3 David is alone

3 David is alone

　　It was a cold night，so I could not sit down to rest．In stead，I walked up and down on the beach，trying to keep warm．There was no sound except the crash of the waves．I felt very lonely and afraid．

　　In the morning I climbed a hill，and looked out over the sea，but there was nothing at all on the water．And around me on the island，I could not see any houses or people．I did not like to think what had happened to my friend Alan and the others，and I did not want to look at this emptiness any longer．So I climbed down again，and walked eastwards．I was hoping to find a house，where I could dry my clothes，and get something to eat． I soon discovered that nobody lived on Earraid．It was too far to swim to Mull，which could see across the water．I thought perhaps I could wade across，but when I tried it，the water was too deep，and I had to turn back．By now it had started to rain，and I felt very miserable．

　　Then I remembered the piece of wood，which had already saved my life once．It would help me to get across the sea to Mull！So I walked all the way back to the beach where I had arrived．The piece of wood was in the sea，so I waded into the water to get it．But as I came closer，it moved away from me．And when the water was too deep for me to stand，the piece of wood was still several metres away．I had to leave it，and went back to the beach．It was a terrible moment for me．I was feeling very tired，hungry and thirsty，with no hope of getting away from this lonely island．For the first time since leaving Essendean，I lay down and cried． I do not want to remember the time that I spent on Earraid．I had nothing with me except my uncle's gold and Alan's silver button，and as I had never lived near the sea，I did not know what to eat or how to fish．In fact，I found some shellfish among the rocks on the coast，and ate them，but I was very sick afterwards．That was the only food that I could find，so I was always hungry on Earraid．All day and all night it rained heavily，but there was no roof or tree on the island，and my clothes were cold and wet on my body．

　　I chose to spend most of my time in the north of Earraid，on a little hill．From here I could see the old church on the island of Iona，not far away to the west，and smoke from people's houses on Mull，to the east．I used to watch this smoke，and think of the people there，and their comfortable lives．This gave me a little hope，in my lonely life among the rocks and the rain and the cold sea．

　　Two days passed，and on the third day two things happened．First，I discovered that I had lost almost all my money through a hole in my pocket．I only had three of my uncle's thirty-eight pounds left．But worse was to come．While I was sitting on a rock，looking out over Iona，I suddenly noticed a small boat moving fast through the Water．I jumped to my feet and shouted as loudly as I could．The two men in the boat were near enough to hear．They shouted back in Gaelic，and laughed．But the boat did not turn，and sailed on，right in front of my eyes，to Iona． I could not understand why they did not come to help me．I continued shouting wildly，although I could no longer see them．And then，I lay down and cried for the second time．This time I wasn't sad，but angry，because I thought that they had left me to die alone in that terrible place．

　　The next morning，I was surprised to see that the same men were sailing towards Earraid from Iona．At once I ran down to the rocky coast to meet them．The boat came near me，but stayed a few metres away in the water．There was a third man in the boat，who was talking and laughing with the others．Then he stood up and spoke fast to me in Gaelic，which I could not understand．But sometimes he used an English word，and once I heard the word ‘tide’．This gave me a flash of hope． ‘Do you mean—that when the tide is low…？’I cried，and could not finish． ‘Yes，yes，’he called back，‘tide，’and laughed again． I turned my back on the boat and ran back excitedly to the east of the island，where Earraid was the closest to Mull．And sure enough，there was now only a little water between the is lands．I was able to wade through it easily，and reached Mull with a happy shout．How stupid of me not to realize that it was possible to get to Mull，twice a day，at low tide！Now I felt very grateful to the boatmen for guessing my problem，and coming back to help me． I walked towards the smoke that I had seen so often from Earraid，and reached a long，low house built of stone．Outside sat an old man，smoking his pipe in the sun．He spoke a little English， and told me that the officers and sailors from the ship had all arrived there safely a few days before． ‘Was one of them dressed in fine clothes？’I asked． ‘Aye，there was one like that，’he smiled．‘Ye must be the lad with the silver button！’ ‘Why，yes！’I said，surprised． ‘Well then，your friend says that ye must follow him to the house of his clansman，James Stewart，in Appin．’

　　He and his wife gave me food and drink，and let me sleep that night in their house． In the morning I thanked them for their kindness，and started my journey to Appin．

　　I walked across Mull to Torosay，where I took a boat across the water to Lochaline．Then I walked to Kingairlock，where I took another boat across Loch Linnhe to Appin．This took six days，and on my way I met and spoke to a number of travellers．I heard all about Alan's clan，the Stewarts，and their enemies，the Campbells．Although they were both High land clans，the Campbells and Stewarts had hated each other for years，and now the Campbells were helping the English army drive many Highlanders out of their homes． Indeed， in a day or two， I heard， red-haired Colin Campbell himself was com ing to Appin， with King George's soldiers， to drive the Stew arts out and so destroy his enemies． But I heard also of James Stewart， head of the Stewart clan in Appin， and that he and his clansmen would dearly love to see Colin Campbell dead．

　　People also talked of a man called Alan Breck． Some called him a murderer； others said that he was a brave fighter． He was in danger every time he returned to the Highlands，be cause the English would pay a good price for him-dead or alive． I listened with interest to everything that they told me．But I liked it best when I heard Alan described as a fine man and an honest Highlander．

　　When I got out of the boat in Appin， I sat down among some trees to decide what to do next． Should I go on， and join Alan， whose friends were King George's enemies， and whose life was full of danger，or should I go back south again，quietly and safely， to the Lowlands？

　　As I was thinking， four men on horses came past me on the road． As soon as I saw these men， I decided to continue my adventure， although I cannot explain why．

　　I stopped the first man， who was tall and red－haired．

　　‘Could you tell me the way to James Stewart's house，sir？’I asked．

　　All the men looked at each other． The red－haired man did not reply，but spoke to one of the others，who looked like a lawyer．‘Is Stewart calling his people together， do ye think？’

　　The lawyer replied，‘We'd better wait here for the sold iers to join us， before we go any further．’

　　The red－haired man，I suddenly realized，must be Colin Campbell himself．‘If you're worried about me，’ I said，‘I'm not a Stewart， but a Lowlander， and I'm for King George．’ ‘That's well said，’ replied Campbell，‘but， if I may ask，why is an honest Lowlander like you so far from his home？Today is not a good day for travelling． This is the day when the Appin Stewarts have to leave their farms， and there may be trouble．”

　　He was turning to speak to the lawyer again，

　　when there came a sudden bang from the hill， and Campbell fell off his horse．‘They've shot me！’ he cried， holding his heart．

　　He died almost immediately． The men's faces were white as they looked down at his body．I saw something move on the hill，and noticed， among the trees， a man with a gun， turning away from the road．

　　‘Look！ The murderer！’ I cried， and began to run up the hill towards him． He saw me chasing him， and went faster．Soon he disappeared behind a rock， and I could no longer see him． I stopped next to some trees， then I heard a voice below，on the road．

　　The lawyer was shouting to a large number of redcoated soldiers， who had just joined the men around Campbell's dead body．‘Ten pounds if ye catch that lad！’ he cried．He's one of the murderers！ He stopped us in the road，to give the killer a better chance to shoot Campbell！’

　　Now I felt a new kind of fear． My life was in serious danger， although I had not done anything wrong．

　　My mouth felt dry， and for a moment I could not move． I stood there in the open，on the hill，while the soldiers lifted their guns，ready to shoot．

　　‘Jump in here among the trees，’ said a voice near me．

　　I did not know what I was doing， but I obeyed． As I did so， I heard the banging of the guns， and realized that the sol diers were shooting at me． In the shadow of the trees， I found Alan Breck standing there． It was he who had spoken to me．