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"At last he could bear it nohold of the crucifix he wore round his neck, he swung about wi’ a great cry to face whatever followed"

"What did he see?" Ian’s pupils were dilated, dark with drink and wonder Ja at hiure like a man, but with no body," Duncan said quietly "All white, like as it reat holes where its eyes should be, and empty black, fit to draw the soul from his body with dread"

"But Gavin held up his cross before his face, and he prayed aloud to the Blessed Virgin" Ja forward intently, the di caan to walk backward, not daring to face round again He walked backward, stuht tumble into a burn or down a cliff and break his neck, but fearing worse to turn his back on the cold thing

"He couldna tell how long he’d walked, only that his legs were treht through the e, wi’ the candle in theHe cried out in joy, and turned to his door, but the cold thing was quick, and slippit past him, to stand betwixt hi out for him, and when she heard him cry out, she came at once to the door Gavin shouted to her not to come out, but for God’s sake to fetch a charht, she snatched the pot fro of myrtle bound wi’ red thread and black, that she’d ainst the doorposts, and the cold thing leapt upward, astride the lintel Gavin rushed in beneath and barred the door, and stayed inside in his wife’s arht, and Gavin Hayes never again left his house past sunset--until he went to fight for Prince Tearlach"

Even Duncan, who knew the tale, sighed as Ja Ian crossed himself, then looked about self-consciously, but no one seemed to have noticed

"So, now Gavin has gone into the dark," Jaround"

"Did they find the cow?" Fergus asked, with his usual practicality Jamie quirked one eyebrow at Duncan, who answered

"Oh, aye, they did The next ed wi’mad and lathered about the lanced frous "Gavin did say," he said precisely, "that she looked as though she’d been ridden to Hell and back"

"Jesus" Ian took a deep gulp of his ale, and I did the sa atte down each tihter

Ian put down his cup on the table

"What happened to them?" he asked, his face troubled "To Gavin’s wife, and his son?"

Jah I kneithout being told, what had happened to the Hayes faence, the sahter Brianna

"Gavin never knew," Jaht of his wife--she will have been starved, maybe, or driven out to die of the cold His son took the field beside hiht there came into our cell, Gavin would ask--‘Have ye maybe seen a bold lad named Archie Hayes, about so tall?’ HeHayes’ gesture " ‘A lad about fourteen,’ he’d say, ‘wi’ a green plaidie and a silt brooch’ But no one ever came who had seen him for sure--either seen him fall or seen him run away safe"

Jamie took a sip of the ale, his eyes fixed on a pair of British officers who had corown dark outside, and they were plainly off duty Their leather stocks were unfastened on account of the heat, and they wore only sidearht save where the firelight touched theht have been captured and transported," he said "Like his brother"

"Surely that would be somewhere in the records?" I said "Did they--do they--keep lists?"

"They did," Ja the soldiers A small, bitter smile touched the corner of his mouth "It was such a list that savedme, so as to add it to their roll But a lish deadlists And if he could have found out, I think he would not" He glanced at me "Would you choose to know for sure, and it was your child?"

I shook ave me a faint smile and squeezed my hand Our child was safe, after all He picked up his cup and drained it, then beckoned to the servingthe table widely in order to avoid Rollo The beast layinto the roo heavily acrosseverything They followed the girl intently, and she backed nervously away, keeping an eye on hi this, Jary? Must I ask for a fish for him?"

"Oh, no, Uncle," Ian reassured him "Rollo catches his own fish"

Jalance at Rollo, took a platter of roasted oysters from the tray

"Ah, the pity of it" Duncan Innes was quite drunk by now He sat sluher than the other, giving hie, hunchbacked appearance "That a dear man like Gavin should co it back and forth over his alecup like the clapper of a funeral bell

"No faed as a felon, and to be buried in an unconsecrated grave Not even a proper la for him!" He picked up the cup, and with some difficulty, found his mouth with it He drank deep and set it doith a lared belligerently frous to Ian "Why not?"

Jarinned at Duncan and lifted his own cup in salute