"Alas! (ay de mi!) how little I thought to die in this wild land," said the Spaniard, closing his eyes, while his voice became more and more husky; "but draw nearer; keep your oath, and I shall reward you. I had charge of our treasure chest; it contains three thousand pistoles of Madrid and Malaga."
"And where is this chest?" whispered Rob, very naturally becoming more interested.
"It is on board a small galley or launch—which—which lies wedged——"
"Where—where?" asked MacGregor; for the Spaniard's voice and powers were failing fast.
"Wedged among the rocks, near where we formed a battery—"
"At the mouth of Loch Duich?"
"I know not how you name it—but 'tis there—there!"
"Good; speak on."
"Three British ships of war are hovering off the coast, and that treasure will become their prize, if you do not anticipate them. The pistoles are—are—are in a coffer marked with the cross of Malta." After this, the poor Spaniard relinquished his English, which was very broken, and began to talk and pray incoherently in Spanish and Latin, till gradually he became insensible, and in less than an hour had ceased to exist.
Rob Roy kept his word, and as soon as Don José was dead, he wrapped him up in a plaid, and conveyed him, with Alpine playing a lament in front, to Killduich, and there buried him at the east end of that ancient church, in a grave over which he placed a rough wooden cross, and above which all his followers fired thrice their muskets and pistols in the air.