalblane took these difficulties and disasters deeply to heart, not
+so much on his own account, for, like all brave-spirited boys, he had
+no doubt that _he_ would pull through all right somehow, but because of
+his hero, Mr. Paterson, who had won the affection and loyalty of his
+young heart.  He considered him the noblest of men, and more than once
+had got into trouble by hotly resenting the undeserved slurs and sneers
+that were too freely cast upon him.
+
+"Ye dinna ken what ye're saying, ye sneakin' loon!" he had once
+retorted to a lanky youth who was meanly making charges against Mr.
+Paterson that were no less false than frivolous; and when the other
+responded with a blow, Donalblane, taking no account of the disparity
+in size and age, flung himself at him so fiercely and used his fists to
+such good purpose that the slanderer was soon fain to flee the field.
+
+"Ye lee, ye lee, and ye ken weel ye're leeing!" he cried indignantly on
+another occasion; but this time, his antagonist being a powerful man,
+Donalblane did not fare so well--in fact, he got a bad thrashing; but
+as he nursed his bruises he found comfort in the conviction that they
+were suffered in a good cause, and that he would never allow Mr.
+Paterson's reputation to be blackened if he could in any wise help it.
+
+Among the early victims of the fever had been Mrs. Sutherland and her
+little boy, and, broken in heart and spirit, Mr. Sutherland not long
+after joined them in the grave, so that Donalblane felt he had only one
+friend left, for somehow he had not taken kindly to any of the other
+men.  He therefore attached himself closely to Mr. Paterson, and thus
+had the opportunity of rendering him a supremely important service.
+
+Mr. Paterson had invited him to share his hut--a mark of esteem that
+made him very pleased and proud, as may be imagined.  They had thus
+lived together for a fortnight, Mr. Paterson devoting himself to the
+trying difficulties that surrounded him, while Donalblane spent his
+time in fishing and hunting, so that they might always be supplied with
+food.  One day Donald chanced to overhear a conversation between two of
+the worst characters in the colony, which made it clear that they had
+designs upon Mr. Paterson's life.  He at once made known his
+suspicions, but Mr. Paterson treated the matter lightly.
+
+[Illustration: "CHANCED TO OVERHEAR A CONVERSATION WHICH MADE IT CLEAR
+THAT THEY HAD DESIGNS UPON MR. PATERSON'S LIFE."]
+
+"I am very much obliged to you, my boy," he said, with his rare smile,
+"but there is nothing to be feared.  I understand those fellows.  They
+would be well pleased, no doubt, to have me out of the way, but they'd
+never have the courage to do what you fear."
+
+This made Donalblane feel a little easier in his mind; nevertheless, he
+resolved to keep a watch upon the rascals, and to be alert for any
+danger that might threaten.
+
+"They'll never do Mr. Paterson any harm if I can help it," he said to
+himself, and certainly no Scottish chieftain ever had a more loving or
+loyal clansman than he.
+
+One stormy night when the wind blew and the rain fell as though they
+had combined in an attack upon the hut, which was none too strong or
+tight, Donalblane felt restless and wakeful.
+
+Mr. Paterson, wearied with toil and trial, was sleeping soundly, but
+his companion tossed about in his hammock with wide-open eyes.
+Presently his quick ear caught a sound that he did not think was caused
+by the storm, but by some person or creature trying to effect an
+entrance into the hut.
+
+"What can that be?" he asked himself as he sat up in his hammock, and
+strained both eyes and ears to discover something in the surrounding
+gloom.
+
+The suspicious sound continued, and Donalblane was just about to waken
+Mr. Paterson, whose hammock swung on the other side of the hut, when
+the door gave way, and two men rushed in with manifest evil intent.
+Had Donalblane not been awake at the moment, the villains might have
+had easy work; but he was not only awake, but alert, and with a
+quickness which did great credit to his wits he took instant action.
+Springing from his hammock, he shouted--
+
+"Mr. Paterson, wake up! there's danger!" and hurled himself at the
+foremost man, grasping him about the knees.  Down went the scoundrel on
+his face, and the other was so close behind that he tripped and fell
+also, the two getting tangled up together and giving vent to fearful
+words, while Donalblane, somewhat bruised from the encounter, crawled
+away, and darted to the side of Mr. Paterson, who was now fully awake.
+
+They had nothing in their hands wherewith to defend themselves, and the
+would-be assassins were no doubt well armed; but neither of them had
+any thought of flight.  Not so with the intruders.  Realising that
+their foul plot had failed of its purpose, thanks to Donalblane's
+vigilance, their one idea was to get away, and the fellow that entered
+last did succeed in regaining his feet and rushing out into the
+darkness; but the other had been half stunned by his head coming into
+contact with a heavy chest, and ere he could escape Mr. Paterson had
+thrown himself upon him and pinned him to the ground.
+
+"A light, Donald--quick, a light!" he called, as he put his whole
+weight on the struggling form.
+
+Donalblane hastened to obey, and the lighting up of the hut revealed
+the fact that Mr. Paterson's prisoner was one of the very men
+Donalblane had overheard conspiring against him.  When they had bound
+the wretch securely, Donalblane could not resist saying, in a tone of
+exultation--
+
+"Noo, sir, didn't I tell ye? and yet ye wadna listen to me.  He's ane
+o' them, and I can point ye out the other one any day."
+
+Mr. Paterson, who had already recovered his composure as completely as
+if nothing had happened, took both the boy's hands in his own, and
+shook them warmly as he replied, with a look full of gratitude and
+love--
+
+"You were right, Donald, and it was wrong to make light of your
+warning.  God be thanked that you were able to baulk the scoundrels
+to-night, for if you had not been awake at the moment, I and perhaps
+you also would be no longer alive.  But evidently it is not the will of
+Providence that we should die yet.  Let us kneel and give thanks to God
+for our deliverance."
+
+And so with the foiled assassin scowling and cursing them as he
+strained at his bonds, the two knelt down, while Mr. Paterson poured
+forth in prayer his gratitude to God for their merciful deliverance.
+
+There was no more sleep for either of them that night.  In the morning
+Mr. Paterson called the council together, and producing the prisoner,
+told the story of the night attack.
+
+Great was the indignation of all who heard him.  Although there were
+many who blamed him for the failure of their high hopes, and others who
+were jealous of his fine qualities and resented his authority, none
+were so base as to desire his death; and if it had not been for his
+earnest entreaty, the prisoner would have been condemned to be shot
+that very day as a terrible example.  But Mr. Paterson magnanimously
+interceded, with the result that the prisoner and his confederate, if
+he should be found, were banished from the colony, on pain of death if
+they dared to return.
+
+With the passing of the days matters grew steadily worse at St.
+Andrews.  The plan had been that other ships carrying reinforcements of
+men and supplies should follow the first little fleet after an interval
+of some months, and these were now long overdue; yet although the high
+hill above the settlement was never without watchers, who eagerly
+scanned the face of the waters, no sign of sail appeared.
+
+As a matter of fact, only one ship had been dispatched, and this one
+unfortunately foundered in mid-ocean.  Meanwhile, deaths were taking
+place daily, and those who managed to keep alive were little more than
+haggard, sickly skeletons.
+
+No wonder that in spite of Mr. Paterson's earnest protest they at last
+determined to depart from the fatal spot, which, instead of proving a
+paradise, had been the grave of all their high hopes and of so many of
+their companions.  Mr. Paterson, still hopeful of the success of the
+great scheme, pleaded with them not to abandon it.  He claimed that to
+do so would be to be false to the trust placed in them by their
+countrymen.
+
+But they would not listen to him.  Their first duty, they retorted, was
+to themselves.  They must save their own lives.  To remain was to die.
+
+Accordingly, having provisioned the ships as best they could, they
+prepared to depart.  For the last time they gathered in the rude
+church, while the sole surviving minister prayed for the Divine
+blessing and protection.  It was a sad congregation, and Donalblane,
+whose loyal heart had sympathised to the full with Mr. Paterson's
+endeavour to stay the retreat, felt heavier of heart than he had ever
+done in his life before.  Right willingly would he have remained behind
+with Mr. Paterson if any good could have been gained thereby.  But if
+all the others departed, they must needs go too; and after the mournful
+service ended, the boats bore them to the ships, Mr. Paterson being the
+very last to leave the shore, which none of them would ever set foot
+upon again.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XII.
+
+NEW YORK AND HOME.
+
+The ships were in no condition to cross the Atlantic, and by the royal
+decree the British West Indies were closed against them, while, of
+course, they dare not trust the mercy of the Spaniards.  Their only
+alternative, therefore, was to make their way up to New York in the
+hope of finding their way back to Scotland from there later on.
+
+Donalblane quite approved of this plan.  He had had quite enough of
+South America to last him for the rest of his life, and, now that he
+had left, it was quite clear in his mind as to never returning.
+
+But of North America he knew nothing, and he was eager to learn.
+
+"Nae doot there'll be Indians there like those at Darien," he said to
+Mr. Paterson, "and we'll be going to see them.  Have they kings, too?"
+
+An amused look lightened Mr. Paterson's face for the moment as he
+replied--
+
+"There are Indians, of course, in the country, very many tribes of
+them, and we may see some of them at New York, but we will not have
+anything to do with them.  We are of no account now," he went on sadly.
+"We shall be little better than beggars when we reach New York, and
+shall have to trust to the kindness of our countrymen there to afford
+us the help we need.  Ah, Donald, Donald! it is a sore thing to fail--a
+sore, sore thing!" and he turned away to hide the emotion that mastered
+him.
+
+Donalblane was touched to the heart, and in his passion of loyal love
+would not have hesitated to give his very life if thereby the fortunes
+of his hero could have been retrieved.  But no sacrifice could save
+them now.  The great scheme that was to have been a blessing to the
+world and to make Scotland mighty among the nations had failed utterly.
+
+Creeping cautiously along the coast, the two ships made their slow way
+northward, and, after passing through many a peril, at length reached
+New York, with the rotten rigging dropping from the masts, the pumps
+going steadily to keep the leaky hulks afloat, and scarce two days'
+scant supply of food and water.  With inexpressible joy the wearied
+voyagers hastened to land, Donalblane of course accompanying Mr.
+Paterson.
+
+Although for a quarter of a century in possession of the British, New
+York was still for the most part a Dutch town, and the keen-eyed Scotch
+boy saw much that was novel and interesting in the quaint ways of the
+people and the odd appearance of the houses.  He was quick to notice
+the aspect of comfort and neatness that marked the place, and made so
+pleasing a contrast to the squalor and misery of the settlement at
+Darien.
+
+"Oh, but it's verra bonnie here!" he said to Mr. Paterson as, strolling
+through the streets in the cool of the evening, he saw the prosperous
+burghers with their plump wives and rosy children sitting out at the
+front of their houses, so evidently enjoying life in their simple,
+sober way.
+
+"Do you think you'd like to stay here, then?" Mr. Paterson asked, with
+a kindly twinkle in his eye.  "I dare say it could be managed.  One of
+these well-to-do merchants might be glad to take you as an apprentice."
+
+Donald smiled and shook his head.  There was indeed something
+attractive in the idea, but he did not feel free to entertain it.
+
+"Wad ye be thinkin' of staying yer ain sel'?" he inquired in turn.
+
+"Oh, no, Donald," replied Mr. Paterson with a deep sigh.  "I must
+return to Scotland to give an account of my stewardship."
+
+"Then if ye're going back, I'm going wi' ye," responded the lad in a
+tone of absolute decision; and Mr. Paterson, patting him affectionately
+on the shoulder, said in a voice whose unwonted tremor showed how
+strongly he felt--
+
+"You're a good boy, Donald, leal and true, and I believe that in the
+providence of God you will come to greatness yet."
+
+The survivors of the unfortunate Darien expedition were so kindly
+treated at New York that quite a number of them were glad to settle
+permanently in the prosperous colony; but Mr. Paterson impatiently
+awaited the opportunity to get back to Scotland.
+
+During the delay Donalblane had an adventure that caused him to retain
+a vivid remembrance of the place for the remainder of his life.  His
+restless, inquiring spirit kept him constantly on the move, and one
+fine day he had roamed away up toward the north end of the island, and
+so overstayed his time that night had fallen ere he reached the
+outskirts of the city.
+
+There were no street lights in those days, and, save where a friendly
+gleam came from the window or open door of a house, the streets were
+dark as pitch; hence there were many good chances for highwaymen to
+practise their evil profession, which they were not slow to seize upon.
+
+Donalblane had just got well into the city, when, as he passed through
+a dark, narrow street, he heard a cry for help, followed by the sounds
+of a violent struggle.  At once the impulse to render aid took
+possession of him, and he darted in the direction whence the sounds
+came, grasping tightly his pistol, which he always carried with him.  A
+short run brought him to where three persons were struggling together,
+one crying out for help, while the other two strove to smother his
+cries and knock him senseless with their bludgeons.
+
+"Hi, there, ye scoondrels!" shouted Donalblane.  "Hands off, or I'll
+shoot ye!"
+
+As the words left his lips, one of the highwaymen got in so brutal a
+blow that his victim fell limply to the ground; but the next instant
+the report of the pistol rang out, and its bullet buried itself in the
+ruffian's shoulder.
+
+Completely taken by surprise--for neither of them had been aware of the
+boy's swift approach--the rascals were so panic-stricken that they took
+to their heels and disappeared around the corner, leaving Donalblane
+with the seemingly lifeless form.
+
+"The puir man, they've killed him, nae doot," he murmured sadly, as he
+bent over the prostrate figure to feel if there were any signs of life
+left.
+
+He was thus engaged when a door near by opened, and out sprang a couple
+of men, who rushed upon him and grasped him roughly, exclaiming--
+
+"Ah--ah! now we've caught you red-handed!  You'll swing high for this,
+you villain!"
+
+"Hoot, man, ye're quite wrong!" retorted Donalblane hotly.  "I'm no'
+the villain.  I ran to help this man.  'Twas the robbers that killed
+him."
+
+But they refused to believe him, and others coming up, the poor boy was
+like to have been roughly handled, when a grey-haired man, who spoke
+with authority, commanded that he be brought to his house for
+examination.  When this had been done, and the men realised what a mere
+lad he was, and what a frank, honest countenance he possessed, the tide
+of feeling at once began to turn.
+
+"I am greatly disposed to believe the boy," said the elderly man after
+he had heard Donalblane's story.  "But we must keep him in ward until
+we can find this Mr. Paterson of whom he speaks."
+
+So Donalblane was securely locked up until the morning, when he not
+only had the joy of being vouched for by Mr. Paterson, and honourably
+released, but the relief of learning that the highwaymen's victim had
+been only stunned, not killed, and would soon recover from his injuries.
+
+He proved to be a prosperous merchant, who felt profoundly grateful for
+the timely service, and, as it chanced, had a vessel sailing for
+England in a short time.  On learning of their desire to cross the
+ocean, he at once placed the cabin of the vessel at the disposal of Mr.
+Paterson and Donalblane, adding to this kindness a substantial advance
+of money, which the former might repay at his convenience.
+
+Thus the way home was providentially opened up, and in far greater
+comfort than they had set out for the New World, the two friends
+returned to Scotland.  Here Donalblane was received with characteristic
+coolness by his uncle, who felt very sore over the loss of his five
+hundred pounds; and Mr. Paterson had to bear the undeserved reproaches
+of those who had lost not merely money, but relatives, in the
+unfortunate enterprise.
+
+Yet there were far brighter days in store for both.  Mr. Paterson
+cleared himself of all blame for the catastrophe, and filled the
+remaining years of his life with honourable work, while Donalblane,
+sobered by his experience, devoted himself to his uncle's business with
+such ardour and intelligence that ere long he came to be his right-hand
+man.
+
+The step from that to a partnership was an easy and natural one, and,
+combining in a rare degree daring enterprise with far-sighted caution,
+Donalblane of Darien became in time one of the merchant princes of
+Scotland, winning, through the right use of his wealth and influence,
+high honour among his fellow-men, and the favour of Divine Providence.
+
+
+
+
+THE END.
+
+
+
+
+_Richard Clay & Sons, Limited, London & Bungay._
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
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+The Project Gutenberg EBook of Donalblane of Darien, by J. Macdonald Oxley
+
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
+almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or
+re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
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+Title: Donalblane of Darien
+
+Author: J. Macdonald Oxley
+
+Illustrator: W. Rainey
+
+Release Date: September 14, 2010 [EBook #33722]
+
+Language: English
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+*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK DONALBLANE OF DARIEN ***
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+Produced by Al Haines
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+<IMG CLASS="imgcenter" SRC="images/img-front.jpg" ALT="&quot;HE PLACED THE CHILD UPON THE CHEST, AND HELD HIM THERE THAT HE MIGHT NOT FALL OFF.&quot;  p. 38." BORDER="2" WIDTH="477" HEIGHT="770">
+<H4 CLASS="h4center" STYLE="width: 477px">
+&quot;HE PLACED THE CHILD UPON THE CHEST, AND HELD HIM THERE THAT HE MIGHT NOT FALL OFF.&quot;  p. 38.
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+
+<H1 ALIGN="center">
+DONALBLANE OF DARIEN
+</H1>
+
+<BR>
+
+<H4 ALIGN="center">
+BY
+</H4>
+
+<H3 ALIGN="center">
+J. MACDONALD OXLEY,
+</H3>
+
+<BR>
+
+<H5 ALIGN="center">
+<I>Author of</I>
+<BR>
+"<I>Norman's Nugget</I>," "<I>In the Swing of the Sea</I>,"<BR>
+<I>etc., etc.</I><BR>
+</H5>
+
+<BR><BR><BR>
+
+<H4 ALIGN="center">
+<I>ILLUSTRATED BY W. RAINEY, R.I.</I>
+</H4>
+
+<BR><BR><BR>
+
+<H4 ALIGN="center">
+TORONTO:
+<BR>
+THE MUSSON BOOK COMPANY, LIMITED.
+<BR>
+1902
+</H4>
+
+<BR><BR><BR>
+
+<H2 ALIGN="center">
+CONTENTS.
+</H2>
+
+<TABLE ALIGN="center" WIDTH="80%">
+
+<TR>
+<TD ALIGN="right" VALIGN="top">CHAP.</TD>
+<TD ALIGN="left" VALIGN="top">&nbsp;</TD>
+</TR>
+
+<TR>
+<TD ALIGN="right" VALIGN="top">I.&nbsp;&nbsp;</TD>
+<TD ALIGN="left" VALIGN="top">
+<A HREF="#chap01">BY WAY OF BEGINNING</A></TD>
+</TR>
+
+<TR>
+<TD ALIGN="right" VALIGN="top">II.&nbsp;&nbsp;</TD>
+<TD ALIGN="left" VALIGN="top">
+<A HREF="#chap02">DONALBLANE CARRIES HIS POINT</A></TD>
+</TR>
+
+<TR>
+<TD ALIGN="right" VALIGN="top">III.&nbsp;&nbsp;</TD>
+<TD ALIGN="left" VALIGN="top">
+<A HREF="#chap03">OFF TO DARIEN</A></TD>
+</TR>
+
+<TR>
+<TD ALIGN="right" VALIGN="top">IV.&nbsp;&nbsp;</TD>
+<TD ALIGN="left" VALIGN="top">
+<A HREF="#chap04">A RESCUE AND A RETREAT</A></TD>
+</TR>
+
+<TR>
+<TD ALIGN="right" VALIGN="top">V.&nbsp;&nbsp;</TD>
+<TD ALIGN="left" VALIGN="top">
+<A HREF="#chap05">ACROSS THE ATLANTIC</A></TD>
+</TR>
+
+<TR>
+<TD ALIGN="right" VALIGN="top">VI.&nbsp;&nbsp;</TD>
+<TD ALIGN="left" VALIGN="top">
+<A HREF="#chap06">A BRUSH WITH BUCCANEERS</A></TD>
+</TR>
+
+<TR>
+<TD ALIGN="right" VALIGN="top">VII.&nbsp;&nbsp;</TD>
+<TD ALIGN="left" VALIGN="top">
+<A HREF="#chap07">THE FOUNDING OF THE CITY OF DARIEN</A></TD>
+</TR>
+
+<TR>
+<TD ALIGN="right" VALIGN="top">VIII.&nbsp;&nbsp;</TD>
+<TD ALIGN="left" VALIGN="top">
+<A HREF="#chap08">A SUCCESSFUL EMBASSY</A></TD>
+</TR>
+
+<TR>
+<TD ALIGN="right" VALIGN="top">IX.&nbsp;&nbsp;</TD>
+<TD ALIGN="left" VALIGN="top">
+<A HREF="#chap09">IN PERILOUS PLIGHT</A></TD>
+</TR>
+
+<TR>
+<TD ALIGN="right" VALIGN="top">X.&nbsp;&nbsp;</TD>
+<TD ALIGN="left" VALIGN="top">
+<A HREF="#chap10">THE CHASE OF THE MANATEE</A></TD>
+</TR>
+
+<TR>
+<TD ALIGN="right" VALIGN="top">XI.&nbsp;&nbsp;</TD>
+<TD ALIGN="left" VALIGN="top">
+<A HREF="#chap11">THE MIDNIGHT ATTACK</A></TD>
+</TR>
+
+<TR>
+<TD ALIGN="right" VALIGN="top">XII.&nbsp;&nbsp;</TD>
+<TD ALIGN="left" VALIGN="top">
+<A HREF="#chap12">NEW YORK AND HOME</A></TD>
+</TR>
+
+</TABLE>
+
+<BR><BR><BR>
+
+<H2 ALIGN="center">
+ILLUSTRATIONS
+</H2>
+
+<H4 STYLE="margin-left: 10%; margin-right: 10%">
+<A HREF="#img-front">
+"HE PLACED THE CHILD UPON THE CHEST, AND HELD HIM THERE THAT HE
+  MIGHT NOT FALL OFF." . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . <I>Frontispiece</I>
+</A>
+</H4>
+
+<H4 STYLE="margin-left: 10%; margin-right: 10%">
+<A HREF="#img-020">
+"'YE'VE A GREAT LIKING FOR THE SEA, THEY TELL ME, LAD,' BEGAN MR.
+BLANE."
+</A>
+</H4>
+
+<H4 STYLE="margin-left: 10%; margin-right: 10%">
+<A HREF="#img-046">
+"THE RAVENING SWINE WERE GAINING UPON HIM."
+</A>
+</H4>
+
+<H4 STYLE="margin-left: 10%; margin-right: 10%">
+<A HREF="#img-082">
+"GLARING DOWN UPON HIM ... THE MOST APPALLING EYES HE HAD EVER BEHELD."
+</A>
+</H4>
+
+<H4 STYLE="margin-left: 10%; margin-right: 10%">
+<A HREF="#img-098">
+"PRESENTLY RAYMON ROSE IN THE BOW, HARPOON IN HAND."
+</A>
+</H4>
+
+<H4 STYLE="margin-left: 10%; margin-right: 10%">
+<A HREF="#img-112">
+"CHANCED TO OVERHEAR A CONVERSATION WHICH MADE IT CLEAR THAT THEY HAD
+DESIGNS UPON MR. PATERSON'S LIFE."
+</A>
+</H4>
+
+<BR><BR><BR>
+
+<A NAME="chap01"></A>
+
+<H2 ALIGN="center">
+DONALBLANE OF DARIEN.
+</H2>
+
+<BR>
+
+<H3 ALIGN="center">
+CHAPTER I.
+</H3>
+
+<H4 ALIGN="center">
+BY WAY OF BEGINNING.
+</H4>
+
+<P>
+It was not just an ordinary sort of name, but one of those which made
+you think "thereby hangs a tale."  In this case the thought goes to the
+mark, and the tale in question will be told after a fashion in the
+following pages.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+At the outset a quick glance back to times long past is necessary in
+order to a fair start, and without a fair start it were hardly worth
+going ahead.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+As the seventeenth century drew to its close there came into prominence
+in England a remarkable Scotsman named William Paterson, among whose
+notable achievements was having a large share in the founding of the
+Bank of England, which subsequently grew to be the greatest monetary
+institution in the world.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+He was a member of the board of directors at the opening of the bank,
+but appears to have sold out not long after, and with his money in hand
+to have looked about him for some way of investing it that would be for
+the public good.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Now, these were the days of vexatious monopolies and irritating
+restrictions in commerce.  The trade of Britain with the distant parts
+of the globe was divided between two great grasping corporations&mdash;the
+East India Company and the African Company&mdash;which, although they were
+at deadly enmity with each other, heartily co-operated in crushing
+every free-trader who dared to intrude within the elastic limits of
+their "spheres of action."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+William Paterson was an ardent free-trader, and he became inspired with
+the noble mission of freeing commerce from the hurtful restraints laid
+upon it by short-sighted selfishness.  With a keenness of instinct that
+makes it easy to understand his previous success, he surveyed the then
+known world and put his finger upon the spot best suited for the
+carrying out of his beneficent design.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+The Isthmus of Panama, or Darien, is, beyond a doubt, one of the most
+interesting, as it is certain yet to be one of the most important bits
+of terra firma on this round globe.  The connecting-link between the
+continents of North and South America, it is also the barrier dividing
+the Atlantic from the Pacific Oceans, and, in fact, one side of the
+world from the other.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+From the time of its discovery and occupation by the Spaniards, it has
+been a matter of general belief that whoever had command of this narrow
+neck of land held the key to the commerce of the world.  Here would
+naturally be concentrated the mutual trade of the Atlantic and Pacific
+coasts of America.  Moreover, it would necessarily form an important
+stage in the shortest route between Europe and the Indies, as well as
+the innumerable islands lying far to the south of the equator.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Little wonder, then, that the Spaniards wanted to keep the isthmus to
+themselves, and always did their very best to make it particularly
+unpleasant for anybody who sought to share its advantages with them;
+and in fine contrast to their dog-in-the-manger policy&mdash;for they really
+made little use of their splendid opportunities&mdash;was the spirit in
+which William Paterson conceived his great Darien project, and with
+characteristic energy proceeded to carry it into effect.  It was in the
+year 1695 that he obtained from the Scottish Parliament an Act for the
+incorporation of "the Company of Scotland trading to Africa and the
+Indies," which thenceforth became popularly known as "the Darien
+Company."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+This company was granted very extensive powers, and had the imposing
+capital of £600,000, one-half of which, it was shrewdly stipulated,
+must ever be held by <I>Scotsmen residing in their own country</I>, thus
+ensuring the permanence of the national character of the undertaking.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+As it turned out, however, this provision might have been omitted, for
+when, after the Scotch half of the stock had all been subscribed, the
+books were opened in London for the other half, there came such a rush
+of applicants for shares that it was soon all taken up.  This so
+aroused the hostility of the two great English companies already
+mentioned that they actually called upon the House of Commons to assist
+them in crushing their Scottish rival, and the House of Commons
+unfortunately was weak enough to yield to the pressure brought to bear
+upon it.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+The London subscribers to the new company were threatened with
+prosecution for concerting to infringe upon the rights enjoyed by the
+other companies, which so alarmed them that with one consent they
+backed out and forfeited their holdings.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+With ordinary people this would have meant the collapse of the whole
+enterprise.  Not so, however, with the sturdy Scots who were behind it.
+The provoking action of their English cousins only served to arouse the
+national spirit.  Their expected allies had failed them.  Well, what if
+they had?  Scotland was not to be daunted.  She would go on alone, and
+reap for herself all the glory and the more substantial rewards of the
+great undertaking.  Accordingly another hundred thousand pounds of
+stock was subscribed by this thrifty, determined people, and so, with a
+capital only two-thirds as big as had been counted upon, the Darien
+Company proceeded to carry out the chief purpose of its formation.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+But all these disappointments and difficulties had, of course, meant
+delay, and consequently it was not until the year 1698 that the first
+expedition was made ready to start.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Among those most warmly interested in William Paterson's project was
+Alexander Blane, of Leith, a worthy and enterprising shipowner, who had
+won a snug fortune in the service of that fickle mistress, the sea.
+After working his way up from cabin-boy to captain, he had settled down
+on shore, while others commanded his craft for him, and being a shrewd,
+far-sighted, close-fisted man of business, had prospered from year to
+year, in spite of occasional inevitable losses.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+He had held aloof from the Darien scheme at the start, as was indeed
+characteristic of him, but when the London folk acted so shabbily his
+Scottish blood was set a-boiling.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Hech!" he exclaimed, in high indignation, "the Southrons would have
+the world to themselves, eh?  They're just dogs in the manger, and we
+Scots shall teach them the lesson they need.  I hadna thought of taking
+ony shares in Mr. Paterson's company, but if it's only to spite the
+English I'll put me doon for five hundred pounds."  And he was not only
+as good as his word, but he interested himself actively in securing
+other subscriptions to a considerable amount.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Not having been blessed with bairns of his own, Mr. Blane had adopted a
+nephew from the Inverness Highlands, whose own name had been foregone
+in favour of his second father's.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Donald Blane, or Donalblane, as he soon came to be called for short,
+was a pretty uncouth specimen of a boy when, at the age of ten, he was
+taken into the Blane household.  The term "halflin" would describe him
+sufficiently to Scots folk, but for others some further particulars may
+be required.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+The son of a shepherd, whose tiny shieling with only a "but and ben"
+seemed to shelter an impossible number of children, he had practically
+run wild upon the mountains.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Bare-headed and bare-footed the greater part of the year, he had grown
+up as sound, strong, and sturdy as one of the shaggy ponies which he
+loved to bestride in a wild gallop over moor and heather, and although
+his most partial friends could hardly pronounce him handsome, he bore a
+frank, fearless, wide-awake countenance that did not fail to make a
+good impression upon those who took the trouble to look into it.  His
+thick, tousled hair showed a slight tinge of red in the sun; his eyes
+were deep-set and of a fine, clear grey; his mouth a trifle large, but
+firm; his chin square, and full of character.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+But the most attractive feature of the boy, if so it may be called, was
+his smile.  When Donalblane was pleased or amused his face lit up
+wonderfully, and his parting lips revealed a double row of snow-white
+teeth that were a gift of beauty in themselves.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Five years of city life wrought many changes in his outward appearance
+without in any wise impairing the fineness of his nature.  He learned
+to endure the at first irksome restraints of such troublesome things as
+trousers, collars, hats, and shoes, and&mdash;still harder lesson&mdash;to become
+accustomed to the daily drudgery of school, so that both in body and
+mind he showed very decided improvement.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+But his love of outdoor life lost none of its strength, and there being
+no moors near by to range over, he took to the water instead, spending
+as much of his free time as possible with the sailormen, who had such
+marvellous yarns to spin, climbing up and down the rigging of brigs and
+barques and ships, and now and then getting a short trip about the
+Firth of Forth when his uncle permitted.  Thus he became filled with a
+passion for the sea that was at its height when the proposed Darien
+enterprise set Scotland afire, and down in his heart Donalblane
+determined that he would do his very best to join the brave band of
+adventurers into the wonderful New World.
+</P>
+
+<BR><BR><BR>
+
+<A NAME="chap02"></A>
+
+<H3 ALIGN="center">
+CHAPTER II.
+</H3>
+
+<H4 ALIGN="center">
+DONALBLANE CARRIES HIS POINT.
+</H4>
+
+<P>
+It was one thing for Donalblane to make up his mind to go to Darien,
+and quite another to carry his resolution into effect.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Alexander Blane was a masterful man, who had no fancy for accepting
+advice or suggestions from other folk.  He much preferred thinking of
+things himself, and Donalblane knew well enough that for him to make a
+direct request meant its being turned down both promptly and finally.
+Strategy was therefore necessary, and, after some deep thought and the
+casting aside of various schemes, he hit upon one that gave promise of
+success if judiciously carried out.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Thanks to his natural quickness of mind and his interest in his
+studies, he had quite won the heart of the dominie who with book and
+birch ruled his little educational kingdom, and so to wise William
+Laidlaw he went with his scheme.  Now, as it happened, no man in
+Scotland had been more fired by Paterson's daring project than this
+school-teacher of Leith.  He was a Scot of the Scots, and the bitterest
+regret of his life was that a crippled leg, which made active movement
+impossible, barred his own way to joining the expedition.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Disappointed in that direction, he had done what was perhaps even
+better&mdash;he had invested the entirety of his own savings in the stock,
+and he had by tongue and pen done all in his power to promote the
+interest of the enterprise.  It was therefore only natural that he
+should listen to Donalblane's bashful confidence with a swelling and
+sympathetic heart.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Ay! ay! laddie," he said, regarding the eager, earnest boy with a look
+of unwonted tenderness, "and so ye wad fain gang tae Darien?  I dinna
+blame ye.  Glad wad I be to gang myself, if I were na too auld for sic
+a far-going.  But if I be too old, are ye na too young, Donald?"  And
+he bent a keen look upon him from under his shaggy brows.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Donalblane flushed and moved uneasily on his seat.  That was the very
+argument he most feared.  "I am owre young, maybe," he replied; "but
+I'm verra strong, and big for my age;" which was true enough, as he
+looked full two years older than he really was.  "And then, ye ken,
+there'll no be anither such chance as this to see the world for the
+rest of my life."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+The dominie smiled shrewdly.  That was the usual talk of youth.  He
+knew much better; but somehow the lad's passion for the adventure took
+strong hold upon him, and the upshot of their talk together that summer
+evening was that Donalblane went home joyful of heart because he had
+enlisted an ally who was pledged to help him in realising his desire.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Mr. Laidlaw was on excellent terms with Mr. Blane, and no excuse
+therefore was needed for a friendly visit, in the course of which the
+talk naturally enough came round to the Darien expedition, already in
+course of being fitted out.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Hech! but I wad fain be going myself," said the dominie, heaving a
+huge sigh of regret, "and if it were na for this halting leg of mine,
+I'd be putting my name down."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Mr. Blane indulged in a sympathetic smile.  The idea of the limping
+dominie venturing to face the perils and privations on sea and land
+that were sure to be encountered touched his sense of humour, but he
+was too courteous to betray it.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"I'm inclined a bit that way likewise," he responded, "and were I only
+twenty instead of sixty, I'd be offering myself to Maister Paterson."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Have ye thought o' sending any one in your stead?" inquired the
+dominie, as innocently as if no hidden purpose inspired him.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Ay, I have thought something of it, but I've not made up my mind at
+all," was the reply.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Having thus secured his opening, the wily dominie, by strategic
+devices, which did infinite credit to his ingenuity and knowledge of
+human nature without putting any strain upon his conscience, at last
+succeeded not only in filling Mr. Blane's mind with the idea of Donald
+being sent out in some sense as his representative, but in so doing it
+that the worthy shipmaster quite supposed he had conceived the notion
+himself.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Accordingly, a few days later Mr. Blane called Donald into his own
+room, and began asking him some questions that made the boy's eyes
+glitter with hope.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+The sagacious dominie, knowing Mr. Blane, had counselled Donald not to
+let on in any way how eagerly he desired to go to Darien, but to seem
+simply willing to do whatever he was told.  He therefore put a strong
+curb upon himself, and responded respectfully to what was asked of him.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Ye've got a great liking for the sea, they tell me, lad," began Mr.
+Blane, with a keen glance at the bright face and sturdy figure.
+</P>
+
+<A NAME="img-020"></A>
+<CENTER>
+<IMG CLASS="imgcenter" SRC="images/img-020.jpg" ALT="&quot;'YE'VE A GREAT LIKING FOR THE SEA.  THEY TELL ME, LAD,' BEGAN MR. BLANE.&quot;" BORDER="2" WIDTH="467" HEIGHT="795">
+<H4 CLASS="h4center" STYLE="width: 467px">
+&quot;'YE'VE A GREAT LIKING FOR THE SEA.  THEY TELL ME, LAD,' BEGAN MR. BLANE.&quot;
+</H4>
+</CENTER>
+
+<P>
+"Oh, yes, sir," answered Donald emphatically.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"And wad ye care to go away altogether on a ship?" asked his uncle.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Ay, that I would, sir," was the hearty reply; and then, in a sly,
+apologetic tone, "But of course I'd like to come back again."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Mr. Blane smiled grimly.  He quite understood the boy's eagerness to be
+rid of the restraints of school and of town life, and did not take at
+all amiss the readiness he expressed to leave the roof that had
+sheltered him so comfortably, and fare forth into unknown difficulties
+and dangers.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"And what wad ye say to going with Mr. Paterson away out to America, if
+he'll let you?" was the next question; and Donald could feel his
+uncle's deep-set eyes piercing him like arrows.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+But he controlled himself wonderfully, and in a quiet, steady voice,
+that touched no chord of opposition, said, "I wad like it verra weel,
+if <I>you</I> will let me go, sir."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Mr. Blane was better pleased by this response than he showed, and,
+after a brief silence, he got up, saying, "Well, well, we'll think
+about it&mdash;we'll think about it.  Ye're owre young, maybe, to be leavin'
+your friends to gang among strangers; but ye're a likely lad, and it
+may go towards making a man of you.  Say naething about it&mdash;do you
+hear?&mdash;for the present&mdash;not a word."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Donald promptly promised, and left his uncle with a heart full of hope.
+Only to the dominie did he mention the interview, and then for nearly a
+week he was kept on tenterhooks of anxiety.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+In the meantime Mr. Blane conferred with Mr. Paterson, and having been
+assured by him that he would take a kindly interest in the boy, and
+allow him to return at the end of the year if he wished, he fully
+decided to let him go.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+When this was communicated to Donald, he had great difficulty in
+restraining the impulse to give a great shout and fling his
+tam-o'-shanter to the ceiling, but by an heroic effort he kept himself
+in hand, and, after expressing his gratitude to his uncle, hurried away
+to the dominie with the good news.  Thus was this momentous matter
+settled, and now came the business of getting ready.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Owing to the withdrawal of the English subscribers and the consequent
+decrease in the amount of capital aimed at, the expedition could not be
+fitted out on so large a scale as Mr. Paterson had at first intended.
+Nor was this the only difficulty he had to encounter.  If the funds
+were somewhat deficient, there was no lack of enthusiasm.  The chivalry
+of Scotland had been aroused, and hundreds of men of high family were
+ready to exchange their prospects in their own country for the golden
+hopes held out by America, recking little of doubts and dangers.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+It became a delicate and troublesome task to select from such a throng
+of eager volunteers, for, of course, all could not go, and, alas! for
+the success of the enterprise, in too many cases family interest or
+personal influence prevailed to find a place for some good-for-nothing
+scapegrace instead of an honest, hard-working man, who would have been
+a valuable addition.  If only Mr. Paterson had been able to inspire
+those associated with him with his own unselfish zeal and high
+integrity, there might have been a different story to tell.  Unhappily,
+he stood almost alone in seeking no advantage or profit.  Everybody
+else had a keen eye to number one.  As a natural consequence,
+numberless jealousies, suspicions, and antagonisms arose.  Instead of
+working harmoniously together, the council in charge of affairs plotted
+and counterplotted, wrangled and fought, until poor Paterson's patience
+was utterly exhausted, and he had good reason to wish himself well out
+of the business.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Not only were the members of the expedition ill-selected, for the
+reasons given, but the ships that were to carry them, the arms,
+provisions, goods, and entire equipment, were all contracted for in a
+manner that greatly enriched the merchants at the expense of the
+enterprise, and led to the loss of many a life in the after-days.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+The ships were old and rotten, but so painted and fixed up as to
+disguise the fact.  The arms were of inferior quality, the provisions
+adulterated so shamefully as to be hardly fit for human food, and the
+merchandise taken for traffic with the natives of the Land of Promise
+consisted mainly of shop-worn remainders; yet for everything the
+highest price was charged and paid.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+To crown all, the ships were commanded by coarse, brutal, and ignorant
+captains, jealous of and hostile to one another, and caring little for
+the authority of the council.  But Donalblane knew nothing of this,
+and, beyond warning him to be very careful to keep his own counsel and
+to be chary of making new friends, his uncle had not given him any hint
+of it.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Proud of his substantial wooden chest, containing not only an excellent
+outfit of clothes, but a good pair of pistols, a sword, and a small
+quantity of beads and trinkets wherewith to do a little trafficking
+with the natives on his own account, he stood on the deck of the
+largest of the little fleet of five vessels one bright day in July 1698.
+</P>
+
+<BR><BR><BR>
+
+<A NAME="chap03"></A>
+
+<H3 ALIGN="center">
+CHAPTER III.
+</H3>
+
+<H4 ALIGN="center">
+OFF TO DARIEN.
+</H4>
+
+<P>
+Five ships, not one of them really fit for the long and perilous
+voyage, composed the expedition, and they looked gay enough as,
+bedecked with flags and crowded with excited people, they swung at
+their moorings ready for departure.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+The heart of Scotland beat high with hope.  It was her first attempt at
+founding a colony, although her sons had done so much to help in the
+founding of English colonies, and now all the glory and the gold to be
+won in the new world would be hers, and hers alone: no other nation
+should have any share in them.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Donalblane felt something of this patriotic enthusiasm stirring his
+young heart.  He was not wholly selfish in his desire to be a member of
+the expedition.  Of course, his head was full of wild dreams of what
+wonders he would see, and the great things he would do in his own
+interest.  But above it all rose a national pride that did him credit.
+He was a Scot to the backbone; and whether he realised all his own
+expectations or not he was passionately eager that the great scheme
+itself should be accomplished, and that his country should take a proud
+place among the nations.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+His uncle, having bidden him good-bye and God-speed, had returned to
+the quay, and Donalblane, leaning over the bulwarks, was waiting
+somewhat impatiently for the anchor to be hoisted and the sails set,
+when a hand was laid gently on his shoulder, and a deep voice said in a
+kindly tone, "Beginning to feel a little homesick already, lad?"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Looking up quickly, Donald found beside him the master-spirit of the
+enterprise, William Paterson, to whom he had been once introduced in
+his uncle's office.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Na, na, sir!" was his prompt, respectful reply; "I'm wearying to be
+off.  Will the ships be ganging soon, sir?" and he fixed his big grey
+eyes upon Mr. Paterson's face.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Oh! is that the way the wind lies?" was the response, as the great man
+smiled approvingly at the boy, for he was much pleased with his spirit.
+"You are eager for adventure, eh?  Well, my lad, you are likely to have
+your fill of it."  And his handsome countenance clouded as he spoke,
+for the execution of his scheme had been marked by many disappointments
+which boded no good for its ultimate success.  By his frank, honest way
+and earnest efforts to do what was best for the interests of the
+expedition, not for the profit of those supplying the outfit, he had
+aroused the hostility of many who had not hesitated to plot against
+him, with the result that latterly he had been practically set aside,
+and had been compelled to witness gross imposition and fraud which he
+was powerless to prevent.  No wonder, then, that his downcast face
+presented a striking contrast to that of the enthusiastic boy as they
+stood on the deck together; and, influenced by the other's contagious
+confidence, he brightened a little before continuing.  "We can hardly
+fail to have adventures, for it is a new world we are going to, where
+savages, and, worse than savages, the cruel, grasping Spaniards, are
+already, and we shall have to reckon with them before we can succeed in
+our scheme.  But with the providence of God protecting us, we shall
+succeed," and his voice took on a triumphant tone that revealed his
+faith in the Divine approval of his project.  "Be careful what friends
+you make on board here," he added, once more laying his hand upon the
+boy's shoulder.  "There are many to be shunned, and remember that, for
+your uncle's sake and your own, I shall always be glad to be of such
+service to you as may be in my power."  And ere Donald could get out
+his thanks, Mr. Paterson hastened away to speak to one who had just
+come on board.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+The interview had been a short one, but it made a deep impression upon
+Donald.  That the great man of whom his uncle and the dominie always
+spoke in such terms of admiration should address him so graciously,
+touched the lad to the core, and from that moment he was ready to yield
+to Mr. Paterson the same passionate devotion that the Highland clansmen
+used to hold for their chieftain.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+At last, amid fluttering of flags, booming of cannon, and solemn
+offering of prayer, the ships weighed anchor and, with all sails set,
+stood out to sea, the favouring breeze taking them in a few hours well
+out of the sheltered Firth of Forth into the exposed expanse of the
+North Sea.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+They had not long been tumbling about amongst ever-troubled waters when
+Donalblane, in common with very many of his shipmates on the <I>Bonnie
+Scotland</I>, had a new experience.  Hitherto his personal acquaintance
+with the sea had been limited to short trips between Leith and
+neighbouring ports, and now for the first time he was out of sight of
+land and entirely at the mercy of wind and wave.  An old salt would
+have called the wind before which the ships of the expedition bowled
+southward just "a fresh breeze," but Donalblane thought it a gale, and
+the <I>Bonnie Scotland</I> had not long been pitching and tossing in lively
+fashion before something began to go wrong inside of him, making him
+feel so uncomfortable that he was fain to leave the quarter-deck, where
+he had been enjoying himself, and to seek a snug corner in which he
+could curl up unnoticed.  By the end of an hour he was completely
+overcome, and if Mr. Paterson had happened along then with his
+question, he certainly would not have received so prompt and resolute a
+response.  Not one day's illness had Donald known in the whole course
+of his life, and this misery of sea-sickness made him as angry with
+himself as was possible in his prostrate condition.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+As the ships got down towards the English Channel they tumbled about
+more than ever, until the poor boy began to think he was really going
+to die, and heartily wished himself back upon solid ground.  But once
+they were out in the Atlantic matters improved.  Fine, bright weather
+succeeded, the vessels moved steadily along before a favouring wind,
+and Donald was soon established on his sea-legs.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+He now had a chance to become acquainted with some of his
+fellow-passengers, the majority of whom had shared his sufferings.
+They were certainly a very mixed company of men, women, and children.
+Highlanders and lowlanders, peers and peasantry, grave ministers and
+gay scapegraces, shaggy shepherds from the hills, and bronzed
+sailor-men from the coast&mdash;a motley throng indeed, the members of which
+Donald studied with keen interest, for he had a sociable nature, but
+bore in mind the good advice given him by Mr. Paterson in regard to
+making acquaintances.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+As it fell out, his first friend was won in a decidedly dramatic
+fashion.  Among the occupants of the first cabin was a gentleman by
+name Henry Sutherland, whose wife and child, a beautiful boy of four
+years, accompanied him.  Donald was greatly attracted by the child, and
+anxious to make friends with him, but had no opportunity, until one day
+a startling thing happened.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+It was fine and warm, and the little fellow was playing happily about
+the quarter-deck near his mother, when a sprig of the nobility, the
+Hon. Hector Simpson, who had been sent out by his family in the hope of
+improving his habits, sauntered along, and, moved by a spirit of
+mischief, picked up the child, and held him over the bulwarks, saying
+teasingly, "How would you like to go and play with the fishes?"  The
+mother screamed and started forward, and the child, terrified on his
+own account, gave so sudden and violent a wrench as to free himself
+from his tormentor's grasp and fall into the sea, leaving a portion of
+his dress in the latter's hands.  Appalled by the utterly unexpected
+outcome of his foolish act, and unable to atone for it by springing
+after the child, for he could not swim a stroke, the Hon. Hector joined
+his shouts for help with the shrieks of the frenzied mother.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+At that moment Donalblane was leaning over the bulwarks near by and
+feeling very lonely.  He longed for friendly companionship, but was
+bashful about breaking the ice with any of those to whom he felt drawn,
+and so far no one, save Mr. Paterson, who always had a pleasant smile
+and kindly word for him, had taken any particular notice of him.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Now Donald was a strong, expert swimmer.  He had dared the depths of
+many a dark loch before he left his native mountains for the coast, and
+at Leith he had always been one of the first to take a dip in the
+spring, and one of the last to give it up in the autumn.  Without a
+question of fear, therefore, but thinking only of the pretty boy in
+peril of death, he threw off his coat and leaped over the bulwarks into
+the heaving waters.  Happily the little one was still afloat when
+Donald's powerful strokes brought him within reach.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"There now, dearie, I've got you all safe!  Dinna fear; ye'll no'
+droon.  Keep still and ye'll be a' richt," panted Donald, as he put his
+left arm about the terror-stricken child.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Whether the little fellow really understood or was paralysed by fright
+he certainly obeyed.  And well was it for them both that he did, for
+having cleared the brine from his eyes and got a good look at the
+<I>Bonnie Scotland</I>, Donald realised with a sinking of heart that many
+minutes must elapse before they could be rescued.  The ship had already
+been brought up into the wind, and efforts were being made to lower a
+boat; but in the meantime his helpless burden was becoming heavier and
+heavier.
+</P>
+
+<BR><BR><BR>
+
+<A NAME="chap04"></A>
+
+<H3 ALIGN="center">
+CHAPTER IV.
+</H3>
+
+<H4 ALIGN="center">
+A RESCUE AND A RETREAT.
+</H4>
+
+<P>
+Well was it for both Donalblane and the child that all those on board
+the <I>Bonnie Scotland</I> did not lose their heads so completely as the
+young fellow whose foolish action had caused the trouble.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Among the first to take in the situation was William Paterson, and
+instinctively he looked about him for something to throw over after the
+brave boy which might serve to buoy him up until help reached him.  As
+it happened, some one had brought on deck an empty wooden chest to
+serve for a seat.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"The very thing!" exclaimed Mr. Paterson when his eye fell upon it,
+and, without pausing to ask permission, he lifted it up and flung it
+over the bulwarks.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+It fell not far from where Donald struck the water, and, although he
+did not see it at first, it presently attracted his attention.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Eh! what's that?" he asked himself, as the black thing bobbed up and
+down on the waves.  For a moment he feared it might be the back of a
+shark coming to the attack, but on a second look fear gave way to joy.
+"It's a box!" he cried, "and it will keep us up, if I can only get to
+it."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+The child lay like a log, whimpering a little when the water splashed
+in his face; and it seemed to demand all Donald's strength just to keep
+from sinking, so that he did not see how he was to reach the chest,
+which was at least twenty yards distant.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Wae's me!" he groaned, "but I'm near spent, and if I canna lay hold of
+that box, I maun droon."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Happily the wind was blowing towards him, and, although he could not
+make much progress against it, the chest was helped by it in his
+direction, so that, just when he thought he could keep up no longer, it
+bobbed within his reach, and, with a sigh of unutterable relief, he
+laid hold of it.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Noo then, my bairnie, just get atop o' that," he said cheeringly, as
+he placed the child upon the chest, and held him there that he might
+not fall off.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+The chest accepted the responsibility and bore it bravely, taking all
+the strain off Donald's tired arms, and enabling him to recover his
+strength and wind in a measure.  Of course it was no easy matter to
+keep the little one in place with the waves so full of motion, but it
+was ever so much less strain than it had been before, and the sturdy
+boy could have maintained the struggle a little longer still, when the
+welcome rattle of oars and the encouraging shouts of men told him that
+rescue was near.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+The boat came dashing up under the strenuous strokes of four brawny
+oarsmen, and in her bow stood William Paterson, his eager glance bent
+upon the two imperilled ones, and his arms outstretched ready to grasp
+them.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"God bless you, my noble boy!" he exclaimed, as, after tenderly lifting
+the child into the boat, he caught Donald under the arms to help him
+in.  "You've taught us a lesson in heroism this day."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Donald sat down in the bow so utterly exhausted that he was hardly
+conscious of Mr. Paterson's warm words, nor of the hearty praise of the
+men, but he had an exquisite sense of relief and of having become a
+person of importance.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+The first to greet him on the deck of the vessel were the parents of
+the child, and Mrs. Sutherland turned from hugging her rescued darling
+to throw her arms around Donald's neck and kiss him again and again,
+greatly to the bashful boy's embarrassment, while her husband was
+thumping him on the back, and exclaiming huskily, "How can I ever repay
+you for saving my child's life?"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+It was really very trying to Donald to be the subject of such
+demonstration, and he was quite glad to get away from the grateful
+parents and the applauding crowd to his own cabin to put on some dry
+clothes.  But when the first excitement subsided and he found that he
+had not only won the respect of his shipmates, but also the warm
+friendship of the Sutherlands, who were very fine people, he felt that
+the game was well worth the candle, and that he was splendidly repaid
+for the risk he had taken.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+The first part of the long voyage across the great Atlantic Ocean was
+devoid of special incident.  The ships presently scattered, so that
+each was alone in the vast expanse; and the days followed one another
+monotonously enough until the <I>Bonnie Scotland</I> sighted the Azores
+Islands, and, to the delight of all on board, it was announced that a
+call at Fayal would be made in order to replenish the supply of water.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+By this time Donalblane had got a pretty good understanding of all his
+fellow-voyagers.  His likes and dislikes were clearly defined, and,
+young as he was, his natural shrewdness told him that there were only
+too many in the company it would have been far better to have left at
+home.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+The Sutherlands were his special friends.  He had won their hearts
+completely, and he took great delight in the company of their little
+son Walter, who loved him as though he fully understood that he owed
+him his life.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+At Fayal the four of them went ashore together, and Donalblane thought
+he had never before realised how pleasant it was to be on the solid
+ground as after these weeks of tossing about in an overcrowded ship.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Eh, but this is bonnie!" he exclaimed enthusiastically, as his big
+eyes roamed over the novel and picturesque landscape.  "I'd like well
+if this were Darien, and we need gang no farther."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Mr. Sutherland smiled at the boy's frankness.  "You've evidently had
+enough of the <I>Bonnie Scotland</I>, Donald," he said.  "So, too, have I.
+I'd be right glad to be rid both of the ship and many of her company.
+But we're not half-way to Darien yet."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+The striking combination of rugged grandeur with tropical beauty which
+the Azores presented delighted Donald, and during their stay he spent
+the whole day ashore exploring the islands, usually in company with Mr.
+Sutherland.  They revelled in the oranges and other fruit that were to
+be had almost for the asking, and Donald used to amuse Mr. Sutherland
+exceedingly by his lively effort to make himself understood by the
+inhabitants, who were chiefly Portuguese.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+One adventure befell him that might have had a serious result.  He had
+gone off wandering on his own account, and lost his way amidst the
+ravines which pierce the mountains in every direction, and lead one
+into another in a puzzling fashion.  The harder he strove to extricate
+himself from the maze, the deeper he got into it, until at last, a
+little before sundown, he found himself in a regular <I>cul-de-sac</I>, from
+which there appeared to be no exit save by climbing the precipitous
+cliffs which shut him in, and it would soon be too dark to attempt
+that.  "Losh me!" he sighed ruefully, "but I'm fair trapped, and what
+shall I do for the nicht?"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+The question was more easily asked than answered.  Of course to a son
+of the Highlands the spending of a night in the open was not a serious
+matter, so far as exposure was concerned; but how about danger from
+wild animals?  This was what concerned Donalblane, and he was glad that
+he had put a pistol in his belt before leaving the ship.  Wearied and
+perplexed, he had thrown himself down on the sward, when there suddenly
+hove in sight a big boar leading a small band of sows and piglings.  He
+was a tusker of most forbidding appearance, and the instant his wicked
+little eyes fell upon Donalblane he bristled up and began gnashing his
+tusks ominously.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+The boy sprang to his feet and drew his pistol, while he looked
+anxiously about him for a way of escape.  "Save us a'!" he cried.
+"What a fearsome brute!  He means ill to me, I'm thinking."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+There seemed nothing for it but to stand firm and trust to his pistol.
+So, after a swift glance to make sure that the priming was in its
+place, he braced himself for the attack.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+The boar did not waste much time.  Having satisfied himself that this
+intruder upon his domain deserved no mercy, he charged fiercely at him,
+the foam flying from his gleaming tusks, and the thick bristles
+standing out on his mighty front.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Donalblane wisely waited until the fierce creature was within a few
+yards of him, and then fired, taking aim at the very centre of the
+forehead.  At the report of the pistol the boar pitched forward,
+driving his snout into the ground, so great was his impetus, and
+Donalblane, thinking him dead, shouted triumphantly, "Noo, ye fool!
+will ye be trying to scare folk who meant ye no harm?"  But his words
+had hardly left his lips when the boar, which had been only stunned,
+his tough, wrinkled hide proving an effectual shield, got upon his feet
+again and renewed the charge so furiously that Donalblane barely saved
+himself by a sudden spring aside.  Baffled for the moment, the maddened
+brute swiftly swung round for a fresh onset, and Donalblane was fain to
+flee towards the cliffs, followed by the boar and his whole family,
+grunting and squealing.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+There was no boy in Leith could out-foot him, and he dashed away at
+such a speed as gave him a good lead.  But where was he to go, in order
+to escape the relentless monster that sought to rend him?  And if it
+came to a question of endurance, the boar would assuredly run him down
+in the end.
+</P>
+
+<BR><BR><BR>
+
+<A NAME="chap05"></A>
+
+<H3 ALIGN="center">
+CHAPTER V.
+</H3>
+
+<H4 ALIGN="center">
+ACROSS THE ATLANTIC.
+</H4>
+
+<P>
+Running as one runs whose life is at stake, Donalblane looked hither
+and thither for some break in the cliffs that would give him a chance
+to climb out of his fell pursuers' reach.  At last, with a thrill of
+joy, his eye perceived one, and, summoning all his energies for a
+supreme effort, he darted thither.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+The ravening swine were gaining upon him at a rate which meant his soon
+being overtaken, and if he should stumble his fate was certain.
+</P>
+
+<A NAME="img-046"></A>
+<CENTER>
+<IMG CLASS="imgcenter" SRC="images/img-046.jpg" ALT="&quot;THE RAVENING SWINE WERE GAINING UPON HIM.&quot;" BORDER="2" WIDTH="456" HEIGHT="779">
+<H4 CLASS="h4center" STYLE="width: 456px">
+&quot;THE RAVENING SWINE WERE GAINING UPON HIM.&quot;
+</H4>
+</CENTER>
+
+<P>
+But the sure-footed faculty of the Highlander stood him in good stead.
+He neither slipped nor tripped, and kept steadily on, until well-nigh
+spent he won his race for life by so scanty a margin that the baffled
+boar drove hard against the friendly rock up which his intended victim
+had sprung to safety.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+It was little more than a ledge which afforded Donalblane such timely
+sanctuary, and it did not lead far; but, about twenty feet from the
+ground, he found a sort of niche wherein he could dispose his exhausted
+body with some degree of comfort.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Eh, man, but I'm well-nigh dead!" he panted, as he stretched out on
+the moss-covered rock.  "Anither ten yards and he'd have had his tusks
+into me.  Ah, weel, he'll no' get anither chance, though I stay here a'
+nicht!"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+As the boar was grunting and gnashing, and his squealing family were
+evidently determined to invest the place, Donalblane proceeded to
+settle down as comfortably as he could.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Happily the moss lay thick on the rock, and really made quite a soft
+couch.  It was a fine, warm night, and if he had only had food and
+drink he would not have greatly minded.  But the pangs of hunger, and
+especially of thirst, took possession of him, and he had a wretched
+time of it as the long hours dragged slowly by.  Some time during the
+night the pigs disappeared, and when day dawned the coast was clear.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Feeling very stiff and sore and out of sorts, Donalblane clambered down
+into the valley, and set off to find his ship.  By a lucky chance,
+after a couple of hours' vain wandering, he came upon a couple of
+natives laden with oranges evidently intended for market.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+They, of course, could not understand his words, but by vigorous
+pantomime he got into their heads the two facts, that he wanted some of
+their oranges, and to be shown the way to the harbour.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+For a bit of silver they filled his hands with the fruit, which the
+starving boy found very refreshing if not quite satisfying; and then,
+by keeping them company, he came in due time to where the welcome sight
+of the <I>Bonnie Scotland</I> gladdened his eyes.  On his return to the ship
+he found his friends in great concern about him, and Mr. Sutherland
+actually organising a party to go in search of him.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+They were considerably amused at his story, and thereafter he had to
+endure many a joke in regard to his supposed fondness for pork.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Leaving the lovely islands with good stores of fruit, fresh provisions,
+and water, the <I>Bonnie Scotland</I> pursued her way westward through storm
+and
+<SPAN CLASS="pagenum">{<A NAME="P50"></A>50}</SPAN>
+calm until the drawing near of the New World was announced by
+tropical things that came out to meet her on the bosom of the deep.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Thenceforward every eye scanned eagerly the horizon, and Donalblane
+spent most of his time high up the mainmast, it being his ambition to
+be the first among the passengers to sight the land.  Mr. Paterson,
+whose kindly interest in the boy had increased during the voyage,
+promised him a golden guinea if he did sight land first, and this of
+course intensified his desire.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+His patience was sorely tried, for when the ship reached the dreaded
+Sargasso Sea her onward progress was checked for many a weary day by
+the provoking seaweed which held her fast.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"I'm afraid you'll not soon win your guinea, Donald," said Mr.
+Sutherland, after they had been apparently motionless for several days.
+"We're bound to stay where we are until a strong wind is good enough to
+spring up and help us out."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+But the wind seemed in no hurry to come, and the gulf-weed kept them
+prisoners until at last something in the nature of a hurricane struck
+the <I>Bonnie Scotland</I>, and she scudded helplessly before it under bare
+poles for a whole day, her passengers' impatience to sight land being
+for the time replaced by a lively fear of foundering.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+In spite of being so poor a craft, however, the <I>Bonnie Scotland</I>
+braved out the peril, and the following morning Donalblane, who had
+taken to the mast as soon as he had swallowed his breakfast, made the
+hearts of all on deck thrill with joy by the cry of&mdash;
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"The land! the land!  I can see it!  Look!  Look!"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+An instant later the look-out at the bow confirmed him by shouting&mdash;
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Land ho! on the weather bow!" and the ship-wearied folk forgot for the
+moment their mutual animosities which had abounded during the long
+voyage, and rejoiced together that the end of their trials was at hand.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Here's your guinea, my lad," said Mr. Paterson, as he handed
+Donalblane a bright new coin.  "You've earned it well, and I hope that
+good fortune may always befall you."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+As Donalblane thanked his kind friend he vowed to himself that that
+beautiful gold piece should not be hastily spent, but that he would
+keep it as long as possible in memory of the giver, and the reason for
+the gift.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+It was one of the West India Islands they were approaching, and as they
+passed within half-a-league its wealth of tropical vegetation presented
+so pleasing a picture that the passengers besought the captain to make
+a landing in one of the tempting coves, so that they might have a run
+on shore, and probably get some fruit.  But he was a surly fellow, and
+refused the request with an oath, saying that he was sick of the whole
+lot of them, and wanted to be rid of them with as little delay as
+possible.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+So the <I>Bonnie Scotland</I> kept on her course, leaving the lovely islands
+astern, and out of sight as she passed into the wide expanse of the
+Caribbean Sea.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Coarse and brutal as he was, her captain understood navigation, and
+knew how to get the best out of the old hulk of which he had command.
+Now, as the end of the voyage drew near, and the seas seemed kind, he
+cracked on all the sail the ship would carry, greatly to the delight of
+Donalblane, who loved to have the vessel plunging along at full speed.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+More than half the breadth of the sea had been traversed when the
+look-out one morning shouted&mdash;
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Sail ho!  Sail ho!"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Where away?" roared the captain from the poop.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Right abeam, and coming towards us," was the response after a moment's
+hesitation.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+At once there was much excitement on board.  The members of the
+expedition took it for granted that this was one of the other ships
+from which they had long parted company, and began to speculate which
+one it was, and whether it would overtake them.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"I was hoping ours would be the first vessel to reach Darien," said Mr.
+Sutherland to Donalblane.  "It would be something to boast of
+considering what a poor thing she is.  I wonder which one of the others
+this is?"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Ye canna tell so far away," responded Donalblane.  "Maybe it winna
+catch us.  We're sailing fine now."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+The <I>Bonnie Scotland</I> certainly was doing wonders, but in spite of
+every inch of canvas her sticks could carry being spread, the other
+ship gained steadily, and the captain's grim countenance grew darker
+and darker.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Mr. Paterson's fine features also became perturbed, although he kept
+his own counsel, and those who noticed supposed he was simply anxious
+that the <I>Bonnie Scotland</I> should win the race to Darien.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+As the afternoon advanced the pursuing vessel, which seemed to be
+sailing two knots to the other's one, came fully into view, and
+everybody on board saw that it not only was not one of the five which
+had set out from Leith, but that it bore a strange look which somehow
+seemed to bode no good.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+They were not long left in uncertainty.  "Yon's one of they
+buccaneers," growled the captain; "and if ye're going to fight him off
+ye'd better be gettin' ready."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+At once the ship was filled with alarm and confusion, women weeping,
+children wailing, men threatening.  The very name of buccaneer sent a
+chill of terror to every heart, and if the blood-stained butchers of
+the sea had ranged alongside at that moment, the <I>Bonnie Scotland</I>
+would have proved an easy prey.  But there was one man on board equal
+to the emergency.  William Paterson had been shamefully treated by his
+associates, his advice flouted, his authority denied, his confidence
+betrayed.  Now he rose superior to them all.  He alone was calm amid
+the pitiful panic, and the first to respond to his call for concerted
+action were Mr. Sutherland and Donalblane.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"We must resist to the death," were his earnest words, steadily spoken.
+"There can be no question of surrender.  The buccaneers do not know the
+meaning of mercy."
+</P>
+
+<BR><BR><BR>
+
+<A NAME="chap06"></A>
+
+<H3 ALIGN="center">
+CHAPTER VI.
+</H3>
+
+<H4 ALIGN="center">
+A BRUSH WITH BUCCANEERS.
+</H4>
+
+<P>
+There was no lack of arms on board the <I>Bonnie Scotland</I>, but they were
+curiously assorted, and by no means all of the best quality.  Muskets
+and pistols, claymores and short swords, battle-axes and
+boarding-pikes, they were all hurriedly got out on deck, and each man
+chose the weapon he thought he could handle to the best advantage.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Donalblane, whose Highland spirit rather rejoiced at the prospect of a
+fight, snatched up a sword, which he hung at his belt in addition to
+his own pair of pistols.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Can we beat the buccaneers, do you think?" he asked, looking up
+eagerly into the grave face of Mr. Sutherland, whose one thought was
+for his wife and child.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Mr. Sutherland glanced over the confused crowd of agitated men, many of
+whom were evidently in a state of unmanly terror, and there was an
+undertone of contempt in his voice as he replied&mdash;
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"We ought to, if we keep our heads.  There are certainly enough of us."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Counting her crew the ship carried three hundred men, and if these
+stood to their weapons they should prove a match for the enemy, whose
+numbers would probably not exceed one hundred.  But the utter lack of
+discipline or order amongst the expedition filled both Mr. Paterson and
+Mr. Sutherland with fears as to the result.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+In addition to small-arms, the <I>Bonnie Scotland</I> carried eight
+carronades which had been neglected during the voyage, but were now
+hastily got in order and double-shotted under the direction of Mr.
+Paterson, who seemed to know how everything should be done.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Meanwhile the buccaneer was steadily coming on, and evidently
+manoeuvring to approach astern so as to prevent the <I>Bonnie Scotland</I>
+using her broadside.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+But the veteran captain saw through the trick, and at once changed his
+vessel's course, saying with a sardonic smile&mdash;
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Red Angus is no sae simple as ye think.  He kens your wicked wile, and
+just how to fool ye."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Mr. Paterson, disgusted as he had been by the brutality of the captain
+during the voyage, could not help now admiring the consummate skill
+with which he handled his clumsy craft, for the <I>Bonnie Scotland</I> was
+far from being what she ought to have been.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+He seemed to be able to divine every movement of the buccaneer, and to
+meet it by a counter-movement which prevented the latter obtaining the
+advantage sought.  Thus the two vessels dodged about among the
+white-caps, for a strong breeze was blowing, until at last the
+buccaneer apparently gave up all strategy, and bore directly down upon
+the <I>Bonnie Scotland</I> at the risk of a broadside.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Now then, gunners, be ready to fire when I give you the word," was Mr.
+Paterson's command, and, matches in hand, the men he had selected for
+the duty stood beside the carronades, waiting his word.  He did not
+speak until the buccaneer was not more than a hundred yards distant,
+and then the captain, by a sudden turn of his wheel, throwing the
+<I>Bonnie Scotland</I> around so that she presented her beam to the
+advancing vessel, Mr. Paterson shouted&mdash;
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"All together!  Fire!"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+The three carronades roared as one, and their iron missiles went
+hurtling into the rigging of the buccaneer and along her crowded decks,
+bringing a lot of the rigging down by the run, injuring the foremast so
+that it showed signs of tottering, and killing and wounding a number of
+the scoundrels, who were evidently not expecting so heavy a broadside.
+Certainly the immediate effect of the discharge was most encouraging,
+and Donalblane clapped his hands gleefully as the damaged vessel fell
+off, while the <I>Bonnie Scotland</I> kept on her course.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"They got it then, didn't they?" he exclaimed.  "That'll teach them to
+leave honest folk alone, eh?" and he waved his sword exultantly towards
+the enemy.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"It is wise not to hurrah until you are out of the wood, my boy," said
+Mr. Paterson, who just then chanced to be passing.  "That is only first
+blood for us.  The buccaneers will soon return to the attack, and then
+may Heaven defend us!"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+If the <I>Bonnie Scotland</I> had been anything but the slow-going tub she
+was she might have made her escape while the buccaneer was repairing
+damages.  But it was not in her to do this, and she wallowed cumbrously
+in the waves until the enemy once more ranged close.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Although her sides were pierced for many guns whose black muzzles were
+thrust threateningly out, the buccaneer, for some reason, reserved her
+fire.  Perhaps, having no doubt as to the issue of the struggle, her
+commander wished to save the other vessel as far as possible uninjured.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Approaching more warily this time, he so managed as to come up astern
+of the <I>Bonnie Scotland</I>, and, in spite of the latter's efforts to
+avoid the onset, bore down upon her, the two ships colliding with a
+grinding crash and the rattle of interlocking spars.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+The sight of the buccaneers as they crowded the bulwarks, ready to
+spring on board their prey, was certainly enough to affright the
+stoutest heart.  Every countenance seemed that of an incarnate fiend,
+rendered more hideous by the blood-red handkerchief which was their
+only head-covering.  They were seething with rage at the loss they had
+already suffered, and shook their cutlasses fiercely, while they
+shouted like madmen.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Donalblane's eagerness for a fight was decidedly chilled by the
+appalling appearance of these assailants, but he did not lose control
+of himself, and when Mr. Paterson gave the command, fired his pistols
+one after the other into the yelling horde of scoundrels.  With what
+effect he never knew, for the next instant all was the wildest
+confusion, the men of the <I>Bonnie Scotland</I> opposing the buccaneers
+with boarding-pike, battle-axe, sword, and claymore, and beating them
+back again and again with much shedding of blood on both sides.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Whatever other virtues they lacked, these adventurers were certainly
+not deficient in brawn or bravery.  They stood their ground splendidly,
+and Donalblane's heart thrilled with pride as he saw that the
+buccaneers were gaining no advantage.  He himself was no idle
+spectator.  Throwing aside his pistols he seized a big boarding-pike,
+and taking his place near Mr. Paterson, made it his business to be
+ready to protect him so far as might be in his power.  Nor did he fail
+of an opportunity.  In spite of the determined defence, a few of the
+buccaneers forced their way on board, and one of them, a powerful
+fellow, with the face of a tiger, made a rush upon Mr. Paterson, whom
+he no doubt recognised as the person in command.  At the moment Mr.
+Paterson was looking in another direction, and the ruffian's cutlass
+would infallibly have cloven his head had not Donalblane perceived the
+peril in time to swing his boarding-pike across the buccaneer's shins,
+bringing him headlong to the slippery deck, where Donalblane followed
+him with another crack, this time on the skull, that rendered him
+senseless and harmless for the time being.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Mr. Paterson knew nothing of his danger until the miscreant fell
+clattering at his feet, and then he realised how narrow had been his
+escape.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"God bless you, my boy!" he exclaimed fervently, throwing his arm about
+Donalblane's neck.  "I owe you my life.  I shall never forget the
+service you have done me."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Donalblane's face flushed with delight.  He felt proud of himself and
+proud of his patron.  He would rather have saved his life than that of
+any one else on board.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"I'm verra, verra glad, sir," he replied.  "Losh! but he was a fearsome
+creature.  He thought fine he wad cut ye in two."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Well, you have done for him, Donald.  May we all do as well.  Thank
+Heaven we're still keeping the rascals off our decks!" and so saying
+Mr. Paterson rushed into the thick of the fight again.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+The stubborn, sturdy defence of the Scotsmen began to tell.  Only a few
+of their assailants had broken through their ranks, and these were
+speedily put <I>hors de combat</I>.  The buccaneers, who had judged from the
+appearance of the <I>Bonnie Scotland</I> that she would prove an easy prey,
+were amazed by the number of men on board, and the fierceness with
+which they fought.  As one after another of their crew was killed or
+wounded, their fury slackened, and when after half-an-hour's
+hand-to-hand struggle they had gained no advantage, they were fain to
+sheer off to reconsider the situation.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Hearty cheers rose from the <I>Bonnie Scotland</I> as the buccaneer ship
+sullenly slid astern.  Donalblane, who had been so lucky as to escape
+all injury, springing into the rigging, and waving one of the
+buccaneer's blood-red kerchiefs as he shouted jeeringly&mdash;
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Noo then, ye murdering villains, have ye got your fill?  Ye'll ken
+better than to be attacking honest folk like us again."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+A hearty laugh from below showed that the boy's taunts expressed the
+feelings of his shipmates; but when the next instant a bullet whistled
+perilously near his head, he realised how he was exposing himself, and
+slid down the rigging much faster than he had climbed up.  Considering
+the heat of the conflict it was remarkable how slightly the defenders
+of the <I>Bonnie Scotland</I> had suffered.  Three killed, and a dozen
+wounded, none of them mortally, made up the list of casualties, and
+when these had been given proper attention, and the decks cleaned and
+cleared up, the ministers, of whom there were several on board, called
+upon all to join with them in giving thanks to Providence for their
+deliverance.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+And so, with the baffled buccaneers still in sight, they sang
+triumphant Psalms, and lifted up fervent praise to Almighty God who had
+given them the victory.  The women and children, who had been shut in
+the cabins during the fight, came out to join in this service of
+praise, their pallid faces showing how they had suffered from fear and
+anxiety while thus cooped up.
+</P>
+
+<BR><BR><BR>
+
+<A NAME="chap07"></A>
+
+<H3 ALIGN="center">
+CHAPTER VII.
+</H3>
+
+<H4 ALIGN="center">
+THE FOUNDING OF THE CITY OF DARIEN.
+</H4>
+
+<P>
+Whether the buccaneers went off for reinforcements, or simply withdrew
+sadder and wiser, if not better, men, cannot be said.  They certainly
+disappeared before sunset, and no more was ever seen of them.  For once
+at least the blood-stained Brethren of the Coast had met more than
+their match, and been foiled in their villainous work.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Having repaired the damage done to the spars and rigging, the <I>Bonnie
+Scotland</I> continued her course, and on the first day of November came
+in sight of the long-desired Golden Island&mdash;the goal of their hopes,
+the end of their weary voyage.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Wonderfully refreshing was the sight to the delighted eyes of the
+expedition, sick of the monotonous sea.  Clothed with rich green sward,
+from which rose lofty trees laden with fruit, and surrounded by still
+waters of crystalline purity, this island stood forth like a beautiful
+specimen of the vast regions beyond, which it was hoped were some day
+to become a province of Scotland.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Donalblane's freckled face glowed with joy.  "Eh, but it's bonnie&mdash;it's
+verra bonnie!" he exclaimed, grasping Mr. Sutherland's arm.  "There's
+naethin' like that in Scotland."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"No, indeed, Donald," responded Mr. Sutherland, smiling at the boy's
+enthusiasm.  "It's very different from Scotland, and far more
+beautiful; and if its fulfilment only equals its promise we shall have
+done well to come here."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+By a clever bit of strategy Donalblane managed to get into the first
+boat that left the ship, and, curled up in the bow, waited until they
+touched ground, when he sprang out, recking naught of wet feet so long
+as he was really the first one of the expedition to set foot on the New
+World.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Hurrah!" he shouted, waving his cap as he raced up the beach.  "Come
+along and see the land!"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+There were plenty to follow his example, and before long the little
+island which lay at the mouth of the Golden River had been pretty well
+explored.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+It was indeed a lovely spot, but it did not afford the good harbour or
+the natural facilities for defence which were necessary for the
+permanent establishment of the expedition.  Mr. Paterson, however,
+thought it best for the <I>Bonnie Scotland</I> to remain there until the
+other ships put in an appearance.  This they did in the course of the
+next few weeks, one at a time straggling in, each with its own tale of
+storm and stress, of baffling winds and disheartening calms, but none
+of them having shared the <I>Bonnie Scotland's</I> experience with the
+buccaneers.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+After all had been rested and refreshed, Mr. Paterson, who had well
+employed the interval of waiting by exploring the surrounding region,
+Donalblane being usually permitted to accompany him, announced that he
+had decided upon the site of the city whose foundations they were to
+lay, and under his directions the little fleet moved thither.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+The spot was so admirably adapted for their purpose that it seemed as
+if it had been destined by nature.  About a cannon-shot southward from
+the Golden Island a peninsula, having a deep harbour at its extremity,
+stretched out into the sea.  The outer arm of the harbour was lofty and
+commanding, affording protection to the water within.  The other arm
+was low, and well fitted for the construction of forts and other
+defences; while between the two lay a wide, calm, sheltered bay capable
+of containing all the fleets of Europe.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+The shores of the bay were of bright yellow sand that suggested gold to
+the eager eyes of the new settlers; and the waters were so clear that
+full five fathoms deep you could see the shells and coral fragments as
+through the purest glass.  In many places mangroves dropped into the
+pellucid water, their boughs laden with a strange kind of fruit, for
+they bore oysters that were good to eat.  Beyond the golden beach rose
+stately palms interspersed with orange and other fruit trees, and here
+and there spread rich savannahs ready for homes to be built upon them.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+It seemed an earthly paradise indeed, and Donalblane expressed the
+feelings of the rest when he exclaimed in his characteristic way&mdash;
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Here we've come and here we'll bide, for there can surely be no
+bonnier place on all the earth!"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Only one member of the entire expedition had any knowledge of the
+country.  This was William Paterson, the founder of the expedition; and
+so at the outset all his counsel and directions were unquestioningly
+obeyed.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+When, just before sunset, the ships came to anchor in the noble
+harbour, and with utmost haste the boats were filled and urged ashore,
+Mr. Paterson was the first to land.  His first action was to fall on
+his knees and offer up fervent thanksgiving for their safe arrival.
+Each Scotsman as he landed followed his example, until the whole
+expedition formed one great congregation worshipping upon that shore
+which had never before heard the name of God.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Their prayer ended, they rose and embraced one another in the impulse
+of mutual congratulation.  Every heart beat high with hope; and that
+night there was not a single member of the party who was troubled by
+the slightest doubt as to the success of their great undertaking.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+They had arrived in the very best season of the year, it being the
+springtime of that climate, when Nature was at her best in every way,
+and they made haste to get out of their cramped quarters on shipboard
+and put up temporary huts and tents in the shade of the trees in which
+they could live until permanent homes were built.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Donalblane was immensely happy.  He had no hut to build.  He could
+sleep on the ship or ashore just according to his fancy, so he was a
+gentleman of leisure, and he thoroughly enjoyed himself exploring the
+wonderful New World.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+By common consent the settlers took holiday at first.  They hunted the
+wild boar in the depths of the forest; they fished in the neighbouring
+streams and surrounding seas; they threaded the woods, where almost
+every bough bore some kind of fruit with which they were glad to make
+acquaintance.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Then they turned their attention to work, and, after huts had been
+provided for all, a fort was built commanding the harbour, and
+threescore guns, taken from the ships, mounted upon its battlements.
+Their next proceeding was to cut a canal across the isthmus, thereby
+rendering their peninsula an island; and having named the fort St.
+Andrews, and the surrounding region Caledonia, they began to feel more
+at home.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+While they were thus occupied, and everything seemed to be going on
+smoothly and prosperously, Mr. Paterson thought it well to make a
+journey into the interior in order to open up friendly relations with
+the natives, and by effecting treaties with them to secure a proper
+title to the land upon which the expedition had settled.  He
+accordingly made up a party for this purpose.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+It included Mr. Sutherland, and he was thoughtful enough to let
+Donalblane know of the project.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Ay; but I'd like fine to be going with you," said the boy, his face
+full of eagerness.  "Can ye no' tak me?"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"It's not for me to say, Donald," replied Mr. Sutherland kindly; "but
+suppose you have a word with Mr. Paterson?  We're starting in the
+morning."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Donalblane needed no second hint.  He set off at once in search of Mr.
+Paterson, and, happening to find him disengaged, promptly proffered his
+request.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Can I gang wi' you to-morrow?" he said, fixing his big grey eyes upon
+him, his whole frame trembling with the eagerness that possessed him.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Mr. Paterson woke from the reverie in which he had been lost, and,
+regarding Donalblane with a half-puzzled, half-amused smile, asked&mdash;
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"To-morrow?  Where?"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"I dinna ken, sir," was the odd response.  "But wherever ye're going
+yersel'.  Away off yonder," he added, pointing inland, where, in the
+remote distance, a range of mountains, blue and vague, enclosed the
+horizon.  Mr. Paterson now fully understood him.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"And why do you want to go with me, Donald?  Are you not content here?"
+he inquired in the gentle, winning tone that was one of his many
+personal charms.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Ay, to be sure," responded the boy heartily.  "But you're ganging to
+see the Indians, and I'd like fine to see them too."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Mr. Paterson laughed at this frank confession of curiosity, and then
+was silent for a brief space while he seemed lost in thought.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Donalblane, thrilling with anxiety, kicked a hole in the turf as he
+waited.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"I think you may come with us, Donald," said Mr. Paterson presently,
+laying his hand upon the other's shoulder.  "But you must be a very
+good boy, and do just what you are told."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"You may be sure I'll do that!" cried Donalblane, giving a jump of
+delight.  "Mony thanks, sir, for your kindness."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Thus it was settled to Donalblane's satisfaction, but to the great envy
+of others who would have liked to be in his place.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Bright and early the following morning the party set forth.  It
+comprised twelve of the Scots all fully armed, and half as many of
+natives whose friendship had been already secured; these latter serving
+in the double capacity of guides and bearers of the presents intended
+to be given to the Indian chieftains.  They were all in high spirits,
+the hard work of founding St. Andrews having made a holiday very
+welcome, while the novelty and interest of the trip certainly promised
+to be sufficient to satisfy the most enterprising.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Mr. Sutherland kindly took Donalblane as his companion, and they
+trudged along together, their attention alert for everything in nature
+that was strange or beautiful.  For the most part their route lay
+through shadowy forests, into whose dim recesses the hot rays of the
+sun never penetrated, with here and there a grassy glade that brought
+them into sunlight again.  They travelled at a leisurely pace and in
+short stages, as they were not pressed for time, and Donalblane enjoyed
+every moment.  He was as happy as a hummingbird.
+</P>
+
+<BR><BR><BR>
+
+<A NAME="chap08"></A>
+
+<H3 ALIGN="center">
+CHAPTER VIII.
+</H3>
+
+<H4 ALIGN="center">
+A SUCCESSFUL EMBASSY.
+</H4>
+
+<P>
+During his previous visit to the Darien region Mr. Paterson had gained
+some knowledge of the native language, and this now stood him and his
+companions in good stead, as it caused them to be received not only
+with kindness, but with honour, by the Indians when they met them.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+It was towards the close of their second day's journey that the quick
+ear of Donalblane, who was in the lead with the guides, caught a sound
+that was different from anything he had hitherto heard.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Eh! but is na that music?" he cried, turning to the nearest guide, who
+smiled assent, although in truth he did not understand the question.
+"I maun gang and tell Mr. Paterson;" and he raced back with the
+information.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Mr. Paterson was very pleased at the news, for he understood it to mean
+that the report of their expedition had preceded them, and that the
+Indians were coming to welcome them in their own way; and so it proved,
+for the music grew louder as they advanced, until, on entering one of
+the long forest aisles, they beheld a group of musicians playing upon
+reeds, accompanied by a chorus who joined in from time to time with a
+kind of musical humming.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Donalblane's eyes opened wide at this.  He had never expected to find
+an orchestra and a choral society among savages, and he expressed his
+surprise to Mr. Sutherland, who smilingly replied&mdash;
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Don't be astonished at anything in this strange New World, my lad.  It
+is as full of wonders as it is of perils."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+When the Scotsmen had come up to them, the musicians changed their
+march into a curious kind of dance, which continued until they crossed
+a small savannah and drew near a lofty grove standing by itself, within
+whose recesses it was understood the king awaited his visitors.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Then the dancing ceased, the music resumed, and there issued from the
+grove a bevy of graceful girls, glittering with golden ornaments, and
+carrying garlands of flowers which they threw over the necks of Mr.
+Paterson and his companions, not neglecting Donalblane, who blushed to
+the roots of his sandy hair at this unlooked-for adornment.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Guided by them, the visitors at length were ushered into the presence
+of the King of Darien, and Donalblane caught his breath at the imposing
+sight.  Seated upon a huge throne of mahogany logs, decked with Spanish
+crimson cloth, and wearing a great crown of gold, the dusky
+potentate&mdash;albeit his robes were only of some light cotton stuff, and
+big shining rings dangled from his ears and nose&mdash;looked every inch a
+king.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+So royal indeed was his appearance that the Scotsmen, moved by a common
+impulse, not only bowed, but knelt before him, which mark of respect
+evidently impressed his Majesty very favourably.  Standing about him
+were fine-looking men, whose stature was heightened by diadems of the
+gold plumage of the mocking-bird, out of which rose two long feathers
+from the scarlet macaw.  They leaned upon gleaming spears, and were no
+doubt ready to execute the commands of their master for life or death.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Thanks to Mr. Paterson's acquaintance with the native language, there
+was no need of an interpreter, and he proceeded to explain the purpose
+of his visit.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"We are come," said he, "from the other side of the globe to greet you,
+O King!  We are come as friends, not as enemies.  We would take nothing
+from you without due payment.  We offer to purchase from you sufficient
+land for our settlement, and we want not only your land, but your
+friendship.  If you treat us kindly, if you deal with us honourably, we
+will help to make you and your people greater and richer, and we will
+also aid you against your enemies.  We will be your allies; and if you
+are attacked, our guns and our swords will be at your service, for your
+cause will be ours.  What say you, O King?"  And without waiting for a
+response, the shrewd leader of the expedition proceeded to exhibit the
+presents of beads, trinkets, and scarlet cloth which he had brought.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+The dignity of the monarch was not entirely proof against this tempting
+display.  His dark eyes gleamed with eager desire, and it was by a
+manifest effort that he controlled the impulse to make a hasty descent
+from the throne in order to take the presents into his royal hands.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Suddenly the ceremony, which had been proceeding so auspiciously, was
+interrupted by an extraordinary disturbance that thoroughly startled
+every member of the visiting party save Mr. Paterson.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+During the progress of the solemn function there had gathered in the
+trees overhead a curious congregation, to wit, a large troop of
+monkeys, whose curiosity had evidently been excited by what was going
+on below.  They came in thousands, leaping from bough to bough, and
+from tree to tree, until they assembled right above the king and his
+visitors.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Here they remained tolerably quiet for awhile, until, just as his
+Majesty was about to reply to Mr. Paterson, the impudent intruders
+broke into a deafening chorus of chattering and screaming which made
+every other sound inaudible.  Not only so, but, in utter fearlessness
+of human presence, they began a series of wild antics, which culminated
+in their forming living chains, one holding on to the other's tail, and
+then they let themselves down from the lofty trees until they were
+actually within reach of the people below.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+One of these animated chains swung to and fro so near to Donalblane
+that he thought the grinning, grasping creatures meant to attack him,
+and he drew his cutlass to strike at them, when happily Mr. Paterson
+divined his intention, and with a quick movement caught his arm.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Let them alone, my lad," he said almost sternly.  "They will do you no
+harm.  They are sacred here.  Be careful."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+It was well he had been so quick, for already some of the stalwart
+attendants of the king had observed Donalblane, and were lifting their
+long spears menacingly.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Donalblane's weapon went back into its sheath; and, bracing himself up,
+he said under his breath&mdash;
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Ye grinning loons, ye'll not scairt me, but gin ye do lay hands on me,
+I'll gi'e ye a clout that'll teach ye manners."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+The uneasiness of the Scotsmen at the monkeys' antics must have been
+amusing enough to the natives, who not only tolerated the saucy
+creatures, but looked upon them as sacred, and therefore regarded their
+appearance on the scene as a favourable omen; in fact, nothing more
+fortunate for the success of the embassy could have occurred.  The
+pawarress, or priests, were particularly pleased.  So, too, was the
+king; and when at last the monkeys, doubling up their chains again,
+returned to the tree-tops and scampered off in high glee, both he and
+the priests were ready to enter into negotiations.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+A treaty was accordingly drawn up and ratified, whereby full freedom
+was given to the Scots to settle in the land and enjoy it, and between
+them and the natives there was declared to be peace "as long as rivers
+ran, and gold was found in Darien."  Then followed a banquet prepared
+and served in true native style.  The roast flesh of the peccary,
+broiled fish from the mountain streams, and luscious fruit from the
+trees all around composed the bill of fare; and the hungry visitors
+needed no urging until there was produced the dish of honour, being a
+huge lizard, called the iguana, carefully baked and served up with
+tomato sauce.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+One look at it was quite sufficient to make the Scotsmen suddenly lose
+their appetites.  With one consent they began to invent excuses for
+letting the tempting dish go by them.  All except Mr. Paterson.  He had
+tasted iguana before and knew it was not at all unsavoury.  Moreover,
+good manners required that this item should not be treated with
+disgust.  So he bravely helped himself to a goodly slice, and when it
+came round to Donalblane, he, by way of atoning for his mistake in
+regard to the monkeys, did likewise.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+It was a hard job getting down the first morsel, but the flesh proving
+white, firm, and of fine quality, with a flavour somewhat resembling
+chicken, he actually managed to polish off his portion, being rewarded
+therefor by a look of warm approval from Mr. Paterson.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+The following morning the embassy set forth on their return to the
+coast, attended by all the honours and marks of goodwill that had
+marked their arrival; but before they reached their destination
+Donalblane had an adventure that came within an ace of costing him his
+life.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+The purpose of their mission having been so satisfactorily
+accomplished, Mr. Paterson readily assented to the request of his
+companions, that they should linger on the way back in order to enjoy
+some hunting.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+This delighted Donalblane, who was impatient to try what he could do as
+a sportsman, and, in company with Mr. Sutherland and a native guide, he
+set out joyously.  There was no lack of game to be feared.  From the
+harmless iguana or more attractive <I>corrosou</I> (wild turkey) up to the
+fierce wild boar or terrible panther or jaguar, the forest simply
+swarmed with fair subjects for his bullets.  It was only a question of
+picking and choosing.  Following their guide he and Mr. Sutherland had
+been tramping for several hours, and securing a creditable "bag," when,
+feeling weary, they threw themselves down to rest under a big tree, and
+quite naturally fell sound asleep.  An hour slipped by, and Donalblane,
+from a troubled dream, awoke to find glaring down upon him from an
+upper branch the most appalling eyes he had ever beheld.  Their baleful
+gleam seemed to freeze his blood.  He was for the moment paralysed.  He
+could not turn aside to glance at his companions, who lay like logs a
+few feet away, and his tongue refused to act.  He could just discern
+through the deep shade a great dark body crouched behind the eyes, and
+his instinct told him that the most dreaded denizen of the forest&mdash;the
+black panther&mdash;was preparing to spring upon him!
+</P>
+
+<A NAME="img-082"></A>
+<CENTER>
+<IMG CLASS="imgcenter" SRC="images/img-082.jpg" ALT="&quot;GLARING DOWN UPON HIM ... THE MOST APPALLING EYES HE HAD EVER BEHELD.&quot;" BORDER="2" WIDTH="461" HEIGHT="781">
+<H4 CLASS="h4center" STYLE="width: 461px">
+&quot;GLARING DOWN UPON HIM ... THE MOST APPALLING EYES HE HAD EVER BEHELD.&quot;
+</H4>
+</CENTER>
+
+<BR><BR><BR>
+
+<A NAME="chap09"></A>
+
+<H3 ALIGN="center">
+CHAPTER IX.
+</H3>
+
+<H4 ALIGN="center">
+IN PERILOUS PLIGHT.
+</H4>
+
+<P>
+Donalblane's paralysing panic was only for the moment.  The power of
+action presently returned to him, and, grasping his gun, he aimed at
+the diabolical eyes, while he shouted to his companions: "Up wi'
+ye!&mdash;up wi' ye!  We're in danger!"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+So heavy was their slumber, however, that neither of them stirred at
+his call; but when the report of the gun rang out, they both bounded to
+their feet just in time to see a great dark body fly through the air
+with a fearful scream, and light upon poor Donalblane, who fell back
+beneath it!  They realised at once what had happened, and Mr.
+Sutherland, seizing his musket, and the Indian his spear, sprang to the
+boy's assistance.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+So completely did the panther cover him that Mr. Sutherland dared not
+fire, lest the bullet should penetrate both bodies; but he sought a
+chance to use the butt of his musket on the brute's head, while the
+Indian made play with his spear, stabbing it into the creature's side.
+Meantime Donalblane, into whose shoulder the terrible teeth had sunk
+while the merciless claws were tearing his clothes to ribbons, fighting
+for his life, with both hands buried in the soft, thick fur, strove
+frantically to throttle his mighty assailant.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Had he been alone there could have been no doubt as to the issue of the
+struggle&mdash;the panther must have done him to death; but the stunning
+blows from Mr. Sutherland and the repeated stabs of the Indian's spear
+soon began to tell.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+They had not only weakened the brute's strength, but they turned his
+attention from Donalblane to his other opponents, and, after a space of
+time that seemed an eternity to the boy, but was in reality barely a
+minute, the panther, giving a hideous growl, relaxed both teeth and
+claws in order to prepare for a spring at Mr. Sutherland.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+This gave the latter the opportunity for which he had been waiting.  He
+was an expert shot, and never had had more need of his skill than at
+this moment.  Quickly throwing his gun to his shoulder, and aiming full
+at the panther's breast, he pulled the trigger.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Happily the musket did not miss fire, and the heavy charge sped
+straight to its mark, going clean through the animal's heart.  With one
+last fiendish scream the fearful creature sprang straight up into the
+air, and fell back a limp, lifeless mass of fur.  Not waiting to look
+at his quarry, Mr. Sutherland rushed to Donalblane, who lay senseless
+on the sward, with the blood streaming from nearly a score of wounds.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"My poor boy," he exclaimed, as he took Donald's head upon his knees,
+"surely that black brute has not killed you!"  Then to the Indian, who
+was wonderingly examining the panther, he called indignantly, "Leave
+that thing alone, and get me some water&mdash;quick!"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+When the Indian returned with the water Mr. Sutherland tenderly washed
+the boy's wounds, which he was glad to find were none of them very
+deep&mdash;those made by the teeth on the shoulder being the worst&mdash;and did
+his best to bind them up with handkerchiefs and what other linen was
+available, the Indian proving a very helpful assistant.  Before it was
+quite done Donalblane recovered consciousness, and at first was so
+dazed that he had no idea as to what had happened.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"What's the matter?" he asked, starting to put his hand to his head,
+and then dropping it because of the pain in his shoulder.  "I'm verra
+sore.  Ah!  I ken&mdash;I ken&mdash;that awfu' black thing.  I fair thought it
+wad kill me."  And he groaned deeply, for his sufferings were keen.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Not a bit of it, my boy," responded Mr. Sutherland cheerily, as he
+patted his pale cheek.  "You're not even half killed, and that awful
+black thing is killed completely.  But you've had a very narrow escape,
+and you've got some nasty wounds, and you must keep very quiet here
+until we can get you back to St. Andrews."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Mr. Sutherland was a man of thought as well as of action, and it did
+not take him long to arrange matters.  The Indian was dispatched to the
+settlement with a note telling what had happened, and asking that a
+litter be sent back for the sufferer.  In the meantime he himself would
+stay by the wounded boy until the litter arrived.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Happily they were not at the time a very great distance from St.
+Andrews.  Another Indian, having been promised liberal payment if he
+was very quick, ran the whole way thither, and the litter party lost
+not a moment in making the return trip.  It was indeed well for
+Donalblane that they were so prompt, for he presently began to be
+feverish, and to require the utmost skill of the physicians who had
+accompanied the expedition to combat the effect of the serious wounds
+he bore.  There was great sympathy felt for him, as he was a general
+favourite, owing to his bright, frank, manly ways; and both Mr.
+Paterson and Mr. Sutherland were as concerned about him as if he had
+been their own child.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Even with the best of care some weeks must elapse before he would
+regain his former vigour, and while he lay in his hammock, a not too
+docile and submissive patient, affairs went on not at all prosperously
+at St. Andrews.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Although absent only a week, Mr. Paterson found on his return that a
+spirit of discontent and dissension had already broken out in the
+colony.  All the men were not workers.  Some were useless drones, and
+those who had toiled hard laying the foundation of the new city began
+to grumble and protest.  There was no settled or acknowledged
+authority.  Once the novelty of the situation had passed away, Mr.
+Paterson ceased to be looked up to and obeyed, and it seemed impossible
+for any one to be agreed upon as supreme governor.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+The settlement certainly presented a curious appearance at this time.
+Over a thousand persons, all foreign to the soil, were lodged in rude
+wooden huts roofed with palmetto leaves, the inside furnishing of which
+were of the simplest description.  Chests and lockers did duty for
+seats and tables; tartan shawls of brilliant hues, hung up as curtains,
+formed the only partitions; spades, mattocks, axes, and hatchets
+littered the walls, while carefully disposed in the dryest corners were
+the claymores and muskets which formed their weapons of defence.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+One large building was set apart for public worship, and here services
+were daily held by the Presbyterian ministers, several of whom had
+accompanied the expedition, and were much given to lengthy sermons.
+Another building was the storehouse, to which the provisions brought
+out by the ships were removed.  Now, mention has already been made of
+advantage being taken by those who supplied the expedition to palm off
+much inferior stuff than they had contracted to furnish; and this
+rascality became revealed when it was discovered that the greater part
+of the stores, upon which the colonists must depend until they had
+raised their own harvests, was absolutely unfit for human food, and had
+to be cast into the sea, where it attracted swarms of sharks that
+henceforth infested the harbour, rendering its waters full of danger.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+This was a terrible blow to the hopes of the settlers, who were already
+disappointed at the failure of their expectations in the matter of
+gold, which they had counted upon being able to obtain in abundance,
+whereas all the gold they had seen were the ornaments of the King of
+Darien.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+It was determined to dispatch one of the ships to the island of Jamaica
+for a fresh supply of provisions, and in the meantime, through the
+influence of Mr. Paterson, the King of Darien placed the services of a
+large body of Indian hunters at his disposal, and these men, through
+their knowledge of the country and their skill, were able to secure
+game and fish in abundance when the Scotsmen could get nothing.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+As soon as Donalblane had recovered from his wounds, nothing daunted by
+his thrilling experience, he devoted himself to hunting, as that suited
+his taste far better than tilling the ground or working on the
+fortifications.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Keen of eye, quick of ear, light of foot, long of wind, and well-nigh
+tireless, he set himself to learn from the Indians their hunting wiles
+and devices, and was so apt a pupil that ere long he became a match for
+the best of them, particularly as his musket and pistols, always kept
+in perfect order, were immensely superior weapons to their spears and
+arrows.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+The magnificent region round about afforded a hunting-field vast and
+varied enough to satisfy the most exacting sportsman.  The forests were
+full of animals, from the amusing, harmless monkeys up to the fierce
+wild boar or the terrible jaguar; while the waters fairly teemed with
+fish, from the delicious mullet up to the gigantic manatee, or
+sea-cow&mdash;if this can be properly called a fish.  The first time
+Donalblane saw a manatee he was filled with amazement&mdash;it seemed so
+huge, so hideous, so extraordinary a monster; but when he got over his
+first surprise, he became possessed with the notion of adding one to
+his list of trophies.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Do so, by all means," said Mr. Paterson, when he mentioned his purpose
+to him.  "The manatee's flesh, in spite of the creature's ugly
+appearance, is equal to the best pork, and we cannot have too much of
+it for our hungry people."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Then I'll just do my verra best to get ye one, and maybe two, for they
+tell me they are in plenty up yon river," said Donalblane, pointing
+towards the so-called Golden River.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Good luck to you, my lad," rejoined Mr. Paterson, patting him on the
+shoulder.  "Be sure that the chief hunter goes with you, for the
+manatee can give plenty of trouble, if you do not know how to handle
+him."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Donalblane promised to be sure of having Raymon, whose heart he had
+already won by various little kindnesses, and hastened off to make
+arrangements for a start the following morning.  He had no difficulty
+in securing the co-operation of Raymon, who was only too glad to join
+him, and who undertook to procure a canoe and two of the best paddlers
+in his tribe.  Accordingly, at dawn of the next day Donalblane set out
+on his hunt for a manatee.
+</P>
+
+<BR><BR><BR>
+
+<A NAME="chap10"></A>
+
+<H3 ALIGN="center">
+CHAPTER X.
+</H3>
+
+<H4 ALIGN="center">
+THE CHASE OF THE MANATEE.
+</H4>
+
+<P>
+Several hours' steady paddling brought the hunting party, ere the full
+heat of the day, to a part of the river where the banks were densely
+clothed with mangroves, broken here and there by bayous, whose shallow
+bottoms were lush with rank vegetation.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"We get him there," said Raymon, pointing to one of these bayous.
+"When sun going down.  Plenty of manatee in dat place."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Donalblane was impatient to begin the hunt right away; but Raymon knew
+his business better, and so they sought a landing in one of the cool,
+dark recesses of the mangrove forest, and, after eating their lunch,
+lay down for the inevitable siesta.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+It was well on in the afternoon before Raymon pronounced it time to get
+to work, and, thrilling with eagerness, Donalblane took his place in
+the stern of the canoe, his musket ready for a quick shot, while Raymon
+crouched in the bow, holding a harpoon to which was attached a long,
+thin rope.  Noiselessly the expert paddlers sent the canoe over the
+bosom of the bayou, turning this way and that, in accordance with
+whispered directions from Raymon, whose keen eyes searched the still
+waters in front.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Several times Donalblane thought he saw ripples which suggested the
+presence of their prey, but Raymon took no notice of them, and he was
+beginning to grow impatient, when, at a signal from the Indian, the
+paddlers suddenly plied their blades with tremendous energy, and the
+light craft shot ahead at an amazing pace.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Donalblane could perceive nothing to explain this action, but rejoiced
+at it nevertheless, and held his musket in readiness to fire.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+On dashed the canoe, and presently Raymon rose in the bow, harpoon in
+hand, and poised himself for a throw.  Still Donalblane could make out
+nothing, and he marvelled at the keenness of the Indian's vision, until
+suddenly, not twenty yards in front of the canoe, the smooth surface of
+the water was broken by the emergence of the hideous head and broad
+shoulders of a monstrous manatee.
+</P>
+
+<A NAME="img-098"></A>
+<CENTER>
+<IMG CLASS="imgcenter" SRC="images/img-098.jpg" ALT="&quot;PRESENTLY RAYMON ROSE IN THE BOW, HARPOON IN HAND.&quot;" BORDER="2" WIDTH="464" HEIGHT="742">
+<H4 CLASS="h4center" STYLE="width: 464px">
+&quot;PRESENTLY RAYMON ROSE IN THE BOW, HARPOON IN HAND.&quot;
+</H4>
+</CENTER>
+
+<P>
+"Hurrah!" shouted the boy, quivering with excitement.  "There he is;
+and, my sakes, what a big fellow!  Shall I fire at him, Raymon?"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+But Raymon, without turning round, intimated by a warning gesture of
+his free hand that Donalblane was to keep still, and the latter was
+accordingly fain to curb his impatience.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+In spite of his clumsy form, the manatee had a wonderful turn of speed,
+and the sinewy paddlers strained every nerve to bring Raymon within
+striking distance.  The creature was evidently making for the deeper
+waters, and if he succeeded in doing this before the harpoon struck
+him, there was a good chance of his effecting his escape.  For a few
+minutes the issue of the race seemed much in doubt, and then, to
+Donalblane's delight, the canoe began to gain.  Yard by yard it drew
+nearer, until at last, raising the harpoon as high as he could, Raymon,
+with the whole strength of his arm, hurled it at the manatee.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+It was a splendid throw, and the keen barb buried itself deep in the
+thick, wrinkled grey hide, while at the same moment the stricken
+creature sank out of sight, leaving a stain of blood upon the water.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Grand!&mdash;grand!" cried Donalblane, putting down his gun for a moment
+that he might clap his hands enthusiastically.  "Ah!  I wad like fine
+to be able to do that."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Raymon's usually sombre countenance lit up with a pleased smile, as he
+replied&mdash;
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"We got him all right, if rope no break."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+When, a moment later, the manatee, having recovered from the first
+shock of the wound, set off through the water at a rapid pace, towing
+the well-laden canoe as though it was a trifle, Donalblane began to
+wonder if the rope, which was only a thin one, would stand the strain.
+But Raymon did not appear at all anxious about it.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Straight out towards the deep water went the manatee, and as the canoe
+ploughed through the water in its wake, Donalblane thought that this
+must be something like the whale-hunting about which some of his sailor
+friends at Leith had told him such thrilling tales.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+For a full half-mile the powerful creature kept on, rising every now
+and then to the surface for breath, and sinking again as soon as
+relieved.  But presently its speed began to slacken, and Raymon was
+able to get a pull upon the rope, which brought the canoe nearer.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Now, senor, you fire when I call," he said to Donalblane, who nodded
+back at him joyfully, for he was burning to take part in the hunt,
+instead of sitting idle.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Little by little the rope came back, until soon there were not more
+than ten yards of it separating the canoe and the manatee.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Next time he come up, you fire," was Raymon's next order; and
+Donalblane, every nerve thrilling with excitement, braced himself in
+the stern of the canoe for a careful shot.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+With a swirl and splash the manatee appeared, and as Raymon excitedly
+shouted, "Now, señor&mdash;now!" Donalblane pulled the trigger.  But alas,
+for the pride of youth!  The prized musket, hitherto so trusty, played
+him false.  It flashed in the pan.  There was no report, and its
+intended victim sank out of sight unharmed.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Just how it happened Donalblane never understood.  Perhaps either he or
+Raymon, in their chagrin at the failure of the shot, made some sudden
+movement; but, however it was, the next instant the canoe overturned,
+and all the four of its occupants were tumbled into the water,
+Donalblane holding on to his gun, although the additional weight helped
+to deepen his involuntary dive into the turbid current.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Up he came, gasping and angry, to find that the Indians had happily
+been quick enough to secure the canoe and to cut the harpoon line,
+which otherwise would have torn it away from them.  Still grasping his
+gun, which he was determined to save if possible, Donalblane struck out
+for the others, and when he neared Raymon, the latter said cheeringly,
+"Me help you&mdash;they get canoe all right," and, taking the heavy firearm
+from the boy, swam as easily with it as if it were a walking-stick.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Meanwhile the paddlers, with a skill that astonished Donalblane,
+proceeded to right the canoe, free it of water, and clamber in, Raymon
+following their example and then assisting the young Scotsman to do
+likewise.  Donalblane took it for granted that the untoward upset put
+an end to the manatee hunt, but Raymon had no such notion.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Manatee soon die&mdash;we go after him," he said, and, after a keen
+scrutiny of the surrounding water, he gave directions to the paddlers,
+who resumed their work as stolidly as if nothing had happened.
+Donalblane thought it would be very much like hunting for a needle in a
+hay-stack, but kept his own counsel while the canoe sped shoreward.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+They were more than half-way thither when Raymon, who had fastened the
+remainder of the rope on to a small spear, showed signs of excitement.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Me see him!" he exclaimed in a stage whisper.  "We get him this time."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Sure enough, just as he spoke, the ugly grey head of the manatee rose
+above the water, and it was evident from the slowness of its movements
+that its strength was fast failing.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Steadily the canoe gained, until once more it was within striking
+distance, and Raymon hurled his spear with no less accuracy than he had
+the harpoon.  The poor manatee made one furious plunge forward as the
+sharp steel reached a vital part, and then all motion ceased.  The hunt
+was ended.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+One of the paddlers instantly sprang into the water and caught the end
+of the severed harpoon line, which was at once secured to the canoe,
+for otherwise the great body would sink and all the trouble be in vain.
+Then the bulky prize was towed ashore, and Donalblane had the
+satisfaction of having taken part in a successful manatee hunt, even if
+he had been denied the privilege of getting a shot.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+The Indians had good reason to be proud of their quarry, for he was a
+monster of his kind, and would afford a fine supply of excellent meat.
+As he would prove altogether too heavy a cargo for the light canoe, the
+paddlers were dispatched to the settlement for assistance, while
+Donalblane and Raymon remained on guard, the former taking the
+opportunity to dry his dripping clothes, and feeling very well pleased
+with the success of the hunt.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Indeed, he had enjoyed it so keenly that he went again and again in the
+weeks that followed, Mr. Sutherland sometimes joining him, and many a
+plump monster was thereby secured for the benefit of the colonists.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+It was well for him that he could thus divert himself, as the state of
+affairs at St. Andrews was rapidly growing worse.  Not only were the
+Scotsmen threatened with famine, but with disease also.  The hot, damp
+climate, so different from that to which they were accustomed, bred
+deadly fever.  Every day the number of the men who strove to complete
+the fortifications and to till the ground for the harvest they were
+destined never to reap grew less.  Many of the pale, gaunt, but still
+resolute labourers passed quickly from their work to the overcrowded
+hospital, and thence with little delay to their graves, until the
+burial-ground came to have more occupants than the huts.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+And yet, despite their double danger, the colonists kept up their petty
+strifes, their jealousies, their mutual antagonisms, and refused to
+admit of any settled authority.  Then came back the ship which had been
+sent to Jamaica for provisions as empty as she had gone, and bringing
+the astounding news that, by a royal edict obtained through the evil
+influence of the rival companies, all the English colonies in America
+and the West Indies were strictly forbidden to afford any assistance
+whatever to the struggling Scotch colony at Darien, whose utter ruin
+now seemed inevitable.
+</P>
+
+<BR><BR><BR>
+
+<A NAME="chap11"></A>
+
+<H3 ALIGN="center">
+CHAPTER XI.
+</H3>
+
+<H4 ALIGN="center">
+THE MIDNIGHT ATTACK.
+</H4>
+
+<P>
+Donalblane took these difficulties and disasters deeply to heart, not
+so much on his own account, for, like all brave-spirited boys, he had
+no doubt that <I>he</I> would pull through all right somehow, but because of
+his hero, Mr. Paterson, who had won the affection and loyalty of his
+young heart.  He considered him the noblest of men, and more than once
+had got into trouble by hotly resenting the undeserved slurs and sneers
+that were too freely cast upon him.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Ye dinna ken what ye're saying, ye sneakin' loon!" he had once
+retorted to a lanky youth who was meanly making charges against Mr.
+Paterson that were no less false than frivolous; and when the other
+responded with a blow, Donalblane, taking no account of the disparity
+in size and age, flung himself at him so fiercely and used his fists to
+such good purpose that the slanderer was soon fain to flee the field.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Ye lee, ye lee, and ye ken weel ye're leeing!" he cried indignantly on
+another occasion; but this time, his antagonist being a powerful man,
+Donalblane did not fare so well&mdash;in fact, he got a bad thrashing; but
+as he nursed his bruises he found comfort in the conviction that they
+were suffered in a good cause, and that he would never allow Mr.
+Paterson's reputation to be blackened if he could in any wise help it.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Among the early victims of the fever had been Mrs. Sutherland and her
+little boy, and, broken in heart and spirit, Mr. Sutherland not long
+after joined them in the grave, so that Donalblane felt he had only one
+friend left, for somehow he had not taken kindly to any of the other
+men.  He therefore attached himself closely to Mr. Paterson, and thus
+had the opportunity of rendering him a supremely important service.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Mr. Paterson had invited him to share his hut&mdash;a mark of esteem that
+made him very pleased and proud, as may be imagined.  They had thus
+lived together for a fortnight, Mr. Paterson devoting himself to the
+trying difficulties that surrounded him, while Donalblane spent his
+time in fishing and hunting, so that they might always be supplied with
+food.  One day Donald chanced to overhear a conversation between two of
+the worst characters in the colony, which made it clear that they had
+designs upon Mr. Paterson's life.  He at once made known his
+suspicions, but Mr. Paterson treated the matter lightly.
+</P>
+
+<A NAME="img-112"></A>
+<CENTER>
+<IMG CLASS="imgcenter" SRC="images/img-112.jpg" ALT="&quot;CHANCED TO OVERHEAR A CONVERSATION WHICH MADE IT CLEAR THAT THEY HAD DESIGNS UPON MR. PATERSON'S LIFE.&quot;" BORDER="2" WIDTH="488" HEIGHT="798">
+<H4 CLASS="h4center" STYLE="width: 488px">
+&quot;CHANCED TO OVERHEAR A CONVERSATION WHICH MADE IT CLEAR THAT THEY HAD DESIGNS UPON MR. PATERSON'S LIFE.&quot;
+</H4>
+</CENTER>
+
+<P>
+"I am very much obliged to you, my boy," he said, with his rare smile,
+"but there is nothing to be feared.  I understand those fellows.  They
+would be well pleased, no doubt, to have me out of the way, but they'd
+never have the courage to do what you fear."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+This made Donalblane feel a little easier in his mind; nevertheless, he
+resolved to keep a watch upon the rascals, and to be alert for any
+danger that might threaten.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"They'll never do Mr. Paterson any harm if I can help it," he said to
+himself, and certainly no Scottish chieftain ever had a more loving or
+loyal clansman than he.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+One stormy night when the wind blew and the rain fell as though they
+had combined in an attack upon the hut, which was none too strong or
+tight, Donalblane felt restless and wakeful.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Mr. Paterson, wearied with toil and trial, was sleeping soundly, but
+his companion tossed about in his hammock with wide-open eyes.
+Presently his quick ear caught a sound that he did not think was caused
+by the storm, but by some person or creature trying to effect an
+entrance into the hut.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"What can that be?" he asked himself as he sat up in his hammock, and
+strained both eyes and ears to discover something in the surrounding
+gloom.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+The suspicious sound continued, and Donalblane was just about to waken
+Mr. Paterson, whose hammock swung on the other side of the hut, when
+the door gave way, and two men rushed in with manifest evil intent.
+Had Donalblane not been awake at the moment, the villains might have
+had easy work; but he was not only awake, but alert, and with a
+quickness which did great credit to his wits he took instant action.
+Springing from his hammock, he shouted&mdash;
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Mr. Paterson, wake up! there's danger!" and hurled himself at the
+foremost man, grasping him about the knees.  Down went the scoundrel on
+his face, and the other was so close behind that he tripped and fell
+also, the two getting tangled up together and giving vent to fearful
+words, while Donalblane, somewhat bruised from the encounter, crawled
+away, and darted to the side of Mr. Paterson, who was now fully awake.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+They had nothing in their hands wherewith to defend themselves, and the
+would-be assassins were no doubt well armed; but neither of them had
+any thought of flight.  Not so with the intruders.  Realising that
+their foul plot had failed of its purpose, thanks to Donalblane's
+vigilance, their one idea was to get away, and the fellow that entered
+last did succeed in regaining his feet and rushing out into the
+darkness; but the other had been half stunned by his head coming into
+contact with a heavy chest, and ere he could escape Mr. Paterson had
+thrown himself upon him and pinned him to the ground.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"A light, Donald&mdash;quick, a light!" he called, as he put his whole
+weight on the struggling form.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Donalblane hastened to obey, and the lighting up of the hut revealed
+the fact that Mr. Paterson's prisoner was one of the very men
+Donalblane had overheard conspiring against him.  When they had bound
+the wretch securely, Donalblane could not resist saying, in a tone of
+exultation&mdash;
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Noo, sir, didn't I tell ye? and yet ye wadna listen to me.  He's ane
+o' them, and I can point ye out the other one any day."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Mr. Paterson, who had already recovered his composure as completely as
+if nothing had happened, took both the boy's hands in his own, and
+shook them warmly as he replied, with a look full of gratitude and
+love&mdash;
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"You were right, Donald, and it was wrong to make light of your
+warning.  God be thanked that you were able to baulk the scoundrels
+to-night, for if you had not been awake at the moment, I and perhaps
+you also would be no longer alive.  But evidently it is not the will of
+Providence that we should die yet.  Let us kneel and give thanks to God
+for our deliverance."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+And so with the foiled assassin scowling and cursing them as he
+strained at his bonds, the two knelt down, while Mr. Paterson poured
+forth in prayer his gratitude to God for their merciful deliverance.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+There was no more sleep for either of them that night.  In the morning
+Mr. Paterson called the council together, and producing the prisoner,
+told the story of the night attack.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Great was the indignation of all who heard him.  Although there were
+many who blamed him for the failure of their high hopes, and others who
+were jealous of his fine qualities and resented his authority, none
+were so base as to desire his death; and if it had not been for his
+earnest entreaty, the prisoner would have been condemned to be shot
+that very day as a terrible example.  But Mr. Paterson magnanimously
+interceded, with the result that the prisoner and his confederate, if
+he should be found, were banished from the colony, on pain of death if
+they dared to return.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+With the passing of the days matters grew steadily worse at St.
+Andrews.  The plan had been that other ships carrying reinforcements of
+men and supplies should follow the first little fleet after an interval
+of some months, and these were now long overdue; yet although the high
+hill above the settlement was never without watchers, who eagerly
+scanned the face of the waters, no sign of sail appeared.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+As a matter of fact, only one ship had been dispatched, and this one
+unfortunately foundered in mid-ocean.  Meanwhile, deaths were taking
+place daily, and those who managed to keep alive were little more than
+haggard, sickly skeletons.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+No wonder that in spite of Mr. Paterson's earnest protest they at last
+determined to depart from the fatal spot, which, instead of proving a
+paradise, had been the grave of all their high hopes and of so many of
+their companions.  Mr. Paterson, still hopeful of the success of the
+great scheme, pleaded with them not to abandon it.  He claimed that to
+do so would be to be false to the trust placed in them by their
+countrymen.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+But they would not listen to him.  Their first duty, they retorted, was
+to themselves.  They must save their own lives.  To remain was to die.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Accordingly, having provisioned the ships as best they could, they
+prepared to depart.  For the last time they gathered in the rude
+church, while the sole surviving minister prayed for the Divine
+blessing and protection.  It was a sad congregation, and Donalblane,
+whose loyal heart had sympathised to the full with Mr. Paterson's
+endeavour to stay the retreat, felt heavier of heart than he had ever
+done in his life before.  Right willingly would he have remained behind
+with Mr. Paterson if any good could have been gained thereby.  But if
+all the others departed, they must needs go too; and after the mournful
+service ended, the boats bore them to the ships, Mr. Paterson being the
+very last to leave the shore, which none of them would ever set foot
+upon again.
+</P>
+
+<BR><BR><BR>
+
+<A NAME="chap12"></A>
+
+<H3 ALIGN="center">
+CHAPTER XII.
+</H3>
+
+<H4 ALIGN="center">
+NEW YORK AND HOME.
+</H4>
+
+<P>
+The ships were in no condition to cross the Atlantic, and by the royal
+decree the British West Indies were closed against them, while, of
+course, they dare not trust the mercy of the Spaniards.  Their only
+alternative, therefore, was to make their way up to New York in the
+hope of finding their way back to Scotland from there later on.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Donalblane quite approved of this plan.  He had had quite enough of
+South America to last him for the rest of his life, and, now that he
+had left, it was quite clear in his mind as to never returning.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+But of North America he knew nothing, and he was eager to learn.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Nae doot there'll be Indians there like those at Darien," he said to
+Mr. Paterson, "and we'll be going to see them.  Have they kings, too?"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+An amused look lightened Mr. Paterson's face for the moment as he
+replied&mdash;
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"There are Indians, of course, in the country, very many tribes of
+them, and we may see some of them at New York, but we will not have
+anything to do with them.  We are of no account now," he went on sadly.
+"We shall be little better than beggars when we reach New York, and
+shall have to trust to the kindness of our countrymen there to afford
+us the help we need.  Ah, Donald, Donald! it is a sore thing to fail&mdash;a
+sore, sore thing!" and he turned away to hide the emotion that mastered
+him.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Donalblane was touched to the heart, and in his passion of loyal love
+would not have hesitated to give his very life if thereby the fortunes
+of his hero could have been retrieved.  But no sacrifice could save
+them now.  The great scheme that was to have been a blessing to the
+world and to make Scotland mighty among the nations had failed utterly.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Creeping cautiously along the coast, the two ships made their slow way
+northward, and, after passing through many a peril, at length reached
+New York, with the rotten rigging dropping from the masts, the pumps
+going steadily to keep the leaky hulks afloat, and scarce two days'
+scant supply of food and water.  With inexpressible joy the wearied
+voyagers hastened to land, Donalblane of course accompanying Mr.
+Paterson.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Although for a quarter of a century in possession of the British, New
+York was still for the most part a Dutch town, and the keen-eyed Scotch
+boy saw much that was novel and interesting in the quaint ways of the
+people and the odd appearance of the houses.  He was quick to notice
+the aspect of comfort and neatness that marked the place, and made so
+pleasing a contrast to the squalor and misery of the settlement at
+Darien.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Oh, but it's verra bonnie here!" he said to Mr. Paterson as, strolling
+through the streets in the cool of the evening, he saw the prosperous
+burghers with their plump wives and rosy children sitting out at the
+front of their houses, so evidently enjoying life in their simple,
+sober way.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Do you think you'd like to stay here, then?" Mr. Paterson asked, with
+a kindly twinkle in his eye.  "I dare say it could be managed.  One of
+these well-to-do merchants might be glad to take you as an apprentice."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Donald smiled and shook his head.  There was indeed something
+attractive in the idea, but he did not feel free to entertain it.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Wad ye be thinkin' of staying yer ain sel'?" he inquired in turn.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Oh, no, Donald," replied Mr. Paterson with a deep sigh.  "I must
+return to Scotland to give an account of my stewardship."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Then if ye're going back, I'm going wi' ye," responded the lad in a
+tone of absolute decision; and Mr. Paterson, patting him affectionately
+on the shoulder, said in a voice whose unwonted tremor showed how
+strongly he felt&mdash;
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"You're a good boy, Donald, leal and true, and I believe that in the
+providence of God you will come to greatness yet."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+The survivors of the unfortunate Darien expedition were so kindly
+treated at New York that quite a number of them were glad to settle
+permanently in the prosperous colony; but Mr. Paterson impatiently
+awaited the opportunity to get back to Scotland.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+During the delay Donalblane had an adventure that caused him to retain
+a vivid remembrance of the place for the remainder of his life.  His
+restless, inquiring spirit kept him constantly on the move, and one
+fine day he had roamed away up toward the north end of the island, and
+so overstayed his time that night had fallen ere he reached the
+outskirts of the city.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+There were no street lights in those days, and, save where a friendly
+gleam came from the window or open door of a house, the streets were
+dark as pitch; hence there were many good chances for highwaymen to
+practise their evil profession, which they were not slow to seize upon.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Donalblane had just got well into the city, when, as he passed through
+a dark, narrow street, he heard a cry for help, followed by the sounds
+of a violent struggle.  At once the impulse to render aid took
+possession of him, and he darted in the direction whence the sounds
+came, grasping tightly his pistol, which he always carried with him.  A
+short run brought him to where three persons were struggling together,
+one crying out for help, while the other two strove to smother his
+cries and knock him senseless with their bludgeons.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Hi, there, ye scoondrels!" shouted Donalblane.  "Hands off, or I'll
+shoot ye!"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+As the words left his lips, one of the highwaymen got in so brutal a
+blow that his victim fell limply to the ground; but the next instant
+the report of the pistol rang out, and its bullet buried itself in the
+ruffian's shoulder.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Completely taken by surprise&mdash;for neither of them had been aware of the
+boy's swift approach&mdash;the rascals were so panic-stricken that they took
+to their heels and disappeared around the corner, leaving Donalblane
+with the seemingly lifeless form.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"The puir man, they've killed him, nae doot," he murmured sadly, as he
+bent over the prostrate figure to feel if there were any signs of life
+left.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+He was thus engaged when a door near by opened, and out sprang a couple
+of men, who rushed upon him and grasped him roughly, exclaiming&mdash;
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Ah&mdash;ah! now we've caught you red-handed!  You'll swing high for this,
+you villain!"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Hoot, man, ye're quite wrong!" retorted Donalblane hotly.  "I'm no'
+the villain.  I ran to help this man.  'Twas the robbers that killed
+him."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+But they refused to believe him, and others coming up, the poor boy was
+like to have been roughly handled, when a grey-haired man, who spoke
+with authority, commanded that he be brought to his house for
+examination.  When this had been done, and the men realised what a mere
+lad he was, and what a frank, honest countenance he possessed, the tide
+of feeling at once began to turn.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"I am greatly disposed to believe the boy," said the elderly man after
+he had heard Donalblane's story.  "But we must keep him in ward until
+we can find this Mr. Paterson of whom he speaks."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+So Donalblane was securely locked up until the morning, when he not
+only had the joy of being vouched for by Mr. Paterson, and honourably
+released, but the relief of learning that the highwaymen's victim had
+been only stunned, not killed, and would soon recover from his injuries.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+He proved to be a prosperous merchant, who felt profoundly grateful for
+the timely service, and, as it chanced, had a vessel sailing for
+England in a short time.  On learning of their desire to cross the
+ocean, he at once placed the cabin of the vessel at the disposal of Mr.
+Paterson and Donalblane, adding to this kindness a substantial advance
+of money, which the former might repay at his convenience.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Thus the way home was providentially opened up, and in far greater
+comfort than they had set out for the New World, the two friends
+returned to Scotland.  Here Donalblane was received with characteristic
+coolness by his uncle, who felt very sore over the loss of his five
+hundred pounds; and Mr. Paterson had to bear the undeserved reproaches
+of those who had lost not merely money, but relatives, in the
+unfortunate enterprise.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Yet there were far brighter days in store for both.  Mr. Paterson
+cleared himself of all blame for the catastrophe, and filled the
+remaining years of his life with honourable work, while Donalblane,
+sobered by his experience, devoted himself to his uncle's business with
+such ardour and intelligence that ere long he came to be his right-hand
+man.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+The step from that to a partnership was an easy and natural one, and,
+combining in a rare degree daring enterprise with far-sighted caution,
+Donalblane of Darien became in time one of the merchant princes of
+Scotland, winning, through the right use of his wealth and influence,
+high honour among his fellow-men, and the favour of Divine Providence.
+</P>
+
+<BR><BR><BR>
+
+<P CLASS="finis">
+THE END.
+</P>
+
+<BR><BR><BR>
+
+<H5 ALIGN="center">
+<I>Richard Clay &amp; Sons, Limited, London &amp; Bungay.</I>
+</H5>
+
+<BR><BR><BR><BR>
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+<pre>
+
+
+
+
+
+End of Project Gutenberg's Donalblane of Darien, by J. Macdonald Oxley
+
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+The Project Gutenberg EBook of Donalblane of Darien, by J. Macdonald Oxley
+
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
+almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or
+re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
+with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
+
+
+Title: Donalblane of Darien
+
+Author: J. Macdonald Oxley
+
+Illustrator: W. Rainey
+
+Release Date: September 14, 2010 [EBook #33722]
+
+Language: English
+
+Character set encoding: ASCII
+
+*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK DONALBLANE OF DARIEN ***
+
+
+
+
+Produced by Al Haines
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+[Illustration: Cover art]
+
+
+
+
+
+[Frontispiece: "HE PLACED THE CHILD UPON THE CHEST, AND HELD HIM THERE
+THAT HE MIGHT NOT FALL OFF."  p. 38.]
+
+
+
+
+
+DONALBLANE OF DARIEN
+
+
+BY
+
+J. MACDONALD OXLEY,
+
+
+_Author of_
+
+"_Norman's Nugget_," "_In the Swing of the Sea_,"
+  _etc., etc._
+
+
+
+
+_ILLUSTRATED BY W. RAINEY, R.I._
+
+
+
+
+TORONTO:
+
+THE MUSSON BOOK COMPANY, LIMITED.
+
+1902
+
+
+
+
+CONTENTS.
+
+
+CHAP.
+
+    I.  BY WAY OF BEGINNING
+   II.  DONALBLANE CARRIES HIS POINT
+  III.  OFF TO DARIEN
+   IV.  A RESCUE AND A RETREAT
+    V.  ACROSS THE ATLANTIC
+   VI.  A BRUSH WITH BUCCANEERS
+  VII.  THE FOUNDING OF THE CITY OF DARIEN
+ VIII.  A SUCCESSFUL EMBASSY
+   IX.  IN PERILOUS PLIGHT
+    X.  THE CHASE OF THE MANATEE
+   XI.  THE MIDNIGHT ATTACK
+  XII.  NEW YORK AND HOME
+
+
+
+
+ILLUSTRATIONS
+
+
+"HE PLACED THE CHILD UPON THE CHEST, AND HELD HIM THERE THAT HE
+  MIGHT NOT FALL OFF." . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . _Frontispiece_
+
+"'YE'VE A GREAT LIKING FOR THE SEA, THEY TELL ME, LAD,' BEGAN MR.
+BLANE."
+
+"THE RAVENING SWINE WERE GAINING UPON HIM."
+
+"GLARING DOWN UPON HIM ... THE MOST APPALLING EYES HE HAD EVER BEHELD."
+
+"PRESENTLY RAYMON ROSE IN THE BOW, HARPOON IN HAND."
+
+"CHANCED TO OVERHEAR A CONVERSATION WHICH MADE IT CLEAR THAT THEY HAD
+DESIGNS UPON MR. PATERSON'S LIFE."
+
+
+
+
+DONALBLANE OF DARIEN.
+
+
+CHAPTER I.
+
+BY WAY OF BEGINNING.
+
+It was not just an ordinary sort of name, but one of those which made
+you think "thereby hangs a tale."  In this case the thought goes to the
+mark, and the tale in question will be told after a fashion in the
+following pages.
+
+At the outset a quick glance back to times long past is necessary in
+order to a fair start, and without a fair start it were hardly worth
+going ahead.
+
+As the seventeenth century drew to its close there came into prominence
+in England a remarkable Scotsman named William Paterson, among whose
+notable achievements was having a large share in the founding of the
+Bank of England, which subsequently grew to be the greatest monetary
+institution in the world.
+
+He was a member of the board of directors at the opening of the bank,
+but appears to have sold out not long after, and with his money in hand
+to have looked about him for some way of investing it that would be for
+the public good.
+
+Now, these were the days of vexatious monopolies and irritating
+restrictions in commerce.  The trade of Britain with the distant parts
+of the globe was divided between two great grasping corporations--the
+East India Company and the African Company--which, although they were
+at deadly enmity with each other, heartily co-operated in crushing
+every free-trader who dared to intrude within the elastic limits of
+their "spheres of action."
+
+William Paterson was an ardent free-trader, and he became inspired with
+the noble mission of freeing commerce from the hurtful restraints laid
+upon it by short-sighted selfishness.  With a keenness of instinct that
+makes it easy to understand his previous success, he surveyed the then
+known world and put his finger upon the spot best suited for the
+carrying out of his beneficent design.
+
+The Isthmus of Panama, or Darien, is, beyond a doubt, one of the most
+interesting, as it is certain yet to be one of the most important bits
+of terra firma on this round globe.  The connecting-link between the
+continents of North and South America, it is also the barrier dividing
+the Atlantic from the Pacific Oceans, and, in fact, one side of the
+world from the other.
+
+From the time of its discovery and occupation by the Spaniards, it has
+been a matter of general belief that whoever had command of this narrow
+neck of land held the key to the commerce of the world.  Here would
+naturally be concentrated the mutual trade of the Atlantic and Pacific
+coasts of America.  Moreover, it would necessarily form an important
+stage in the shortest route between Europe and the Indies, as well as
+the innumerable islands lying far to the south of the equator.
+
+Little wonder, then, that the Spaniards wanted to keep the isthmus to
+themselves, and always did their very best to make it particularly
+unpleasant for anybody who sought to share its advantages with them;
+and in fine contrast to their dog-in-the-manger policy--for they really
+made little use of their splendid opportunities--was the spirit in
+which William Paterson conceived his great Darien project, and with
+characteristic energy proceeded to carry it into effect.  It was in the
+year 1695 that he obtained from the Scottish Parliament an Act for the
+incorporation of "the Company of Scotland trading to Africa and the
+Indies," which thenceforth became popularly known as "the Darien
+Company."
+
+This company was granted very extensive powers, and had the imposing
+capital of L600,000, one-half of which, it was shrewdly stipulated,
+must ever be held by _Scotsmen residing in their own country_, thus
+ensuring the permanence of the national character of the undertaking.
+
+As it turned out, however, this provision might have been omitted, for
+when, after the Scotch half of the stock had all been subscribed, the
+books were opened in London for the other half, there came such a rush
+of applicants for shares that it was soon all taken up.  This so
+aroused the hostility of the two great English companies already
+mentioned that they actually called upon the House of Commons to assist
+them in crushing their Scottish rival, and the House of Commons
+unfortunately was weak enough to yield to the pressure brought to bear
+upon it.
+
+The London subscribers to the new company were threatened with
+prosecution for concerting to infringe upon the rights enjoyed by the
+other companies, which so alarmed them that with one consent they
+backed out and forfeited their holdings.
+
+With ordinary people this would have meant the collapse of the whole
+enterprise.  Not so, however, with the sturdy Scots who were behind it.
+The provoking action of their English cousins only served to arouse the
+national spirit.  Their expected allies had failed them.  Well, what if
+they had?  Scotland was not to be daunted.  She would go on alone, and
+reap for herself all the glory and the more substantial rewards of the
+great undertaking.  Accordingly another hundred thousand pounds of
+stock was subscribed by this thrifty, determined people, and so, with a
+capital only two-thirds as big as had been counted upon, the Darien
+Company proceeded to carry out the chief purpose of its formation.
+
+But all these disappointments and difficulties had, of course, meant
+delay, and consequently it was not until the year 1698 that the first
+expedition was made ready to start.
+
+Among those most warmly interested in William Paterson's project was
+Alexander Blane, of Leith, a worthy and enterprising shipowner, who had
+won a snug fortune in the service of that fickle mistress, the sea.
+After working his way up from cabin-boy to captain, he had settled down
+on shore, while others commanded his craft for him, and being a shrewd,
+far-sighted, close-fisted man of business, had prospered from year to
+year, in spite of occasional inevitable losses.
+
+He had held aloof from the Darien scheme at the start, as was indeed
+characteristic of him, but when the London folk acted so shabbily his
+Scottish blood was set a-boiling.
+
+"Hech!" he exclaimed, in high indignation, "the Southrons would have
+the world to themselves, eh?  They're just dogs in the manger, and we
+Scots shall teach them the lesson they need.  I hadna thought of taking
+ony shares in Mr. Paterson's company, but if it's only to spite the
+English I'll put me doon for five hundred pounds."  And he was not only
+as good as his word, but he interested himself actively in securing
+other subscriptions to a considerable amount.
+
+Not having been blessed with bairns of his own, Mr. Blane had adopted a
+nephew from the Inverness Highlands, whose own name had been foregone
+in favour of his second father's.
+
+Donald Blane, or Donalblane, as he soon came to be called for short,
+was a pretty uncouth specimen of a boy when, at the age of ten, he was
+taken into the Blane household.  The term "halflin" would describe him
+sufficiently to Scots folk, but for others some further particulars may
+be required.
+
+The son of a shepherd, whose tiny shieling with only a "but and ben"
+seemed to shelter an impossible number of children, he had practically
+run wild upon the mountains.
+
+Bare-headed and bare-footed the greater part of the year, he had grown
+up as sound, strong, and sturdy as one of the shaggy ponies which he
+loved to bestride in a wild gallop over moor and heather, and although
+his most partial friends could hardly pronounce him handsome, he bore a
+frank, fearless, wide-awake countenance that did not fail to make a
+good impression upon those who took the trouble to look into it.  His
+thick, tousled hair showed a slight tinge of red in the sun; his eyes
+were deep-set and of a fine, clear grey; his mouth a trifle large, but
+firm; his chin square, and full of character.
+
+But the most attractive feature of the boy, if so it may be called, was
+his smile.  When Donalblane was pleased or amused his face lit up
+wonderfully, and his parting lips revealed a double row of snow-white
+teeth that were a gift of beauty in themselves.
+
+Five years of city life wrought many changes in his outward appearance
+without in any wise impairing the fineness of his nature.  He learned
+to endure the at first irksome restraints of such troublesome things as
+trousers, collars, hats, and shoes, and--still harder lesson--to become
+accustomed to the daily drudgery of school, so that both in body and
+mind he showed very decided improvement.
+
+But his love of outdoor life lost none of its strength, and there being
+no moors near by to range over, he took to the water instead, spending
+as much of his free time as possible with the sailormen, who had such
+marvellous yarns to spin, climbing up and down the rigging of brigs and
+barques and ships, and now and then getting a short trip about the
+Firth of Forth when his uncle permitted.  Thus he became filled with a
+passion for the sea that was at its height when the proposed Darien
+enterprise set Scotland afire, and down in his heart Donalblane
+determined that he would do his very best to join the brave band of
+adventurers into the wonderful New World.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER II.
+
+DONALBLANE CARRIES HIS POINT.
+
+It was one thing for Donalblane to make up his mind to go to Darien,
+and quite another to carry his resolution into effect.
+
+Alexander Blane was a masterful man, who had no fancy for accepting
+advice or suggestions from other folk.  He much preferred thinking of
+things himself, and Donalblane knew well enough that for him to make a
+direct request meant its being turned down both promptly and finally.
+Strategy was therefore necessary, and, after some deep thought and the
+casting aside of various schemes, he hit upon one that gave promise of
+success if judiciously carried out.
+
+Thanks to his natural quickness of mind and his interest in his
+studies, he had quite won the heart of the dominie who with book and
+birch ruled his little educational kingdom, and so to wise William
+Laidlaw he went with his scheme.  Now, as it happened, no man in
+Scotland had been more fired by Paterson's daring project than this
+school-teacher of Leith.  He was a Scot of the Scots, and the bitterest
+regret of his life was that a crippled leg, which made active movement
+impossible, barred his own way to joining the expedition.
+
+Disappointed in that direction, he had done what was perhaps even
+better--he had invested the entirety of his own savings in the stock,
+and he had by tongue and pen done all in his power to promote the
+interest of the enterprise.  It was therefore only natural that he
+should listen to Donalblane's bashful confidence with a swelling and
+sympathetic heart.
+
+"Ay! ay! laddie," he said, regarding the eager, earnest boy with a look
+of unwonted tenderness, "and so ye wad fain gang tae Darien?  I dinna
+blame ye.  Glad wad I be to gang myself, if I were na too auld for sic
+a far-going.  But if I be too old, are ye na too young, Donald?"  And
+he bent a keen look upon him from under his shaggy brows.
+
+Donalblane flushed and moved uneasily on his seat.  That was the very
+argument he most feared.  "I am owre young, maybe," he replied; "but
+I'm verra strong, and big for my age;" which was true enough, as he
+looked full two years older than he really was.  "And then, ye ken,
+there'll no be anither such chance as this to see the world for the
+rest of my life."
+
+The dominie smiled shrewdly.  That was the usual talk of youth.  He
+knew much better; but somehow the lad's passion for the adventure took
+strong hold upon him, and the upshot of their talk together that summer
+evening was that Donalblane went home joyful of heart because he had
+enlisted an ally who was pledged to help him in realising his desire.
+
+Mr. Laidlaw was on excellent terms with Mr. Blane, and no excuse
+therefore was needed for a friendly visit, in the course of which the
+talk naturally enough came round to the Darien expedition, already in
+course of being fitted out.
+
+"Hech! but I wad fain be going myself," said the dominie, heaving a
+huge sigh of regret, "and if it were na for this halting leg of mine,
+I'd be putting my name down."
+
+Mr. Blane indulged in a sympathetic smile.  The idea of the limping
+dominie venturing to face the perils and privations on sea and land
+that were sure to be encountered touched his sense of humour, but he
+was too courteous to betray it.
+
+"I'm inclined a bit that way likewise," he responded, "and were I only
+twenty instead of sixty, I'd be offering myself to Maister Paterson."
+
+"Have ye thought o' sending any one in your stead?" inquired the
+dominie, as innocently as if no hidden purpose inspired him.
+
+"Ay, I have thought something of it, but I've not made up my mind at
+all," was the reply.
+
+Having thus secured his opening, the wily dominie, by strategic
+devices, which did infinite credit to his ingenuity and knowledge of
+human nature without putting any strain upon his conscience, at last
+succeeded not only in filling Mr. Blane's mind with the idea of Donald
+being sent out in some sense as his representative, but in so doing it
+that the worthy shipmaster quite supposed he had conceived the notion
+himself.
+
+Accordingly, a few days later Mr. Blane called Donald into his own
+room, and began asking him some questions that made the boy's eyes
+glitter with hope.
+
+The sagacious dominie, knowing Mr. Blane, had counselled Donald not to
+let on in any way how eagerly he desired to go to Darien, but to seem
+simply willing to do whatever he was told.  He therefore put a strong
+curb upon himself, and responded respectfully to what was asked of him.
+
+"Ye've got a great liking for the sea, they tell me, lad," began Mr.
+Blane, with a keen glance at the bright face and sturdy figure.
+
+[Illustration: "'YE'VE A GREAT LIKING FOR THE SEA.  THEY TELL ME, LAD,'
+BEGAN MR. BLANE."]
+
+"Oh, yes, sir," answered Donald emphatically.
+
+"And wad ye care to go away altogether on a ship?" asked his uncle.
+
+"Ay, that I would, sir," was the hearty reply; and then, in a sly,
+apologetic tone, "But of course I'd like to come back again."
+
+Mr. Blane smiled grimly.  He quite understood the boy's eagerness to be
+rid of the restraints of school and of town life, and did not take at
+all amiss the readiness he expressed to leave the roof that had
+sheltered him so comfortably, and fare forth into unknown difficulties
+and dangers.
+
+"And what wad ye say to going with Mr. Paterson away out to America, if
+he'll let you?" was the next question; and Donald could feel his
+uncle's deep-set eyes piercing him like arrows.
+
+But he controlled himself wonderfully, and in a quiet, steady voice,
+that touched no chord of opposition, said, "I wad like it verra weel,
+if _you_ will let me go, sir."
+
+Mr. Blane was better pleased by this response than he showed, and,
+after a brief silence, he got up, saying, "Well, well, we'll think
+about it--we'll think about it.  Ye're owre young, maybe, to be leavin'
+your friends to gang among strangers; but ye're a likely lad, and it
+may go towards making a man of you.  Say naething about it--do you
+hear?--for the present--not a word."
+
+Donald promptly promised, and left his uncle with a heart full of hope.
+Only to the dominie did he mention the interview, and then for nearly a
+week he was kept on tenterhooks of anxiety.
+
+In the meantime Mr. Blane conferred with Mr. Paterson, and having been
+assured by him that he would take a kindly interest in the boy, and
+allow him to return at the end of the year if he wished, he fully
+decided to let him go.
+
+When this was communicated to Donald, he had great difficulty in
+restraining the impulse to give a great shout and fling his
+tam-o'-shanter to the ceiling, but by an heroic effort he kept himself
+in hand, and, after expressing his gratitude to his uncle, hurried away
+to the dominie with the good news.  Thus was this momentous matter
+settled, and now came the business of getting ready.
+
+Owing to the withdrawal of the English subscribers and the consequent
+decrease in the amount of capital aimed at, the expedition could not be
+fitted out on so large a scale as Mr. Paterson had at first intended.
+Nor was this the only difficulty he had to encounter.  If the funds
+were somewhat deficient, there was no lack of enthusiasm.  The chivalry
+of Scotland had been aroused, and hundreds of men of high family were
+ready to exchange their prospects in their own country for the golden
+hopes held out by America, recking little of doubts and dangers.
+
+It became a delicate and troublesome task to select from such a throng
+of eager volunteers, for, of course, all could not go, and, alas! for
+the success of the enterprise, in too many cases family interest or
+personal influence prevailed to find a place for some good-for-nothing
+scapegrace instead of an honest, hard-working man, who would have been
+a valuable addition.  If only Mr. Paterson had been able to inspire
+those associated with him with his own unselfish zeal and high
+integrity, there might have been a different story to tell.  Unhappily,
+he stood almost alone in seeking no advantage or profit.  Everybody
+else had a keen eye to number one.  As a natural consequence,
+numberless jealousies, suspicions, and antagonisms arose.  Instead of
+working harmoniously together, the council in charge of affairs plotted
+and counterplotted, wrangled and fought, until poor Paterson's patience
+was utterly exhausted, and he had good reason to wish himself well out
+of the business.
+
+Not only were the members of the expedition ill-selected, for the
+reasons given, but the ships that were to carry them, the arms,
+provisions, goods, and entire equipment, were all contracted for in a
+manner that greatly enriched the merchants at the expense of the
+enterprise, and led to the loss of many a life in the after-days.
+
+The ships were old and rotten, but so painted and fixed up as to
+disguise the fact.  The arms were of inferior quality, the provisions
+adulterated so shamefully as to be hardly fit for human food, and the
+merchandise taken for traffic with the natives of the Land of Promise
+consisted mainly of shop-worn remainders; yet for everything the
+highest price was charged and paid.
+
+To crown all, the ships were commanded by coarse, brutal, and ignorant
+captains, jealous of and hostile to one another, and caring little for
+the authority of the council.  But Donalblane knew nothing of this,
+and, beyond warning him to be very careful to keep his own counsel and
+to be chary of making new friends, his uncle had not given him any hint
+of it.
+
+Proud of his substantial wooden chest, containing not only an excellent
+outfit of clothes, but a good pair of pistols, a sword, and a small
+quantity of beads and trinkets wherewith to do a little trafficking
+with the natives on his own account, he stood on the deck of the
+largest of the little fleet of five vessels one bright day in July 1698.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER III.
+
+OFF TO DARIEN.
+
+Five ships, not one of them really fit for the long and perilous
+voyage, composed the expedition, and they looked gay enough as,
+bedecked with flags and crowded with excited people, they swung at
+their moorings ready for departure.
+
+The heart of Scotland beat high with hope.  It was her first attempt at
+founding a colony, although her sons had done so much to help in the
+founding of English colonies, and now all the glory and the gold to be
+won in the new world would be hers, and hers alone: no other nation
+should have any share in them.
+
+Donalblane felt something of this patriotic enthusiasm stirring his
+young heart.  He was not wholly selfish in his desire to be a member of
+the expedition.  Of course, his head was full of wild dreams of what
+wonders he would see, and the great things he would do in his own
+interest.  But above it all rose a national pride that did him credit.
+He was a Scot to the backbone; and whether he realised all his own
+expectations or not he was passionately eager that the great scheme
+itself should be accomplished, and that his country should take a proud
+place among the nations.
+
+His uncle, having bidden him good-bye and God-speed, had returned to
+the quay, and Donalblane, leaning over the bulwarks, was waiting
+somewhat impatiently for the anchor to be hoisted and the sails set,
+when a hand was laid gently on his shoulder, and a deep voice said in a
+kindly tone, "Beginning to feel a little homesick already, lad?"
+
+Looking up quickly, Donald found beside him the master-spirit of the
+enterprise, William Paterson, to whom he had been once introduced in
+his uncle's office.
+
+"Na, na, sir!" was his prompt, respectful reply; "I'm wearying to be
+off.  Will the ships be ganging soon, sir?" and he fixed his big grey
+eyes upon Mr. Paterson's face.
+
+"Oh! is that the way the wind lies?" was the response, as the great man
+smiled approvingly at the boy, for he was much pleased with his spirit.
+"You are eager for adventure, eh?  Well, my lad, you are likely to have
+your fill of it."  And his handsome countenance clouded as he spoke,
+for the execution of his scheme had been marked by many disappointments
+which boded no good for its ultimate success.  By his frank, honest way
+and earnest efforts to do what was best for the interests of the
+expedition, not for the profit of those supplying the outfit, he had
+aroused the hostility of many who had not hesitated to plot against
+him, with the result that latterly he had been practically set aside,
+and had been compelled to witness gross imposition and fraud which he
+was powerless to prevent.  No wonder, then, that his downcast face
+presented a striking contrast to that of the enthusiastic boy as they
+stood on the deck together; and, influenced by the other's contagious
+confidence, he brightened a little before continuing.  "We can hardly
+fail to have adventures, for it is a new world we are going to, where
+savages, and, worse than savages, the cruel, grasping Spaniards, are
+already, and we shall have to reckon with them before we can succeed in
+our scheme.  But with the providence of God protecting us, we shall
+succeed," and his voice took on a triumphant tone that revealed his
+faith in the Divine approval of his project.  "Be careful what friends
+you make on board here," he added, once more laying his hand upon the
+boy's shoulder.  "There are many to be shunned, and remember that, for
+your uncle's sake and your own, I shall always be glad to be of such
+service to you as may be in my power."  And ere Donald could get out
+his thanks, Mr. Paterson hastened away to speak to one who had just
+come on board.
+
+The interview had been a short one, but it made a deep impression upon
+Donald.  That the great man of whom his uncle and the dominie always
+spoke in such terms of admiration should address him so graciously,
+touched the lad to the core, and from that moment he was ready to yield
+to Mr. Paterson the same passionate devotion that the Highland clansmen
+used to hold for their chieftain.
+
+At last, amid fluttering of flags, booming of cannon, and solemn
+offering of prayer, the ships weighed anchor and, with all sails set,
+stood out to sea, the favouring breeze taking them in a few hours well
+out of the sheltered Firth of Forth into the exposed expanse of the
+North Sea.
+
+They had not long been tumbling about amongst ever-troubled waters when
+Donalblane, in common with very many of his shipmates on the _Bonnie
+Scotland_, had a new experience.  Hitherto his personal acquaintance
+with the sea had been limited to short trips between Leith and
+neighbouring ports, and now for the first time he was out of sight of
+land and entirely at the mercy of wind and wave.  An old salt would
+have called the wind before which the ships of the expedition bowled
+southward just "a fresh breeze," but Donalblane thought it a gale, and
+the _Bonnie Scotland_ had not long been pitching and tossing in lively
+fashion before something began to go wrong inside of him, making him
+feel so uncomfortable that he was fain to leave the quarter-deck, where
+he had been enjoying himself, and to seek a snug corner in which he
+could curl up unnoticed.  By the end of an hour he was completely
+overcome, and if Mr. Paterson had happened along then with his
+question, he certainly would not have received so prompt and resolute a
+response.  Not one day's illness had Donald known in the whole course
+of his life, and this misery of sea-sickness made him as angry with
+himself as was possible in his prostrate condition.
+
+As the ships got down towards the English Channel they tumbled about
+more than ever, until the poor boy began to think he was really going
+to die, and heartily wished himself back upon solid ground.  But once
+they were out in the Atlantic matters improved.  Fine, bright weather
+succeeded, the vessels moved steadily along before a favouring wind,
+and Donald was soon established on his sea-legs.
+
+He now had a chance to become acquainted with some of his
+fellow-passengers, the majority of whom had shared his sufferings.
+They were certainly a very mixed company of men, women, and children.
+Highlanders and lowlanders, peers and peasantry, grave ministers and
+gay scapegraces, shaggy shepherds from the hills, and bronzed
+sailor-men from the coast--a motley throng indeed, the members of which
+Donald studied with keen interest, for he had a sociable nature, but
+bore in mind the good advice given him by Mr. Paterson in regard to
+making acquaintances.
+
+As it fell out, his first friend was won in a decidedly dramatic
+fashion.  Among the occupants of the first cabin was a gentleman by
+name Henry Sutherland, whose wife and child, a beautiful boy of four
+years, accompanied him.  Donald was greatly attracted by the child, and
+anxious to make friends with him, but had no opportunity, until one day
+a startling thing happened.
+
+It was fine and warm, and the little fellow was playing happily about
+the quarter-deck near his mother, when a sprig of the nobility, the
+Hon. Hector Simpson, who had been sent out by his family in the hope of
+improving his habits, sauntered along, and, moved by a spirit of
+mischief, picked up the child, and held him over the bulwarks, saying
+teasingly, "How would you like to go and play with the fishes?"  The
+mother screamed and started forward, and the child, terrified on his
+own account, gave so sudden and violent a wrench as to free himself
+from his tormentor's grasp and fall into the sea, leaving a portion of
+his dress in the latter's hands.  Appalled by the utterly unexpected
+outcome of his foolish act, and unable to atone for it by springing
+after the child, for he could not swim a stroke, the Hon. Hector joined
+his shouts for help with the shrieks of the frenzied mother.
+
+At that moment Donalblane was leaning over the bulwarks near by and
+feeling very lonely.  He longed for friendly companionship, but was
+bashful about breaking the ice with any of those to whom he felt drawn,
+and so far no one, save Mr. Paterson, who always had a pleasant smile
+and kindly word for him, had taken any particular notice of him.
+
+Now Donald was a strong, expert swimmer.  He had dared the depths of
+many a dark loch before he left his native mountains for the coast, and
+at Leith he had always been one of the first to take a dip in the
+spring, and one of the last to give it up in the autumn.  Without a
+question of fear, therefore, but thinking only of the pretty boy in
+peril of death, he threw off his coat and leaped over the bulwarks into
+the heaving waters.  Happily the little one was still afloat when
+Donald's powerful strokes brought him within reach.
+
+"There now, dearie, I've got you all safe!  Dinna fear; ye'll no'
+droon.  Keep still and ye'll be a' richt," panted Donald, as he put his
+left arm about the terror-stricken child.
+
+Whether the little fellow really understood or was paralysed by fright
+he certainly obeyed.  And well was it for them both that he did, for
+having cleared the brine from his eyes and got a good look at the
+_Bonnie Scotland_, Donald realised with a sinking of heart that many
+minutes must elapse before they could be rescued.  The ship had already
+been brought up into the wind, and efforts were being made to lower a
+boat; but in the meantime his helpless burden was becoming heavier and
+heavier.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER IV.
+
+A RESCUE AND A RETREAT.
+
+Well was it for both Donalblane and the child that all those on board
+the _Bonnie Scotland_ did not lose their heads so completely as the
+young fellow whose foolish action had caused the trouble.
+
+Among the first to take in the situation was William Paterson, and
+instinctively he looked about him for something to throw over after the
+brave boy which might serve to buoy him up until help reached him.  As
+it happened, some one had brought on deck an empty wooden chest to
+serve for a seat.
+
+"The very thing!" exclaimed Mr. Paterson when his eye fell upon it,
+and, without pausing to ask permission, he lifted it up and flung it
+over the bulwarks.
+
+It fell not far from where Donald struck the water, and, although he
+did not see it at first, it presently attracted his attention.
+
+"Eh! what's that?" he asked himself, as the black thing bobbed up and
+down on the waves.  For a moment he feared it might be the back of a
+shark coming to the attack, but on a second look fear gave way to joy.
+"It's a box!" he cried, "and it will keep us up, if I can only get to
+it."
+
+The child lay like a log, whimpering a little when the water splashed
+in his face; and it seemed to demand all Donald's strength just to keep
+from sinking, so that he did not see how he was to reach the chest,
+which was at least twenty yards distant.
+
+"Wae's me!" he groaned, "but I'm near spent, and if I canna lay hold of
+that box, I maun droon."
+
+Happily the wind was blowing towards him, and, although he could not
+make much progress against it, the chest was helped by it in his
+direction, so that, just when he thought he could keep up no longer, it
+bobbed within his reach, and, with a sigh of unutterable relief, he
+laid hold of it.
+
+"Noo then, my bairnie, just get atop o' that," he said cheeringly, as
+he placed the child upon the chest, and held him there that he might
+not fall off.
+
+The chest accepted the responsibility and bore it bravely, taking all
+the strain off Donald's tired arms, and enabling him to recover his
+strength and wind in a measure.  Of course it was no easy matter to
+keep the little one in place with the waves so full of motion, but it
+was ever so much less strain than it had been before, and the sturdy
+boy could have maintained the struggle a little longer still, when the
+welcome rattle of oars and the encouraging shouts of men told him that
+rescue was near.
+
+The boat came dashing up under the strenuous strokes of four brawny
+oarsmen, and in her bow stood William Paterson, his eager glance bent
+upon the two imperilled ones, and his arms outstretched ready to grasp
+them.
+
+"God bless you, my noble boy!" he exclaimed, as, after tenderly lifting
+the child into the boat, he caught Donald under the arms to help him
+in.  "You've taught us a lesson in heroism this day."
+
+Donald sat down in the bow so utterly exhausted that he was hardly
+conscious of Mr. Paterson's warm words, nor of the hearty praise of the
+men, but he had an exquisite sense of relief and of having become a
+person of importance.
+
+The first to greet him on the deck of the vessel were the parents of
+the child, and Mrs. Sutherland turned from hugging her rescued darling
+to throw her arms around Donald's neck and kiss him again and again,
+greatly to the bashful boy's embarrassment, while her husband was
+thumping him on the back, and exclaiming huskily, "How can I ever repay
+you for saving my child's life?"
+
+It was really very trying to Donald to be the subject of such
+demonstration, and he was quite glad to get away from the grateful
+parents and the applauding crowd to his own cabin to put on some dry
+clothes.  But when the first excitement subsided and he found that he
+had not only won the respect of his shipmates, but also the warm
+friendship of the Sutherlands, who were very fine people, he felt that
+the game was well worth the candle, and that he was splendidly repaid
+for the risk he had taken.
+
+The first part of the long voyage across the great Atlantic Ocean was
+devoid of special incident.  The ships presently scattered, so that
+each was alone in the vast expanse; and the days followed one another
+monotonously enough until the _Bonnie Scotland_ sighted the Azores
+Islands, and, to the delight of all on board, it was announced that a
+call at Fayal would be made in order to replenish the supply of water.
+
+By this time Donalblane had got a pretty good understanding of all his
+fellow-voyagers.  His likes and dislikes were clearly defined, and,
+young as he was, his natural shrewdness told him that there were only
+too many in the company it would have been far better to have left at
+home.
+
+The Sutherlands were his special friends.  He had won their hearts
+completely, and he took great delight in the company of their little
+son Walter, who loved him as though he fully understood that he owed
+him his life.
+
+At Fayal the four of them went ashore together, and Donalblane thought
+he had never before realised how pleasant it was to be on the solid
+ground as after these weeks of tossing about in an overcrowded ship.
+
+"Eh, but this is bonnie!" he exclaimed enthusiastically, as his big
+eyes roamed over the novel and picturesque landscape.  "I'd like well
+if this were Darien, and we need gang no farther."
+
+Mr. Sutherland smiled at the boy's frankness.  "You've evidently had
+enough of the _Bonnie Scotland_, Donald," he said.  "So, too, have I.
+I'd be right glad to be rid both of the ship and many of her company.
+But we're not half-way to Darien yet."
+
+The striking combination of rugged grandeur with tropical beauty which
+the Azores presented delighted Donald, and during their stay he spent
+the whole day ashore exploring the islands, usually in company with Mr.
+Sutherland.  They revelled in the oranges and other fruit that were to
+be had almost for the asking, and Donald used to amuse Mr. Sutherland
+exceedingly by his lively effort to make himself understood by the
+inhabitants, who were chiefly Portuguese.
+
+One adventure befell him that might have had a serious result.  He had
+gone off wandering on his own account, and lost his way amidst the
+ravines which pierce the mountains in every direction, and lead one
+into another in a puzzling fashion.  The harder he strove to extricate
+himself from the maze, the deeper he got into it, until at last, a
+little before sundown, he found himself in a regular _cul-de-sac_, from
+which there appeared to be no exit save by climbing the precipitous
+cliffs which shut him in, and it would soon be too dark to attempt
+that.  "Losh me!" he sighed ruefully, "but I'm fair trapped, and what
+shall I do for the nicht?"
+
+The question was more easily asked than answered.  Of course to a son
+of the Highlands the spending of a night in the open was not a serious
+matter, so far as exposure was concerned; but how about danger from
+wild animals?  This was what concerned Donalblane, and he was glad that
+he had put a pistol in his belt before leaving the ship.  Wearied and
+perplexed, he had thrown himself down on the sward, when there suddenly
+hove in sight a big boar leading a small band of sows and piglings.  He
+was a tusker of most forbidding appearance, and the instant his wicked
+little eyes fell upon Donalblane he bristled up and began gnashing his
+tusks ominously.
+
+The boy sprang to his feet and drew his pistol, while he looked
+anxiously about him for a way of escape.  "Save us a'!" he cried.
+"What a fearsome brute!  He means ill to me, I'm thinking."
+
+There seemed nothing for it but to stand firm and trust to his pistol.
+So, after a swift glance to make sure that the priming was in its
+place, he braced himself for the attack.
+
+The boar did not waste much time.  Having satisfied himself that this
+intruder upon his domain deserved no mercy, he charged fiercely at him,
+the foam flying from his gleaming tusks, and the thick bristles
+standing out on his mighty front.
+
+Donalblane wisely waited until the fierce creature was within a few
+yards of him, and then fired, taking aim at the very centre of the
+forehead.  At the report of the pistol the boar pitched forward,
+driving his snout into the ground, so great was his impetus, and
+Donalblane, thinking him dead, shouted triumphantly, "Noo, ye fool!
+will ye be trying to scare folk who meant ye no harm?"  But his words
+had hardly left his lips when the boar, which had been only stunned,
+his tough, wrinkled hide proving an effectual shield, got upon his feet
+again and renewed the charge so furiously that Donalblane barely saved
+himself by a sudden spring aside.  Baffled for the moment, the maddened
+brute swiftly swung round for a fresh onset, and Donalblane was fain to
+flee towards the cliffs, followed by the boar and his whole family,
+grunting and squealing.
+
+There was no boy in Leith could out-foot him, and he dashed away at
+such a speed as gave him a good lead.  But where was he to go, in order
+to escape the relentless monster that sought to rend him?  And if it
+came to a question of endurance, the boar would assuredly run him down
+in the end.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER V.
+
+ACROSS THE ATLANTIC.
+
+Running as one runs whose life is at stake, Donalblane looked hither
+and thither for some break in the cliffs that would give him a chance
+to climb out of his fell pursuers' reach.  At last, with a thrill of
+joy, his eye perceived one, and, summoning all his energies for a
+supreme effort, he darted thither.
+
+The ravening swine were gaining upon him at a rate which meant his soon
+being overtaken, and if he should stumble his fate was certain.
+
+[Illustration: "THE RAVENING SWINE WERE GAINING UPON HIM."]
+
+But the sure-footed faculty of the Highlander stood him in good stead.
+He neither slipped nor tripped, and kept steadily on, until well-nigh
+spent he won his race for life by so scanty a margin that the baffled
+boar drove hard against the friendly rock up which his intended victim
+had sprung to safety.
+
+It was little more than a ledge which afforded Donalblane such timely
+sanctuary, and it did not lead far; but, about twenty feet from the
+ground, he found a sort of niche wherein he could dispose his exhausted
+body with some degree of comfort.
+
+"Eh, man, but I'm well-nigh dead!" he panted, as he stretched out on
+the moss-covered rock.  "Anither ten yards and he'd have had his tusks
+into me.  Ah, weel, he'll no' get anither chance, though I stay here a'
+nicht!"
+
+As the boar was grunting and gnashing, and his squealing family were
+evidently determined to invest the place, Donalblane proceeded to
+settle down as comfortably as he could.
+
+Happily the moss lay thick on the rock, and really made quite a soft
+couch.  It was a fine, warm night, and if he had only had food and
+drink he would not have greatly minded.  But the pangs of hunger, and
+especially of thirst, took possession of him, and he had a wretched
+time of it as the long hours dragged slowly by.  Some time during the
+night the pigs disappeared, and when day dawned the coast was clear.
+
+Feeling very stiff and sore and out of sorts, Donalblane clambered down
+into the valley, and set off to find his ship.  By a lucky chance,
+after a couple of hours' vain wandering, he came upon a couple of
+natives laden with oranges evidently intended for market.
+
+They, of course, could not understand his words, but by vigorous
+pantomime he got into their heads the two facts, that he wanted some of
+their oranges, and to be shown the way to the harbour.
+
+For a bit of silver they filled his hands with the fruit, which the
+starving boy found very refreshing if not quite satisfying; and then,
+by keeping them company, he came in due time to where the welcome sight
+of the _Bonnie Scotland_ gladdened his eyes.  On his return to the ship
+he found his friends in great concern about him, and Mr. Sutherland
+actually organising a party to go in search of him.
+
+They were considerably amused at his story, and thereafter he had to
+endure many a joke in regard to his supposed fondness for pork.
+
+Leaving the lovely islands with good stores of fruit, fresh provisions,
+and water, the _Bonnie Scotland_ pursued her way westward through storm
+and {50} calm until the drawing near of the New World was announced by
+tropical things that came out to meet her on the bosom of the deep.
+
+Thenceforward every eye scanned eagerly the horizon, and Donalblane
+spent most of his time high up the mainmast, it being his ambition to
+be the first among the passengers to sight the land.  Mr. Paterson,
+whose kindly interest in the boy had increased during the voyage,
+promised him a golden guinea if he did sight land first, and this of
+course intensified his desire.
+
+His patience was sorely tried, for when the ship reached the dreaded
+Sargasso Sea her onward progress was checked for many a weary day by
+the provoking seaweed which held her fast.
+
+"I'm afraid you'll not soon win your guinea, Donald," said Mr.
+Sutherland, after they had been apparently motionless for several days.
+"We're bound to stay where we are until a strong wind is good enough to
+spring up and help us out."
+
+But the wind seemed in no hurry to come, and the gulf-weed kept them
+prisoners until at last something in the nature of a hurricane struck
+the _Bonnie Scotland_, and she scudded helplessly before it under bare
+poles for a whole day, her passengers' impatience to sight land being
+for the time replaced by a lively fear of foundering.
+
+In spite of being so poor a craft, however, the _Bonnie Scotland_
+braved out the peril, and the following morning Donalblane, who had
+taken to the mast as soon as he had swallowed his breakfast, made the
+hearts of all on deck thrill with joy by the cry of--
+
+"The land! the land!  I can see it!  Look!  Look!"
+
+An instant later the look-out at the bow confirmed him by shouting--
+
+"Land ho! on the weather bow!" and the ship-wearied folk forgot for the
+moment their mutual animosities which had abounded during the long
+voyage, and rejoiced together that the end of their trials was at hand.
+
+"Here's your guinea, my lad," said Mr. Paterson, as he handed
+Donalblane a bright new coin.  "You've earned it well, and I hope that
+good fortune may always befall you."
+
+As Donalblane thanked his kind friend he vowed to himself that that
+beautiful gold piece should not be hastily spent, but that he would
+keep it as long as possible in memory of the giver, and the reason for
+the gift.
+
+It was one of the West India Islands they were approaching, and as they
+passed within half-a-league its wealth of tropical vegetation presented
+so pleasing a picture that the passengers besought the captain to make
+a landing in one of the tempting coves, so that they might have a run
+on shore, and probably get some fruit.  But he was a surly fellow, and
+refused the request with an oath, saying that he was sick of the whole
+lot of them, and wanted to be rid of them with as little delay as
+possible.
+
+So the _Bonnie Scotland_ kept on her course, leaving the lovely islands
+astern, and out of sight as she passed into the wide expanse of the
+Caribbean Sea.
+
+Coarse and brutal as he was, her captain understood navigation, and
+knew how to get the best out of the old hulk of which he had command.
+Now, as the end of the voyage drew near, and the seas seemed kind, he
+cracked on all the sail the ship would carry, greatly to the delight of
+Donalblane, who loved to have the vessel plunging along at full speed.
+
+More than half the breadth of the sea had been traversed when the
+look-out one morning shouted--
+
+"Sail ho!  Sail ho!"
+
+"Where away?" roared the captain from the poop.
+
+"Right abeam, and coming towards us," was the response after a moment's
+hesitation.
+
+At once there was much excitement on board.  The members of the
+expedition took it for granted that this was one of the other ships
+from which they had long parted company, and began to speculate which
+one it was, and whether it would overtake them.
+
+"I was hoping ours would be the first vessel to reach Darien," said Mr.
+Sutherland to Donalblane.  "It would be something to boast of
+considering what a poor thing she is.  I wonder which one of the others
+this is?"
+
+"Ye canna tell so far away," responded Donalblane.  "Maybe it winna
+catch us.  We're sailing fine now."
+
+The _Bonnie Scotland_ certainly was doing wonders, but in spite of
+every inch of canvas her sticks could carry being spread, the other
+ship gained steadily, and the captain's grim countenance grew darker
+and darker.
+
+Mr. Paterson's fine features also became perturbed, although he kept
+his own counsel, and those who noticed supposed he was simply anxious
+that the _Bonnie Scotland_ should win the race to Darien.
+
+As the afternoon advanced the pursuing vessel, which seemed to be
+sailing two knots to the other's one, came fully into view, and
+everybody on board saw that it not only was not one of the five which
+had set out from Leith, but that it bore a strange look which somehow
+seemed to bode no good.
+
+They were not long left in uncertainty.  "Yon's one of they
+buccaneers," growled the captain; "and if ye're going to fight him off
+ye'd better be gettin' ready."
+
+At once the ship was filled with alarm and confusion, women weeping,
+children wailing, men threatening.  The very name of buccaneer sent a
+chill of terror to every heart, and if the blood-stained butchers of
+the sea had ranged alongside at that moment, the _Bonnie Scotland_
+would have proved an easy prey.  But there was one man on board equal
+to the emergency.  William Paterson had been shamefully treated by his
+associates, his advice flouted, his authority denied, his confidence
+betrayed.  Now he rose superior to them all.  He alone was calm amid
+the pitiful panic, and the first to respond to his call for concerted
+action were Mr. Sutherland and Donalblane.
+
+"We must resist to the death," were his earnest words, steadily spoken.
+"There can be no question of surrender.  The buccaneers do not know the
+meaning of mercy."
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VI.
+
+A BRUSH WITH BUCCANEERS.
+
+There was no lack of arms on board the _Bonnie Scotland_, but they were
+curiously assorted, and by no means all of the best quality.  Muskets
+and pistols, claymores and short swords, battle-axes and
+boarding-pikes, they were all hurriedly got out on deck, and each man
+chose the weapon he thought he could handle to the best advantage.
+
+Donalblane, whose Highland spirit rather rejoiced at the prospect of a
+fight, snatched up a sword, which he hung at his belt in addition to
+his own pair of pistols.
+
+"Can we beat the buccaneers, do you think?" he asked, looking up
+eagerly into the grave face of Mr. Sutherland, whose one thought was
+for his wife and child.
+
+Mr. Sutherland glanced over the confused crowd of agitated men, many of
+whom were evidently in a state of unmanly terror, and there was an
+undertone of contempt in his voice as he replied--
+
+"We ought to, if we keep our heads.  There are certainly enough of us."
+
+Counting her crew the ship carried three hundred men, and if these
+stood to their weapons they should prove a match for the enemy, whose
+numbers would probably not exceed one hundred.  But the utter lack of
+discipline or order amongst the expedition filled both Mr. Paterson and
+Mr. Sutherland with fears as to the result.
+
+In addition to small-arms, the _Bonnie Scotland_ carried eight
+carronades which had been neglected during the voyage, but were now
+hastily got in order and double-shotted under the direction of Mr.
+Paterson, who seemed to know how everything should be done.
+
+Meanwhile the buccaneer was steadily coming on, and evidently
+manoeuvring to approach astern so as to prevent the _Bonnie Scotland_
+using her broadside.
+
+But the veteran captain saw through the trick, and at once changed his
+vessel's course, saying with a sardonic smile--
+
+"Red Angus is no sae simple as ye think.  He kens your wicked wile, and
+just how to fool ye."
+
+Mr. Paterson, disgusted as he had been by the brutality of the captain
+during the voyage, could not help now admiring the consummate skill
+with which he handled his clumsy craft, for the _Bonnie Scotland_ was
+far from being what she ought to have been.
+
+He seemed to be able to divine every movement of the buccaneer, and to
+meet it by a counter-movement which prevented the latter obtaining the
+advantage sought.  Thus the two vessels dodged about among the
+white-caps, for a strong breeze was blowing, until at last the
+buccaneer apparently gave up all strategy, and bore directly down upon
+the _Bonnie Scotland_ at the risk of a broadside.
+
+"Now then, gunners, be ready to fire when I give you the word," was Mr.
+Paterson's command, and, matches in hand, the men he had selected for
+the duty stood beside the carronades, waiting his word.  He did not
+speak until the buccaneer was not more than a hundred yards distant,
+and then the captain, by a sudden turn of his wheel, throwing the
+_Bonnie Scotland_ around so that she presented her beam to the
+advancing vessel, Mr. Paterson shouted--
+
+"All together!  Fire!"
+
+The three carronades roared as one, and their iron missiles went
+hurtling into the rigging of the buccaneer and along her crowded decks,
+bringing a lot of the rigging down by the run, injuring the foremast so
+that it showed signs of tottering, and killing and wounding a number of
+the scoundrels, who were evidently not expecting so heavy a broadside.
+Certainly the immediate effect of the discharge was most encouraging,
+and Donalblane clapped his hands gleefully as the damaged vessel fell
+off, while the _Bonnie Scotland_ kept on her course.
+
+"They got it then, didn't they?" he exclaimed.  "That'll teach them to
+leave honest folk alone, eh?" and he waved his sword exultantly towards
+the enemy.
+
+"It is wise not to hurrah until you are out of the wood, my boy," said
+Mr. Paterson, who just then chanced to be passing.  "That is only first
+blood for us.  The buccaneers will soon return to the attack, and then
+may Heaven defend us!"
+
+If the _Bonnie Scotland_ had been anything but the slow-going tub she
+was she might have made her escape while the buccaneer was repairing
+damages.  But it was not in her to do this, and she wallowed cumbrously
+in the waves until the enemy once more ranged close.
+
+Although her sides were pierced for many guns whose black muzzles were
+thrust threateningly out, the buccaneer, for some reason, reserved her
+fire.  Perhaps, having no doubt as to the issue of the struggle, her
+commander wished to save the other vessel as far as possible uninjured.
+
+Approaching more warily this time, he so managed as to come up astern
+of the _Bonnie Scotland_, and, in spite of the latter's efforts to
+avoid the onset, bore down upon her, the two ships colliding with a
+grinding crash and the rattle of interlocking spars.
+
+The sight of the buccaneers as they crowded the bulwarks, ready to
+spring on board their prey, was certainly enough to affright the
+stoutest heart.  Every countenance seemed that of an incarnate fiend,
+rendered more hideous by the blood-red handkerchief which was their
+only head-covering.  They were seething with rage at the loss they had
+already suffered, and shook their cutlasses fiercely, while they
+shouted like madmen.
+
+Donalblane's eagerness for a fight was decidedly chilled by the
+appalling appearance of these assailants, but he did not lose control
+of himself, and when Mr. Paterson gave the command, fired his pistols
+one after the other into the yelling horde of scoundrels.  With what
+effect he never knew, for the next instant all was the wildest
+confusion, the men of the _Bonnie Scotland_ opposing the buccaneers
+with boarding-pike, battle-axe, sword, and claymore, and beating them
+back again and again with much shedding of blood on both sides.
+
+Whatever other virtues they lacked, these adventurers were certainly
+not deficient in brawn or bravery.  They stood their ground splendidly,
+and Donalblane's heart thrilled with pride as he saw that the
+buccaneers were gaining no advantage.  He himself was no idle
+spectator.  Throwing aside his pistols he seized a big boarding-pike,
+and taking his place near Mr. Paterson, made it his business to be
+ready to protect him so far as might be in his power.  Nor did he fail
+of an opportunity.  In spite of the determined defence, a few of the
+buccaneers forced their way on board, and one of them, a powerful
+fellow, with the face of a tiger, made a rush upon Mr. Paterson, whom
+he no doubt recognised as the person in command.  At the moment Mr.
+Paterson was looking in another direction, and the ruffian's cutlass
+would infallibly have cloven his head had not Donalblane perceived the
+peril in time to swing his boarding-pike across the buccaneer's shins,
+bringing him headlong to the slippery deck, where Donalblane followed
+him with another crack, this time on the skull, that rendered him
+senseless and harmless for the time being.
+
+Mr. Paterson knew nothing of his danger until the miscreant fell
+clattering at his feet, and then he realised how narrow had been his
+escape.
+
+"God bless you, my boy!" he exclaimed fervently, throwing his arm about
+Donalblane's neck.  "I owe you my life.  I shall never forget the
+service you have done me."
+
+Donalblane's face flushed with delight.  He felt proud of himself and
+proud of his patron.  He would rather have saved his life than that of
+any one else on board.
+
+"I'm verra, verra glad, sir," he replied.  "Losh! but he was a fearsome
+creature.  He thought fine he wad cut ye in two."
+
+"Well, you have done for him, Donald.  May we all do as well.  Thank
+Heaven we're still keeping the rascals off our decks!" and so saying
+Mr. Paterson rushed into the thick of the fight again.
+
+The stubborn, sturdy defence of the Scotsmen began to tell.  Only a few
+of their assailants had broken through their ranks, and these were
+speedily put _hors de combat_.  The buccaneers, who had judged from the
+appearance of the _Bonnie Scotland_ that she would prove an easy prey,
+were amazed by the number of men on board, and the fierceness with
+which they fought.  As one after another of their crew was killed or
+wounded, their fury slackened, and when after half-an-hour's
+hand-to-hand struggle they had gained no advantage, they were fain to
+sheer off to reconsider the situation.
+
+Hearty cheers rose from the _Bonnie Scotland_ as the buccaneer ship
+sullenly slid astern.  Donalblane, who had been so lucky as to escape
+all injury, springing into the rigging, and waving one of the
+buccaneer's blood-red kerchiefs as he shouted jeeringly--
+
+"Noo then, ye murdering villains, have ye got your fill?  Ye'll ken
+better than to be attacking honest folk like us again."
+
+A hearty laugh from below showed that the boy's taunts expressed the
+feelings of his shipmates; but when the next instant a bullet whistled
+perilously near his head, he realised how he was exposing himself, and
+slid down the rigging much faster than he had climbed up.  Considering
+the heat of the conflict it was remarkable how slightly the defenders
+of the _Bonnie Scotland_ had suffered.  Three killed, and a dozen
+wounded, none of them mortally, made up the list of casualties, and
+when these had been given proper attention, and the decks cleaned and
+cleared up, the ministers, of whom there were several on board, called
+upon all to join with them in giving thanks to Providence for their
+deliverance.
+
+And so, with the baffled buccaneers still in sight, they sang
+triumphant Psalms, and lifted up fervent praise to Almighty God who had
+given them the victory.  The women and children, who had been shut in
+the cabins during the fight, came out to join in this service of
+praise, their pallid faces showing how they had suffered from fear and
+anxiety while thus cooped up.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VII.
+
+THE FOUNDING OF THE CITY OF DARIEN.
+
+Whether the buccaneers went off for reinforcements, or simply withdrew
+sadder and wiser, if not better, men, cannot be said.  They certainly
+disappeared before sunset, and no more was ever seen of them.  For once
+at least the blood-stained Brethren of the Coast had met more than
+their match, and been foiled in their villainous work.
+
+Having repaired the damage done to the spars and rigging, the _Bonnie
+Scotland_ continued her course, and on the first day of November came
+in sight of the long-desired Golden Island--the goal of their hopes,
+the end of their weary voyage.
+
+Wonderfully refreshing was the sight to the delighted eyes of the
+expedition, sick of the monotonous sea.  Clothed with rich green sward,
+from which rose lofty trees laden with fruit, and surrounded by still
+waters of crystalline purity, this island stood forth like a beautiful
+specimen of the vast regions beyond, which it was hoped were some day
+to become a province of Scotland.
+
+Donalblane's freckled face glowed with joy.  "Eh, but it's bonnie--it's
+verra bonnie!" he exclaimed, grasping Mr. Sutherland's arm.  "There's
+naethin' like that in Scotland."
+
+"No, indeed, Donald," responded Mr. Sutherland, smiling at the boy's
+enthusiasm.  "It's very different from Scotland, and far more
+beautiful; and if its fulfilment only equals its promise we shall have
+done well to come here."
+
+By a clever bit of strategy Donalblane managed to get into the first
+boat that left the ship, and, curled up in the bow, waited until they
+touched ground, when he sprang out, recking naught of wet feet so long
+as he was really the first one of the expedition to set foot on the New
+World.
+
+"Hurrah!" he shouted, waving his cap as he raced up the beach.  "Come
+along and see the land!"
+
+There were plenty to follow his example, and before long the little
+island which lay at the mouth of the Golden River had been pretty well
+explored.
+
+It was indeed a lovely spot, but it did not afford the good harbour or
+the natural facilities for defence which were necessary for the
+permanent establishment of the expedition.  Mr. Paterson, however,
+thought it best for the _Bonnie Scotland_ to remain there until the
+other ships put in an appearance.  This they did in the course of the
+next few weeks, one at a time straggling in, each with its own tale of
+storm and stress, of baffling winds and disheartening calms, but none
+of them having shared the _Bonnie Scotland's_ experience with the
+buccaneers.
+
+After all had been rested and refreshed, Mr. Paterson, who had well
+employed the interval of waiting by exploring the surrounding region,
+Donalblane being usually permitted to accompany him, announced that he
+had decided upon the site of the city whose foundations they were to
+lay, and under his directions the little fleet moved thither.
+
+The spot was so admirably adapted for their purpose that it seemed as
+if it had been destined by nature.  About a cannon-shot southward from
+the Golden Island a peninsula, having a deep harbour at its extremity,
+stretched out into the sea.  The outer arm of the harbour was lofty and
+commanding, affording protection to the water within.  The other arm
+was low, and well fitted for the construction of forts and other
+defences; while between the two lay a wide, calm, sheltered bay capable
+of containing all the fleets of Europe.
+
+The shores of the bay were of bright yellow sand that suggested gold to
+the eager eyes of the new settlers; and the waters were so clear that
+full five fathoms deep you could see the shells and coral fragments as
+through the purest glass.  In many places mangroves dropped into the
+pellucid water, their boughs laden with a strange kind of fruit, for
+they bore oysters that were good to eat.  Beyond the golden beach rose
+stately palms interspersed with orange and other fruit trees, and here
+and there spread rich savannahs ready for homes to be built upon them.
+
+It seemed an earthly paradise indeed, and Donalblane expressed the
+feelings of the rest when he exclaimed in his characteristic way--
+
+"Here we've come and here we'll bide, for there can surely be no
+bonnier place on all the earth!"
+
+Only one member of the entire expedition had any knowledge of the
+country.  This was William Paterson, the founder of the expedition; and
+so at the outset all his counsel and directions were unquestioningly
+obeyed.
+
+When, just before sunset, the ships came to anchor in the noble
+harbour, and with utmost haste the boats were filled and urged ashore,
+Mr. Paterson was the first to land.  His first action was to fall on
+his knees and offer up fervent thanksgiving for their safe arrival.
+Each Scotsman as he landed followed his example, until the whole
+expedition formed one great congregation worshipping upon that shore
+which had never before heard the name of God.
+
+Their prayer ended, they rose and embraced one another in the impulse
+of mutual congratulation.  Every heart beat high with hope; and that
+night there was not a single member of the party who was troubled by
+the slightest doubt as to the success of their great undertaking.
+
+They had arrived in the very best season of the year, it being the
+springtime of that climate, when Nature was at her best in every way,
+and they made haste to get out of their cramped quarters on shipboard
+and put up temporary huts and tents in the shade of the trees in which
+they could live until permanent homes were built.
+
+Donalblane was immensely happy.  He had no hut to build.  He could
+sleep on the ship or ashore just according to his fancy, so he was a
+gentleman of leisure, and he thoroughly enjoyed himself exploring the
+wonderful New World.
+
+By common consent the settlers took holiday at first.  They hunted the
+wild boar in the depths of the forest; they fished in the neighbouring
+streams and surrounding seas; they threaded the woods, where almost
+every bough bore some kind of fruit with which they were glad to make
+acquaintance.
+
+Then they turned their attention to work, and, after huts had been
+provided for all, a fort was built commanding the harbour, and
+threescore guns, taken from the ships, mounted upon its battlements.
+Their next proceeding was to cut a canal across the isthmus, thereby
+rendering their peninsula an island; and having named the fort St.
+Andrews, and the surrounding region Caledonia, they began to feel more
+at home.
+
+While they were thus occupied, and everything seemed to be going on
+smoothly and prosperously, Mr. Paterson thought it well to make a
+journey into the interior in order to open up friendly relations with
+the natives, and by effecting treaties with them to secure a proper
+title to the land upon which the expedition had settled.  He
+accordingly made up a party for this purpose.
+
+It included Mr. Sutherland, and he was thoughtful enough to let
+Donalblane know of the project.
+
+"Ay; but I'd like fine to be going with you," said the boy, his face
+full of eagerness.  "Can ye no' tak me?"
+
+"It's not for me to say, Donald," replied Mr. Sutherland kindly; "but
+suppose you have a word with Mr. Paterson?  We're starting in the
+morning."
+
+Donalblane needed no second hint.  He set off at once in search of Mr.
+Paterson, and, happening to find him disengaged, promptly proffered his
+request.
+
+"Can I gang wi' you to-morrow?" he said, fixing his big grey eyes upon
+him, his whole frame trembling with the eagerness that possessed him.
+
+Mr. Paterson woke from the reverie in which he had been lost, and,
+regarding Donalblane with a half-puzzled, half-amused smile, asked--
+
+"To-morrow?  Where?"
+
+"I dinna ken, sir," was the odd response.  "But wherever ye're going
+yersel'.  Away off yonder," he added, pointing inland, where, in the
+remote distance, a range of mountains, blue and vague, enclosed the
+horizon.  Mr. Paterson now fully understood him.
+
+"And why do you want to go with me, Donald?  Are you not content here?"
+he inquired in the gentle, winning tone that was one of his many
+personal charms.
+
+"Ay, to be sure," responded the boy heartily.  "But you're ganging to
+see the Indians, and I'd like fine to see them too."
+
+Mr. Paterson laughed at this frank confession of curiosity, and then
+was silent for a brief space while he seemed lost in thought.
+
+Donalblane, thrilling with anxiety, kicked a hole in the turf as he
+waited.
+
+"I think you may come with us, Donald," said Mr. Paterson presently,
+laying his hand upon the other's shoulder.  "But you must be a very
+good boy, and do just what you are told."
+
+"You may be sure I'll do that!" cried Donalblane, giving a jump of
+delight.  "Mony thanks, sir, for your kindness."
+
+Thus it was settled to Donalblane's satisfaction, but to the great envy
+of others who would have liked to be in his place.
+
+Bright and early the following morning the party set forth.  It
+comprised twelve of the Scots all fully armed, and half as many of
+natives whose friendship had been already secured; these latter serving
+in the double capacity of guides and bearers of the presents intended
+to be given to the Indian chieftains.  They were all in high spirits,
+the hard work of founding St. Andrews having made a holiday very
+welcome, while the novelty and interest of the trip certainly promised
+to be sufficient to satisfy the most enterprising.
+
+Mr. Sutherland kindly took Donalblane as his companion, and they
+trudged along together, their attention alert for everything in nature
+that was strange or beautiful.  For the most part their route lay
+through shadowy forests, into whose dim recesses the hot rays of the
+sun never penetrated, with here and there a grassy glade that brought
+them into sunlight again.  They travelled at a leisurely pace and in
+short stages, as they were not pressed for time, and Donalblane enjoyed
+every moment.  He was as happy as a hummingbird.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VIII.
+
+A SUCCESSFUL EMBASSY.
+
+During his previous visit to the Darien region Mr. Paterson had gained
+some knowledge of the native language, and this now stood him and his
+companions in good stead, as it caused them to be received not only
+with kindness, but with honour, by the Indians when they met them.
+
+It was towards the close of their second day's journey that the quick
+ear of Donalblane, who was in the lead with the guides, caught a sound
+that was different from anything he had hitherto heard.
+
+"Eh! but is na that music?" he cried, turning to the nearest guide, who
+smiled assent, although in truth he did not understand the question.
+"I maun gang and tell Mr. Paterson;" and he raced back with the
+information.
+
+Mr. Paterson was very pleased at the news, for he understood it to mean
+that the report of their expedition had preceded them, and that the
+Indians were coming to welcome them in their own way; and so it proved,
+for the music grew louder as they advanced, until, on entering one of
+the long forest aisles, they beheld a group of musicians playing upon
+reeds, accompanied by a chorus who joined in from time to time with a
+kind of musical humming.
+
+Donalblane's eyes opened wide at this.  He had never expected to find
+an orchestra and a choral society among savages, and he expressed his
+surprise to Mr. Sutherland, who smilingly replied--
+
+"Don't be astonished at anything in this strange New World, my lad.  It
+is as full of wonders as it is of perils."
+
+When the Scotsmen had come up to them, the musicians changed their
+march into a curious kind of dance, which continued until they crossed
+a small savannah and drew near a lofty grove standing by itself, within
+whose recesses it was understood the king awaited his visitors.
+
+Then the dancing ceased, the music resumed, and there issued from the
+grove a bevy of graceful girls, glittering with golden ornaments, and
+carrying garlands of flowers which they threw over the necks of Mr.
+Paterson and his companions, not neglecting Donalblane, who blushed to
+the roots of his sandy hair at this unlooked-for adornment.
+
+Guided by them, the visitors at length were ushered into the presence
+of the King of Darien, and Donalblane caught his breath at the imposing
+sight.  Seated upon a huge throne of mahogany logs, decked with Spanish
+crimson cloth, and wearing a great crown of gold, the dusky
+potentate--albeit his robes were only of some light cotton stuff, and
+big shining rings dangled from his ears and nose--looked every inch a
+king.
+
+So royal indeed was his appearance that the Scotsmen, moved by a common
+impulse, not only bowed, but knelt before him, which mark of respect
+evidently impressed his Majesty very favourably.  Standing about him
+were fine-looking men, whose stature was heightened by diadems of the
+gold plumage of the mocking-bird, out of which rose two long feathers
+from the scarlet macaw.  They leaned upon gleaming spears, and were no
+doubt ready to execute the commands of their master for life or death.
+
+Thanks to Mr. Paterson's acquaintance with the native language, there
+was no need of an interpreter, and he proceeded to explain the purpose
+of his visit.
+
+"We are come," said he, "from the other side of the globe to greet you,
+O King!  We are come as friends, not as enemies.  We would take nothing
+from you without due payment.  We offer to purchase from you sufficient
+land for our settlement, and we want not only your land, but your
+friendship.  If you treat us kindly, if you deal with us honourably, we
+will help to make you and your people greater and richer, and we will
+also aid you against your enemies.  We will be your allies; and if you
+are attacked, our guns and our swords will be at your service, for your
+cause will be ours.  What say you, O King?"  And without waiting for a
+response, the shrewd leader of the expedition proceeded to exhibit the
+presents of beads, trinkets, and scarlet cloth which he had brought.
+
+The dignity of the monarch was not entirely proof against this tempting
+display.  His dark eyes gleamed with eager desire, and it was by a
+manifest effort that he controlled the impulse to make a hasty descent
+from the throne in order to take the presents into his royal hands.
+
+Suddenly the ceremony, which had been proceeding so auspiciously, was
+interrupted by an extraordinary disturbance that thoroughly startled
+every member of the visiting party save Mr. Paterson.
+
+During the progress of the solemn function there had gathered in the
+trees overhead a curious congregation, to wit, a large troop of
+monkeys, whose curiosity had evidently been excited by what was going
+on below.  They came in thousands, leaping from bough to bough, and
+from tree to tree, until they assembled right above the king and his
+visitors.
+
+Here they remained tolerably quiet for awhile, until, just as his
+Majesty was about to reply to Mr. Paterson, the impudent intruders
+broke into a deafening chorus of chattering and screaming which made
+every other sound inaudible.  Not only so, but, in utter fearlessness
+of human presence, they began a series of wild antics, which culminated
+in their forming living chains, one holding on to the other's tail, and
+then they let themselves down from the lofty trees until they were
+actually within reach of the people below.
+
+One of these animated chains swung to and fro so near to Donalblane
+that he thought the grinning, grasping creatures meant to attack him,
+and he drew his cutlass to strike at them, when happily Mr. Paterson
+divined his intention, and with a quick movement caught his arm.
+
+"Let them alone, my lad," he said almost sternly.  "They will do you no
+harm.  They are sacred here.  Be careful."
+
+It was well he had been so quick, for already some of the stalwart
+attendants of the king had observed Donalblane, and were lifting their
+long spears menacingly.
+
+Donalblane's weapon went back into its sheath; and, bracing himself up,
+he said under his breath--
+
+"Ye grinning loons, ye'll not scairt me, but gin ye do lay hands on me,
+I'll gi'e ye a clout that'll teach ye manners."
+
+The uneasiness of the Scotsmen at the monkeys' antics must have been
+amusing enough to the natives, who not only tolerated the saucy
+creatures, but looked upon them as sacred, and therefore regarded their
+appearance on the scene as a favourable omen; in fact, nothing more
+fortunate for the success of the embassy could have occurred.  The
+pawarress, or priests, were particularly pleased.  So, too, was the
+king; and when at last the monkeys, doubling up their chains again,
+returned to the tree-tops and scampered off in high glee, both he and
+the priests were ready to enter into negotiations.
+
+A treaty was accordingly drawn up and ratified, whereby full freedom
+was given to the Scots to settle in the land and enjoy it, and between
+them and the natives there was declared to be peace "as long as rivers
+ran, and gold was found in Darien."  Then followed a banquet prepared
+and served in true native style.  The roast flesh of the peccary,
+broiled fish from the mountain streams, and luscious fruit from the
+trees all around composed the bill of fare; and the hungry visitors
+needed no urging until there was produced the dish of honour, being a
+huge lizard, called the iguana, carefully baked and served up with
+tomato sauce.
+
+One look at it was quite sufficient to make the Scotsmen suddenly lose
+their appetites.  With one consent they began to invent excuses for
+letting the tempting dish go by them.  All except Mr. Paterson.  He had
+tasted iguana before and knew it was not at all unsavoury.  Moreover,
+good manners required that this item should not be treated with
+disgust.  So he bravely helped himself to a goodly slice, and when it
+came round to Donalblane, he, by way of atoning for his mistake in
+regard to the monkeys, did likewise.
+
+It was a hard job getting down the first morsel, but the flesh proving
+white, firm, and of fine quality, with a flavour somewhat resembling
+chicken, he actually managed to polish off his portion, being rewarded
+therefor by a look of warm approval from Mr. Paterson.
+
+The following morning the embassy set forth on their return to the
+coast, attended by all the honours and marks of goodwill that had
+marked their arrival; but before they reached their destination
+Donalblane had an adventure that came within an ace of costing him his
+life.
+
+The purpose of their mission having been so satisfactorily
+accomplished, Mr. Paterson readily assented to the request of his
+companions, that they should linger on the way back in order to enjoy
+some hunting.
+
+This delighted Donalblane, who was impatient to try what he could do as
+a sportsman, and, in company with Mr. Sutherland and a native guide, he
+set out joyously.  There was no lack of game to be feared.  From the
+harmless iguana or more attractive _corrosou_ (wild turkey) up to the
+fierce wild boar or terrible panther or jaguar, the forest simply
+swarmed with fair subjects for his bullets.  It was only a question of
+picking and choosing.  Following their guide he and Mr. Sutherland had
+been tramping for several hours, and securing a creditable "bag," when,
+feeling weary, they threw themselves down to rest under a big tree, and
+quite naturally fell sound asleep.  An hour slipped by, and Donalblane,
+from a troubled dream, awoke to find glaring down upon him from an
+upper branch the most appalling eyes he had ever beheld.  Their baleful
+gleam seemed to freeze his blood.  He was for the moment paralysed.  He
+could not turn aside to glance at his companions, who lay like logs a
+few feet away, and his tongue refused to act.  He could just discern
+through the deep shade a great dark body crouched behind the eyes, and
+his instinct told him that the most dreaded denizen of the forest--the
+black panther--was preparing to spring upon him!
+
+[Illustration: "GLARING DOWN UPON HIM ... THE MOST APPALLING EYES HE
+HAD EVER BEHELD."]
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER IX.
+
+IN PERILOUS PLIGHT.
+
+Donalblane's paralysing panic was only for the moment.  The power of
+action presently returned to him, and, grasping his gun, he aimed at
+the diabolical eyes, while he shouted to his companions: "Up wi'
+ye!--up wi' ye!  We're in danger!"
+
+So heavy was their slumber, however, that neither of them stirred at
+his call; but when the report of the gun rang out, they both bounded to
+their feet just in time to see a great dark body fly through the air
+with a fearful scream, and light upon poor Donalblane, who fell back
+beneath it!  They realised at once what had happened, and Mr.
+Sutherland, seizing his musket, and the Indian his spear, sprang to the
+boy's assistance.
+
+So completely did the panther cover him that Mr. Sutherland dared not
+fire, lest the bullet should penetrate both bodies; but he sought a
+chance to use the butt of his musket on the brute's head, while the
+Indian made play with his spear, stabbing it into the creature's side.
+Meantime Donalblane, into whose shoulder the terrible teeth had sunk
+while the merciless claws were tearing his clothes to ribbons, fighting
+for his life, with both hands buried in the soft, thick fur, strove
+frantically to throttle his mighty assailant.
+
+Had he been alone there could have been no doubt as to the issue of the
+struggle--the panther must have done him to death; but the stunning
+blows from Mr. Sutherland and the repeated stabs of the Indian's spear
+soon began to tell.
+
+They had not only weakened the brute's strength, but they turned his
+attention from Donalblane to his other opponents, and, after a space of
+time that seemed an eternity to the boy, but was in reality barely a
+minute, the panther, giving a hideous growl, relaxed both teeth and
+claws in order to prepare for a spring at Mr. Sutherland.
+
+This gave the latter the opportunity for which he had been waiting.  He
+was an expert shot, and never had had more need of his skill than at
+this moment.  Quickly throwing his gun to his shoulder, and aiming full
+at the panther's breast, he pulled the trigger.
+
+Happily the musket did not miss fire, and the heavy charge sped
+straight to its mark, going clean through the animal's heart.  With one
+last fiendish scream the fearful creature sprang straight up into the
+air, and fell back a limp, lifeless mass of fur.  Not waiting to look
+at his quarry, Mr. Sutherland rushed to Donalblane, who lay senseless
+on the sward, with the blood streaming from nearly a score of wounds.
+
+"My poor boy," he exclaimed, as he took Donald's head upon his knees,
+"surely that black brute has not killed you!"  Then to the Indian, who
+was wonderingly examining the panther, he called indignantly, "Leave
+that thing alone, and get me some water--quick!"
+
+When the Indian returned with the water Mr. Sutherland tenderly washed
+the boy's wounds, which he was glad to find were none of them very
+deep--those made by the teeth on the shoulder being the worst--and did
+his best to bind them up with handkerchiefs and what other linen was
+available, the Indian proving a very helpful assistant.  Before it was
+quite done Donalblane recovered consciousness, and at first was so
+dazed that he had no idea as to what had happened.
+
+"What's the matter?" he asked, starting to put his hand to his head,
+and then dropping it because of the pain in his shoulder.  "I'm verra
+sore.  Ah!  I ken--I ken--that awfu' black thing.  I fair thought it
+wad kill me."  And he groaned deeply, for his sufferings were keen.
+
+"Not a bit of it, my boy," responded Mr. Sutherland cheerily, as he
+patted his pale cheek.  "You're not even half killed, and that awful
+black thing is killed completely.  But you've had a very narrow escape,
+and you've got some nasty wounds, and you must keep very quiet here
+until we can get you back to St. Andrews."
+
+Mr. Sutherland was a man of thought as well as of action, and it did
+not take him long to arrange matters.  The Indian was dispatched to the
+settlement with a note telling what had happened, and asking that a
+litter be sent back for the sufferer.  In the meantime he himself would
+stay by the wounded boy until the litter arrived.
+
+Happily they were not at the time a very great distance from St.
+Andrews.  Another Indian, having been promised liberal payment if he
+was very quick, ran the whole way thither, and the litter party lost
+not a moment in making the return trip.  It was indeed well for
+Donalblane that they were so prompt, for he presently began to be
+feverish, and to require the utmost skill of the physicians who had
+accompanied the expedition to combat the effect of the serious wounds
+he bore.  There was great sympathy felt for him, as he was a general
+favourite, owing to his bright, frank, manly ways; and both Mr.
+Paterson and Mr. Sutherland were as concerned about him as if he had
+been their own child.
+
+Even with the best of care some weeks must elapse before he would
+regain his former vigour, and while he lay in his hammock, a not too
+docile and submissive patient, affairs went on not at all prosperously
+at St. Andrews.
+
+Although absent only a week, Mr. Paterson found on his return that a
+spirit of discontent and dissension had already broken out in the
+colony.  All the men were not workers.  Some were useless drones, and
+those who had toiled hard laying the foundation of the new city began
+to grumble and protest.  There was no settled or acknowledged
+authority.  Once the novelty of the situation had passed away, Mr.
+Paterson ceased to be looked up to and obeyed, and it seemed impossible
+for any one to be agreed upon as supreme governor.
+
+The settlement certainly presented a curious appearance at this time.
+Over a thousand persons, all foreign to the soil, were lodged in rude
+wooden huts roofed with palmetto leaves, the inside furnishing of which
+were of the simplest description.  Chests and lockers did duty for
+seats and tables; tartan shawls of brilliant hues, hung up as curtains,
+formed the only partitions; spades, mattocks, axes, and hatchets
+littered the walls, while carefully disposed in the dryest corners were
+the claymores and muskets which formed their weapons of defence.
+
+One large building was set apart for public worship, and here services
+were daily held by the Presbyterian ministers, several of whom had
+accompanied the expedition, and were much given to lengthy sermons.
+Another building was the storehouse, to which the provisions brought
+out by the ships were removed.  Now, mention has already been made of
+advantage being taken by those who supplied the expedition to palm off
+much inferior stuff than they had contracted to furnish; and this
+rascality became revealed when it was discovered that the greater part
+of the stores, upon which the colonists must depend until they had
+raised their own harvests, was absolutely unfit for human food, and had
+to be cast into the sea, where it attracted swarms of sharks that
+henceforth infested the harbour, rendering its waters full of danger.
+
+This was a terrible blow to the hopes of the settlers, who were already
+disappointed at the failure of their expectations in the matter of
+gold, which they had counted upon being able to obtain in abundance,
+whereas all the gold they had seen were the ornaments of the King of
+Darien.
+
+It was determined to dispatch one of the ships to the island of Jamaica
+for a fresh supply of provisions, and in the meantime, through the
+influence of Mr. Paterson, the King of Darien placed the services of a
+large body of Indian hunters at his disposal, and these men, through
+their knowledge of the country and their skill, were able to secure
+game and fish in abundance when the Scotsmen could get nothing.
+
+As soon as Donalblane had recovered from his wounds, nothing daunted by
+his thrilling experience, he devoted himself to hunting, as that suited
+his taste far better than tilling the ground or working on the
+fortifications.
+
+Keen of eye, quick of ear, light of foot, long of wind, and well-nigh
+tireless, he set himself to learn from the Indians their hunting wiles
+and devices, and was so apt a pupil that ere long he became a match for
+the best of them, particularly as his musket and pistols, always kept
+in perfect order, were immensely superior weapons to their spears and
+arrows.
+
+The magnificent region round about afforded a hunting-field vast and
+varied enough to satisfy the most exacting sportsman.  The forests were
+full of animals, from the amusing, harmless monkeys up to the fierce
+wild boar or the terrible jaguar; while the waters fairly teemed with
+fish, from the delicious mullet up to the gigantic manatee, or
+sea-cow--if this can be properly called a fish.  The first time
+Donalblane saw a manatee he was filled with amazement--it seemed so
+huge, so hideous, so extraordinary a monster; but when he got over his
+first surprise, he became possessed with the notion of adding one to
+his list of trophies.
+
+"Do so, by all means," said Mr. Paterson, when he mentioned his purpose
+to him.  "The manatee's flesh, in spite of the creature's ugly
+appearance, is equal to the best pork, and we cannot have too much of
+it for our hungry people."
+
+"Then I'll just do my verra best to get ye one, and maybe two, for they
+tell me they are in plenty up yon river," said Donalblane, pointing
+towards the so-called Golden River.
+
+"Good luck to you, my lad," rejoined Mr. Paterson, patting him on the
+shoulder.  "Be sure that the chief hunter goes with you, for the
+manatee can give plenty of trouble, if you do not know how to handle
+him."
+
+Donalblane promised to be sure of having Raymon, whose heart he had
+already won by various little kindnesses, and hastened off to make
+arrangements for a start the following morning.  He had no difficulty
+in securing the co-operation of Raymon, who was only too glad to join
+him, and who undertook to procure a canoe and two of the best paddlers
+in his tribe.  Accordingly, at dawn of the next day Donalblane set out
+on his hunt for a manatee.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER X.
+
+THE CHASE OF THE MANATEE.
+
+Several hours' steady paddling brought the hunting party, ere the full
+heat of the day, to a part of the river where the banks were densely
+clothed with mangroves, broken here and there by bayous, whose shallow
+bottoms were lush with rank vegetation.
+
+"We get him there," said Raymon, pointing to one of these bayous.
+"When sun going down.  Plenty of manatee in dat place."
+
+Donalblane was impatient to begin the hunt right away; but Raymon knew
+his business better, and so they sought a landing in one of the cool,
+dark recesses of the mangrove forest, and, after eating their lunch,
+lay down for the inevitable siesta.
+
+It was well on in the afternoon before Raymon pronounced it time to get
+to work, and, thrilling with eagerness, Donalblane took his place in
+the stern of the canoe, his musket ready for a quick shot, while Raymon
+crouched in the bow, holding a harpoon to which was attached a long,
+thin rope.  Noiselessly the expert paddlers sent the canoe over the
+bosom of the bayou, turning this way and that, in accordance with
+whispered directions from Raymon, whose keen eyes searched the still
+waters in front.
+
+Several times Donalblane thought he saw ripples which suggested the
+presence of their prey, but Raymon took no notice of them, and he was
+beginning to grow impatient, when, at a signal from the Indian, the
+paddlers suddenly plied their blades with tremendous energy, and the
+light craft shot ahead at an amazing pace.
+
+Donalblane could perceive nothing to explain this action, but rejoiced
+at it nevertheless, and held his musket in readiness to fire.
+
+On dashed the canoe, and presently Raymon rose in the bow, harpoon in
+hand, and poised himself for a throw.  Still Donalblane could make out
+nothing, and he marvelled at the keenness of the Indian's vision, until
+suddenly, not twenty yards in front of the canoe, the smooth surface of
+the water was broken by the emergence of the hideous head and broad
+shoulders of a monstrous manatee.
+
+[Illustration: "PRESENTLY RAYMON ROSE IN THE BOW, HARPOON IN HAND."]
+
+"Hurrah!" shouted the boy, quivering with excitement.  "There he is;
+and, my sakes, what a big fellow!  Shall I fire at him, Raymon?"
+
+But Raymon, without turning round, intimated by a warning gesture of
+his free hand that Donalblane was to keep still, and the latter was
+accordingly fain to curb his impatience.
+
+In spite of his clumsy form, the manatee had a wonderful turn of speed,
+and the sinewy paddlers strained every nerve to bring Raymon within
+striking distance.  The creature was evidently making for the deeper
+waters, and if he succeeded in doing this before the harpoon struck
+him, there was a good chance of his effecting his escape.  For a few
+minutes the issue of the race seemed much in doubt, and then, to
+Donalblane's delight, the canoe began to gain.  Yard by yard it drew
+nearer, until at last, raising the harpoon as high as he could, Raymon,
+with the whole strength of his arm, hurled it at the manatee.
+
+It was a splendid throw, and the keen barb buried itself deep in the
+thick, wrinkled grey hide, while at the same moment the stricken
+creature sank out of sight, leaving a stain of blood upon the water.
+
+"Grand!--grand!" cried Donalblane, putting down his gun for a moment
+that he might clap his hands enthusiastically.  "Ah!  I wad like fine
+to be able to do that."
+
+Raymon's usually sombre countenance lit up with a pleased smile, as he
+replied--
+
+"We got him all right, if rope no break."
+
+When, a moment later, the manatee, having recovered from the first
+shock of the wound, set off through the water at a rapid pace, towing
+the well-laden canoe as though it was a trifle, Donalblane began to
+wonder if the rope, which was only a thin one, would stand the strain.
+But Raymon did not appear at all anxious about it.
+
+Straight out towards the deep water went the manatee, and as the canoe
+ploughed through the water in its wake, Donalblane thought that this
+must be something like the whale-hunting about which some of his sailor
+friends at Leith had told him such thrilling tales.
+
+For a full half-mile the powerful creature kept on, rising every now
+and then to the surface for breath, and sinking again as soon as
+relieved.  But presently its speed began to slacken, and Raymon was
+able to get a pull upon the rope, which brought the canoe nearer.
+
+"Now, senor, you fire when I call," he said to Donalblane, who nodded
+back at him joyfully, for he was burning to take part in the hunt,
+instead of sitting idle.
+
+Little by little the rope came back, until soon there were not more
+than ten yards of it separating the canoe and the manatee.
+
+"Next time he come up, you fire," was Raymon's next order; and
+Donalblane, every nerve thrilling with excitement, braced himself in
+the stern of the canoe for a careful shot.
+
+With a swirl and splash the manatee appeared, and as Raymon excitedly
+shouted, "Now, senor--now!" Donalblane pulled the trigger.  But alas,
+for the pride of youth!  The prized musket, hitherto so trusty, played
+him false.  It flashed in the pan.  There was no report, and its
+intended victim sank out of sight unharmed.
+
+Just how it happened Donalblane never understood.  Perhaps either he or
+Raymon, in their chagrin at the failure of the shot, made some sudden
+movement; but, however it was, the next instant the canoe overturned,
+and all the four of its occupants were tumbled into the water,
+Donalblane holding on to his gun, although the additional weight helped
+to deepen his involuntary dive into the turbid current.
+
+Up he came, gasping and angry, to find that the Indians had happily
+been quick enough to secure the canoe and to cut the harpoon line,
+which otherwise would have torn it away from them.  Still grasping his
+gun, which he was determined to save if possible, Donalblane struck out
+for the others, and when he neared Raymon, the latter said cheeringly,
+"Me help you--they get canoe all right," and, taking the heavy firearm
+from the boy, swam as easily with it as if it were a walking-stick.
+
+Meanwhile the paddlers, with a skill that astonished Donalblane,
+proceeded to right the canoe, free it of water, and clamber in, Raymon
+following their example and then assisting the young Scotsman to do
+likewise.  Donalblane took it for granted that the untoward upset put
+an end to the manatee hunt, but Raymon had no such notion.
+
+"Manatee soon die--we go after him," he said, and, after a keen
+scrutiny of the surrounding water, he gave directions to the paddlers,
+who resumed their work as stolidly as if nothing had happened.
+Donalblane thought it would be very much like hunting for a needle in a
+hay-stack, but kept his own counsel while the canoe sped shoreward.
+
+They were more than half-way thither when Raymon, who had fastened the
+remainder of the rope on to a small spear, showed signs of excitement.
+
+"Me see him!" he exclaimed in a stage whisper.  "We get him this time."
+
+Sure enough, just as he spoke, the ugly grey head of the manatee rose
+above the water, and it was evident from the slowness of its movements
+that its strength was fast failing.
+
+Steadily the canoe gained, until once more it was within striking
+distance, and Raymon hurled his spear with no less accuracy than he had
+the harpoon.  The poor manatee made one furious plunge forward as the
+sharp steel reached a vital part, and then all motion ceased.  The hunt
+was ended.
+
+One of the paddlers instantly sprang into the water and caught the end
+of the severed harpoon line, which was at once secured to the canoe,
+for otherwise the great body would sink and all the trouble be in vain.
+Then the bulky prize was towed ashore, and Donalblane had the
+satisfaction of having taken part in a successful manatee hunt, even if
+he had been denied the privilege of getting a shot.
+
+The Indians had good reason to be proud of their quarry, for he was a
+monster of his kind, and would afford a fine supply of excellent meat.
+As he would prove altogether too heavy a cargo for the light canoe, the
+paddlers were dispatched to the settlement for assistance, while
+Donalblane and Raymon remained on guard, the former taking the
+opportunity to dry his dripping clothes, and feeling very well pleased
+with the success of the hunt.
+
+Indeed, he had enjoyed it so keenly that he went again and again in the
+weeks that followed, Mr. Sutherland sometimes joining him, and many a
+plump monster was thereby secured for the benefit of the colonists.
+
+It was well for him that he could thus divert himself, as the state of
+affairs at St. Andrews was rapidly growing worse.  Not only were the
+Scotsmen threatened with famine, but with disease also.  The hot, damp
+climate, so different from that to which they were accustomed, bred
+deadly fever.  Every day the number of the men who strove to complete
+the fortifications and to till the ground for the harvest they were
+destined never to reap grew less.  Many of the pale, gaunt, but still
+resolute labourers passed quickly from their work to the overcrowded
+hospital, and thence with little delay to their graves, until the
+burial-ground came to have more occupants than the huts.
+
+And yet, despite their double danger, the colonists kept up their petty
+strifes, their jealousies, their mutual antagonisms, and refused to
+admit of any settled authority.  Then came back the ship which had been
+sent to Jamaica for provisions as empty as she had gone, and bringing
+the astounding news that, by a royal edict obtained through the evil
+influence of the rival companies, all the English colonies in America
+and the West Indies were strictly forbidden to afford any assistance
+whatever to the struggling Scotch colony at Darien, whose utter ruin
+now seemed inevitable.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XI.
+
+THE MIDNIGHT ATTACK.
+
+Donalblane took these difficulties and disasters deeply to heart, not
+so much on his own account, for, like all brave-spirited boys, he had
+no doubt that _he_ would pull through all right somehow, but because of
+his hero, Mr. Paterson, who had won the affection and loyalty of his
+young heart.  He considered him the noblest of men, and more than once
+had got into trouble by hotly resenting the undeserved slurs and sneers
+that were too freely cast upon him.
+
+"Ye dinna ken what ye're saying, ye sneakin' loon!" he had once
+retorted to a lanky youth who was meanly making charges against Mr.
+Paterson that were no less false than frivolous; and when the other
+responded with a blow, Donalblane, taking no account of the disparity
+in size and age, flung himself at him so fiercely and used his fists to
+such good purpose that the slanderer was soon fain to flee the field.
+
+"Ye lee, ye lee, and ye ken weel ye're leeing!" he cried indignantly on
+another occasion; but this time, his antagonist being a powerful man,
+Donalblane did not fare so well--in fact, he got a bad thrashing; but
+as he nursed his bruises he found comfort in the conviction that they
+were suffered in a good cause, and that he would never allow Mr.
+Paterson's reputation to be blackened if he could in any wise help it.
+
+Among the early victims of the fever had been Mrs. Sutherland and her
+little boy, and, broken in heart and spirit, Mr. Sutherland not long
+after joined them in the grave, so that Donalblane felt he had only one
+friend left, for somehow he had not taken kindly to any of the other
+men.  He therefore attached himself closely to Mr. Paterson, and thus
+had the opportunity of rendering him a supremely important service.
+
+Mr. Paterson had invited him to share his hut--a mark of esteem that
+made him very pleased and proud, as may be imagined.  They had thus
+lived together for a fortnight, Mr. Paterson devoting himself to the
+trying difficulties that surrounded him, while Donalblane spent his
+time in fishing and hunting, so that they might always be supplied with
+food.  One day Donald chanced to overhear a conversation between two of
+the worst characters in the colony, which made it clear that they had
+designs upon Mr. Paterson's life.  He at once made known his
+suspicions, but Mr. Paterson treated the matter lightly.
+
+[Illustration: "CHANCED TO OVERHEAR A CONVERSATION WHICH MADE IT CLEAR
+THAT THEY HAD DESIGNS UPON MR. PATERSON'S LIFE."]
+
+"I am very much obliged to you, my boy," he said, with his rare smile,
+"but there is nothing to be feared.  I understand those fellows.  They
+would be well pleased, no doubt, to have me out of the way, but they'd
+never have the courage to do what you fear."
+
+This made Donalblane feel a little easier in his mind; nevertheless, he
+resolved to keep a watch upon the rascals, and to be alert for any
+danger that might threaten.
+
+"They'll never do Mr. Paterson any harm if I can help it," he said to
+himself, and certainly no Scottish chieftain ever had a more loving or
+loyal clansman than he.
+
+One stormy night when the wind blew and the rain fell as though they
+had combined in an attack upon the hut, which was none too strong or
+tight, Donalblane felt restless and wakeful.
+
+Mr. Paterson, wearied with toil and trial, was sleeping soundly, but
+his companion tossed about in his hammock with wide-open eyes.
+Presently his quick ear caught a sound that he did not think was caused
+by the storm, but by some person or creature trying to effect an
+entrance into the hut.
+
+"What can that be?" he asked himself as he sat up in his hammock, and
+strained both eyes and ears to discover something in the surrounding
+gloom.
+
+The suspicious sound continued, and Donalblane was just about to waken
+Mr. Paterson, whose hammock swung on the other side of the hut, when
+the door gave way, and two men rushed in with manifest evil intent.
+Had Donalblane not been awake at the moment, the villains might have
+had easy work; but he was not only awake, but alert, and with a
+quickness which did great credit to his wits he took instant action.
+Springing from his hammock, he shouted--
+
+"Mr. Paterson, wake up! there's danger!" and hurled himself at the
+foremost man, grasping him about the knees.  Down went the scoundrel on
+his face, and the other was so close behind that he tripped and fell
+also, the two getting tangled up together and giving vent to fearful
+words, while Donalblane, somewhat bruised from the encounter, crawled
+away, and darted to the side of Mr. Paterson, who was now fully awake.
+
+They had nothing in their hands wherewith to defend themselves, and the
+would-be assassins were no doubt well armed; but neither of them had
+any thought of flight.  Not so with the intruders.  Realising that
+their foul plot had failed of its purpose, thanks to Donalblane's
+vigilance, their one idea was to get away, and the fellow that entered
+last did succeed in regaining his feet and rushing out into the
+darkness; but the other had been half stunned by his head coming into
+contact with a heavy chest, and ere he could escape Mr. Paterson had
+thrown himself upon him and pinned him to the ground.
+
+"A light, Donald--quick, a light!" he called, as he put his whole
+weight on the struggling form.
+
+Donalblane hastened to obey, and the lighting up of the hut revealed
+the fact that Mr. Paterson's prisoner was one of the very men
+Donalblane had overheard conspiring against him.  When they had bound
+the wretch securely, Donalblane could not resist saying, in a tone of
+exultation--
+
+"Noo, sir, didn't I tell ye? and yet ye wadna listen to me.  He's ane
+o' them, and I can point ye out the other one any day."
+
+Mr. Paterson, who had already recovered his composure as completely as
+if nothing had happened, took both the boy's hands in his own, and
+shook them warmly as he replied, with a look full of gratitude and
+love--
+
+"You were right, Donald, and it was wrong to make light of your
+warning.  God be thanked that you were able to baulk the scoundrels
+to-night, for if you had not been awake at the moment, I and perhaps
+you also would be no longer alive.  But evidently it is not the will of
+Providence that we should die yet.  Let us kneel and give thanks to God
+for our deliverance."
+
+And so with the foiled assassin scowling and cursing them as he
+strained at his bonds, the two knelt down, while Mr. Paterson poured
+forth in prayer his gratitude to God for their merciful deliverance.
+
+There was no more sleep for either of them that night.  In the morning
+Mr. Paterson called the council together, and producing the prisoner,
+told the story of the night attack.
+
+Great was the indignation of all who heard him.  Although there were
+many who blamed him for the failure of their high hopes, and others who
+were jealous of his fine qualities and resented his authority, none
+were so base as to desire his death; and if it had not been for his
+earnest entreaty, the prisoner would have been condemned to be shot
+that very day as a terrible example.  But Mr. Paterson magnanimously
+interceded, with the result that the prisoner and his confederate, if
+he should be found, were banished from the colony, on pain of death if
+they dared to return.
+
+With the passing of the days matters grew steadily worse at St.
+Andrews.  The plan had been that other ships carrying reinforcements of
+men and supplies should follow the first little fleet after an interval
+of some months, and these were now long overdue; yet although the high
+hill above the settlement was never without watchers, who eagerly
+scanned the face of the waters, no sign of sail appeared.
+
+As a matter of fact, only one ship had been dispatched, and this one
+unfortunately foundered in mid-ocean.  Meanwhile, deaths were taking
+place daily, and those who managed to keep alive were little more than
+haggard, sickly skeletons.
+
+No wonder that in spite of Mr. Paterson's earnest protest they at last
+determined to depart from the fatal spot, which, instead of proving a
+paradise, had been the grave of all their high hopes and of so many of
+their companions.  Mr. Paterson, still hopeful of the success of the
+great scheme, pleaded with them not to abandon it.  He claimed that to
+do so would be to be false to the trust placed in them by their
+countrymen.
+
+But they would not listen to him.  Their first duty, they retorted, was
+to themselves.  They must save their own lives.  To remain was to die.
+
+Accordingly, having provisioned the ships as best they could, they
+prepared to depart.  For the last time they gathered in the rude
+church, while the sole surviving minister prayed for the Divine
+blessing and protection.  It was a sad congregation, and Donalblane,
+whose loyal heart had sympathised to the full with Mr. Paterson's
+endeavour to stay the retreat, felt heavier of heart than he had ever
+done in his life before.  Right willingly would he have remained behind
+with Mr. Paterson if any good could have been gained thereby.  But if
+all the others departed, they must needs go too; and after the mournful
+service ended, the boats bore them to the ships, Mr. Paterson being the
+very last to leave the shore, which none of them would ever set foot
+upon again.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XII.
+
+NEW YORK AND HOME.
+
+The ships were in no condition to cross the Atlantic, and by the royal
+decree the British West Indies were closed against them, while, of
+course, they dare not trust the mercy of the Spaniards.  Their only
+alternative, therefore, was to make their way up to New York in the
+hope of finding their way back to Scotland from there later on.
+
+Donalblane quite approved of this plan.  He had had quite enough of
+South America to last him for the rest of his life, and, now that he
+had left, it was quite clear in his mind as to never returning.
+
+But of North America he knew nothing, and he was eager to learn.
+
+"Nae doot there'll be Indians there like those at Darien," he said to
+Mr. Paterson, "and we'll be going to see them.  Have they kings, too?"
+
+An amused look lightened Mr. Paterson's face for the moment as he
+replied--
+
+"There are Indians, of course, in the country, very many tribes of
+them, and we may see some of them at New York, but we will not have
+anything to do with them.  We are of no account now," he went on sadly.
+"We shall be little better than beggars when we reach New York, and
+shall have to trust to the kindness of our countrymen there to afford
+us the help we need.  Ah, Donald, Donald! it is a sore thing to fail--a
+sore, sore thing!" and he turned away to hide the emotion that mastered
+him.
+
+Donalblane was touched to the heart, and in his passion of loyal love
+would not have hesitated to give his very life if thereby the fortunes
+of his hero could have been retrieved.  But no sacrifice could save
+them now.  The great scheme that was to have been a blessing to the
+world and to make Scotland mighty among the nations had failed utterly.
+
+Creeping cautiously along the coast, the two ships made their slow way
+northward, and, after passing through many a peril, at length reached
+New York, with the rotten rigging dropping from the masts, the pumps
+going steadily to keep the leaky hulks afloat, and scarce two days'
+scant supply of food and water.  With inexpressible joy the wearied
+voyagers hastened to land, Donalblane of course accompanying Mr.
+Paterson.
+
+Although for a quarter of a century in possession of the British, New
+York was still for the most part a Dutch town, and the keen-eyed Scotch
+boy saw much that was novel and interesting in the quaint ways of the
+people and the odd appearance of the houses.  He was quick to notice
+the aspect of comfort and neatness that marked the place, and made so
+pleasing a contrast to the squalor and misery of the settlement at
+Darien.
+
+"Oh, but it's verra bonnie here!" he said to Mr. Paterson as, strolling
+through the streets in the cool of the evening, he saw the prosperous
+burghers with their plump wives and rosy children sitting out at the
+front of their houses, so evidently enjoying life in their simple,
+sober way.
+
+"Do you think you'd like to stay here, then?" Mr. Paterson asked, with
+a kindly twinkle in his eye.  "I dare say it could be managed.  One of
+these well-to-do merchants might be glad to take you as an apprentice."
+
+Donald smiled and shook his head.  There was indeed something
+attractive in the idea, but he did not feel free to entertain it.
+
+"Wad ye be thinkin' of staying yer ain sel'?" he inquired in turn.
+
+"Oh, no, Donald," replied Mr. Paterson with a deep sigh.  "I must
+return to Scotland to give an account of my stewardship."
+
+"Then if ye're going back, I'm going wi' ye," responded the lad in a
+tone of absolute decision; and Mr. Paterson, patting him affectionately
+on the shoulder, said in a voice whose unwonted tremor showed how
+strongly he felt--
+
+"You're a good boy, Donald, leal and true, and I believe that in the
+providence of God you will come to greatness yet."
+
+The survivors of the unfortunate Darien expedition were so kindly
+treated at New York that quite a number of them were glad to settle
+permanently in the prosperous colony; but Mr. Paterson impatiently
+awaited the opportunity to get back to Scotland.
+
+During the delay Donalblane had an adventure that caused him to retain
+a vivid remembrance of the place for the remainder of his life.  His
+restless, inquiring spirit kept him constantly on the move, and one
+fine day he had roamed away up toward the north end of the island, and
+so overstayed his time that night had fallen ere he reached the
+outskirts of the city.
+
+There were no street lights in those days, and, save where a friendly
+gleam came from the window or open door of a house, the streets were
+dark as pitch; hence there were many good chances for highwaymen to
+practise their evil profession, which they were not slow to seize upon.
+
+Donalblane had just got well into the city, when, as he passed through
+a dark, narrow street, he heard a cry for help, followed by the sounds
+of a violent struggle.  At once the impulse to render aid took
+possession of him, and he darted in the direction whence the sounds
+came, grasping tightly his pistol, which he always carried with him.  A
+short run brought him to where three persons were struggling together,
+one crying out for help, while the other two strove to smother his
+cries and knock him senseless with their bludgeons.
+
+"Hi, there, ye scoondrels!" shouted Donalblane.  "Hands off, or I'll
+shoot ye!"
+
+As the words left his lips, one of the highwaymen got in so brutal a
+blow that his victim fell limply to the ground; but the next instant
+the report of the pistol rang out, and its bullet buried itself in the
+ruffian's shoulder.
+
+Completely taken by surprise--for neither of them had been aware of the
+boy's swift approach--the rascals were so panic-stricken that they took
+to their heels and disappeared around the corner, leaving Donalblane
+with the seemingly lifeless form.
+
+"The puir man, they've killed him, nae doot," he murmured sadly, as he
+bent over the prostrate figure to feel if there were any signs of life
+left.
+
+He was thus engaged when a door near by opened, and out sprang a couple
+of men, who rushed upon him and grasped him roughly, exclaiming--
+
+"Ah--ah! now we've caught you red-handed!  You'll swing high for this,
+you villain!"
+
+"Hoot, man, ye're quite wrong!" retorted Donalblane hotly.  "I'm no'
+the villain.  I ran to help this man.  'Twas the robbers that killed
+him."
+
+But they refused to believe him, and others coming up, the poor boy was
+like to have been roughly handled, when a grey-haired man, who spoke
+with authority, commanded that he be brought to his house for
+examination.  When this had been done, and the men realised what a mere
+lad he was, and what a frank, honest countenance he possessed, the tide
+of feeling at once began to turn.
+
+"I am greatly disposed to believe the boy," said the elderly man after
+he had heard Donalblane's story.  "But we must keep him in ward until
+we can find this Mr. Paterson of whom he speaks."
+
+So Donalblane was securely locked up until the morning, when he not
+only had the joy of being vouched for by Mr. Paterson, and honourably
+released, but the relief of learning that the highwaymen's victim had
+been only stunned, not killed, and would soon recover from his injuries.
+
+He proved to be a prosperous merchant, who felt profoundly grateful for
+the timely service, and, as it chanced, had a vessel sailing for
+England in a short time.  On learning of their desire to cross the
+ocean, he at once placed the cabin of the vessel at the disposal of Mr.
+Paterson and Donalblane, adding to this kindness a substantial advance
+of money, which the former might repay at his convenience.
+
+Thus the way home was providentially opened up, and in far greater
+comfort than they had set out for the New World, the two friends
+returned to Scotland.  Here Donalblane was received with characteristic
+coolness by his uncle, who felt very sore over the loss of his five
+hundred pounds; and Mr. Paterson had to bear the undeserved reproaches
+of those who had lost not merely money, but relatives, in the
+unfortunate enterprise.
+
+Yet there were far brighter days in store for both.  Mr. Paterson
+cleared himself of all blame for the catastrophe, and filled the
+remaining years of his life with honourable work, while Donalblane,
+sobered by his experience, devoted himself to his uncle's business with
+such ardour and intelligence that ere long he came to be his right-hand
+man.
+
+The step from that to a partnership was an easy and natural one, and,
+combining in a rare degree daring enterprise with far-sighted caution,
+Donalblane of Darien became in time one of the merchant princes of
+Scotland, winning, through the right use of his wealth and influence,
+high honour among his fellow-men, and the favour of Divine Providence.
+
+
+
+
+THE END.
+
+
+
+
+_Richard Clay & Sons, Limited, London & Bungay._
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+End of Project Gutenberg's Donalblane of Darien, by J. Macdonald Oxley
+
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