It would go against my heart to haggle a man that can blow the pipes as you can ! '' Thereupon that quarrel was made up ; all night long the brose was going and the pipes changing hands ; and the day had come pretty bright , and the three men were none the better for what they had been taking , before Robin as much as thought upon the road . CHAPTER XXVI END OF THE FLIGHT : WE PASS THE FORTH The month , as I have said , was not yet out , but it was already far through August , and beautiful warm weather , with every sign of an early and great harvest , when I was pronounced able for my journey . Our money was now run to so low an ebb that we must think first of all on speed ; for if we came not soon to Mr. Rankeillor 's , or if when we came there he should fail to help me , we must surely starve . In Alan 's view , besides , the hunt must have now greatly slackened ; and the line of the Forth and even Stirling Bridge , which is the main pass over that river , would be watched with little interest . `` It 's a chief principle in military affairs , '' said he , `` to go where ye are least expected . Forth is our trouble ; ye ken the saying , ` Forth bridles the wild Hielandman . ' Well , if we seek to creep round about the head of that river and come down by Kippen or Balfron , it 's just precisely there that they 'll be looking to lay hands on us . But if we stave on straight to the auld Brig of Stirling , I 'll lay my sword they let us pass unchallenged . '' The first night , accordingly , we pushed to the house of a Maclaren in Strathire , a friend of Duncan 's , where we slept the twenty-first of the month , and whence we set forth again about the fall of night to make another easy stage . The twenty-second we lay in a heather bush on the hillside in Uam Var , within view of a herd of deer , the happiest ten hours of sleep in a fine , breathing sunshine and on bone-dry ground , that I have ever tasted . That night we struck Allan Water , and followed it down ; and coming to the edge of the hills saw the whole Carse of Stirling underfoot , as flat as a pancake , with the town and castle on a hill in the midst of it , and the moon shining on the Links of Forth . `` Now , '' said Alan , `` I kenna if ye care , but ye 're in your own land again . We passed the Hieland Line in the first hour ; and now if we could but pass yon crooked water , we might cast our bonnets in the air . '' In Allan Water , near by where it falls into the Forth , we found a little sandy islet , overgrown with burdock , butterbur and the like low plants , that would just cover us if we lay flat . Here it was we made our camp , within plain view of Stirling Castle , whence we could hear the drums beat as some part of the garrison paraded . Shearers worked all day in a field on one side of the river , and we could hear the stones going on the hooks and the voices and even the words of the men talking . It behoved to lie close and keep silent . But the sand of the little isle was sun-warm , the green plants gave us shelter for our heads , we had food and drink in plenty ; and to crown all , we were within sight of safety . As soon as the shearers quit their work and the dusk began to fall , we waded ashore and struck for the Bridge of Stirling , keeping to the fields and under the field fences .
The bridge is close under the castle hill , an old , high , narrow bridge with pinnacles along the parapet ; and you may conceive with how much interest I looked upon it , not only as a place famous in history , but as the very doors of salvation to XXXXX and myself .
Alan Castle Duncan brose burdock day first hours shearers twenty-second