Meanwhile these threatening tones of discord and defiance were resolutely answered by a long continuous scream of triumph from the fugitives, who fled from premeditated treachery, and whose parting shouts were deeply chorussed by the symphony of their accompanying oars that wafted them onward in safety.
Now verging toward the distant horizon, the retreating boat was distinctly seen slowly cutting its watery course, overladen although it might be with an extra weight of living cargo. Availing themselves of the breeze, they raised their little sail, and soon expedited their course, wafted onward by the wild and dreary blast.
The moon occasionally at intervals, as the stormy night-clouds cleared away, streamed her radiance on the rippling bosom of the undulating wave, which threw a brilliant line of light across the heaving billows; and showed to those who might wish to observe the progress of the fugitives, that in sooth they made but little way; which was not to be wondered at, considering how incautiously crowded the boat had been through the obstinacy of the too inconsiderate followers. Another danger, superadded to the former, it but too fully appeared to the crew arose from the frailty of the bark itself, that had soon to contend with the approach, or rather with the return, of the tempest.
The impressive scene that we have attempted to describe, was, it must be allowed, altogether out of the usual course of ordinary events, and partook of a high and extraordinary degree of interest. To behold a wild, desolate, and romantic shore, lined and occupied as it had been, at such an hour, by a military band of pursuers, and illuminated by the blazing fires, which broadly glanced on spear, axe, target, and claymore; whose ruddy contrasting light served but to cause that the dark impending rocks above, and the indented caverns below, should appear more savage, and their dense darkness the more visible! Meanwhile, to witness the dumb, but expressive gesticulation of the heads and hands, and indignant and angry step, of the enraged vassals on the beach, appearing to the distant beholder all of a deep, glaring, fiery red, fierce as the impetuous motives which led them onward to the bloody track. Rage, and all the varied manifestations of the fierce passions of wrath and revenge, were but too visible, from the broad and brilliant glare of light that flashed upon them. It was such a scene as would have charmed the creative imagination of Michael Angelo to have dwelt upon and portrayed, and might have even given additional sketches of horror for his "Day of Judgment." And, oh! how would the poetic pencil of the solitary Salvator Rosa have managed this scene!—how his pencil would have sported with it, and his genius have rejoiced!—here he might have conjured up and enlivened his landscape with a bold, determined, band of pirates, soldiers, or banditti, surrounded by dark and frowning precipices. For such was the wild and savage scene so lately before the reader's eye. Rocks frowning in deep darkness, indented with frequent hollow caverns below, the midnight retreat of the otter and porpoise; while from the higher caverned cliffs above, awakened and aroused from their quarry, sprung forth the osprey, the vulture, and cormorant, all loudly screaming, and joining in one continued dissonant chorus, deeming that the returning morn had arrived!
The fishing bark having been found no longer sea-worthy, the fugitives were compelled to seek the shore; in which act the boat heaved against a rock, but it did no material injury to the bark. Strange to say, however, the shock awakened within the little cabin (if cabin it could be called) of the stern, an inmate, that until that moment the trusty followers did not know, nor even suspect, that such an individual they had on board. This fellow was a tall, athletic figure, whether fisherman or smuggler was doubtful, who must have been, consequently, hitherto profoundly asleep, deeply fatigued, it was supposed, by having been out all the previous night at sea, either fishing or plundering, possibly occupied in one or other—probably in both of these perilous pursuits.
This desperate and daring mariner, rapidly bouncing on deck, said, or rather screamed forth, with denouncing haste and rage: "Ye a' maun perish, a' are tint! and ken ye weel a Johnstone had his revenge!"
Then, with face and the fury of a maniac, and a horrific laugh, he instantly sprang into the waves, plunging like a water-fowl; he sunk, but soon arose again. Malcolm was prepared for this, having previously seized a carabine from one of the Bruce's followers; and soon as the ruffian again arose, Malcolm took determined aim, his carabine exploded its contents, having duly hit the destined mark. The victim of his just revenge loudly screamed, plunged, floundered, and sunk,—but he rose no more!
The crew of the fishing boat meanwhile, or those who acted in that capacity, had timely and providentially discovered and frustrated the treacherous fate which seemed so certainly to await them, and which was so darkly hinted at by this desperate partisan of the Johnstone clan. The pumps were set instantly and incessantly at work, while the leak was timeously stopped, and every precaution adopted to insure and make "surety doubly sure."
It would appear that this desperate follower of the Johnstones had somehow discovered, or overheard, from the followers of the Bruce, the fatal scene that had taken place at Turnberry Castle, the tragical compotation, the bloody fray, between the Maxwells and the Johnstones, and of the fatal death of Sir Robert Bruce. And hence, therefore, it was concluded, that he had come to the desperate determination of destroying, by one daring, decisive act, the number of the enemies of his clan who occupied the bark; and with this fixed resolution, it would appear he had sprung a leak, thinking thereby at once to send so many souls to a watery grave. In which base and treacherous attempt he had been nearly too successful, but for the prompt and active aid that was given by all hands on board; and it was with great difficulty that with unabated effort and energy they ultimately happily succeeded in accomplishing their safety.