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"Actually, it’s your kilt thatyou to the floor and commit ravishment," I told him "But you don’t look at all bad in your breeks"

He did laugh then, and bending, kissedthe outlines of ently, ainst hi for air

"But I--"

"Take theed loose the lacing of his flies "Ye can put the and ravishing to be done, it’ll be me that does it, aye?"

PART FIVE

Strawberry Fields Forever

14

FLEE FROM WRATH TO COME

August 1767

They had hidden the woe of Farquard Campbell’s furthest fields There was little chance of anyone noticing--other than Campbell’s slaves, who already knew--but we took care to arrive just after dark, when the lavender sky had faded nearly to gray, barely outlining the dark bulk of the drying shed

The wohost, cloaked and hooded, and was hoisted onto the extra horse, bundled hastily aboard like the package of contraband she was She drew up her legs and clung to the saddle with both hands, doubled up in a ball of panic; evidently she’d never been on a horse before

Myers tried to hand her the reins, but she paid no attention, only clung tight and ony of terror Theover their shoulders into the eeant Murchison and his ested "Maybe she’ll feel safer that way"

The woman was detached from her mount with some difficulty and set down on the horse’s ruly of fresh tobacco leaves, pungently narcotic, and so her ar on for dear life I patted one of the hands clutched about hter, but made no other ht, turning ht not know about the hullabaloo Murchison was raising in the district, but she could have no illusions about whatthe crowd at the sawmill teeks earlier

As an alternative to certain death, flight into the arhtly preferable, but not by ; the weather was far froh with chill

She nearly squeezed the stuffings out ofout of the bushes like some demon of the forest My horse didn’t like the look of hi to jerk the reins away from me

I had to admit that Rollo was reasonably fearsome, even when he was in an amiable mood, which he was, at the moment--Rollo loved expeditions Still, he undoubtedly presented a sinister aspect; all his teeth were showing in a grin of delight, his slitted eyes half closed as he whiffed the air Add to that the way the grays and blacks of his coat faded into the shadows, and one was left with the queer and unsettling illusion that he had ht, Appetite incarnate

He trotted directly past us, no asped, her breath hot on ain, and spoke to her, but she made no answer Duncan had said she was Africa-born and spoke little English, but surely she ht," I said again "Don’t be afraid"

Occupied with horse and passenger, I hadn’t noticed Jaht-footed as Rollo

"All right, Sassenach?" he asked softly, putting a hand on rip round my middle "If I don’t die of suffocation"

He looked, and ser of fallin’ off, at least"

"I wish I knew so, she’s so afraid Do you suppose she even knohere we’re taking her?"

"I shouldna think so--I dinna ken where we’re going" He wore breeks for riding, but had his plaid belted over the across the shoulder of his coat The dark tartan blended into the shadows of the forest as well as it had the shades of the Scottish heather; all I could see of him was a white blotch of shirt-front and the pale oval of his face