These ever and anon made an incursion upon the arable ground, which was
repelled by the loud, uncouth, and dissonant shouts of half a dozen
Highland swains, all running as if they had been mad, and every one
hallooing a half-starved dog to the rescue of the forage. At a little
distance up the glen was a small and stunted wood of birch; the hills
were high and heathy, but without any variety of surface; so that the
whole view was wild and desolate rather than grand and solitary. Yet,
such as it was, no genuine descendant of Ian nan Chaistel would have
changed the domain for Stow or Blenheim.
There was a sight, however, before the gate, which perhaps would have
afforded the first owner of Blenheim more pleasure than the finest view
in the domain assigned to him by the gratitude of his country. This
consisted of about a hundred Highlanders, in complete dress and arms; at
sight of whom the Chieftain apologised to Waverley in a sort of negligent
manner. 'He had forgot,' he said, 'that he had ordered a few of his clan
out, for the purpose of seeing that they were in a fit condition to
protect the country, and prevent such accidents as, he was sorry to
learn, had befallen the Baron of Bradwardine.
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