At Kingsburgh the connection of Flora
McDonald with the unfortunate prince ended. Her wit and shrewdness had
saved him from inevitable capture. He was now out of the immediate range
of search of his enemies, and must henceforth trust to his own devices.
From Kingsburgh the fugitive sought the island of Rasa, led by a guide
supplied by McDonald, and wearing the dress of a servant. The laird of
Rasa had taken part in the rebellion, and his domain had been plundered
in consequence. Food was scarce, and Charles suffered great distress. He
next followed his seeming master to the land of the laird of MacKinnon,
but, finding himself still in peril, felt compelled to leave the
islands, and once more landed on the Scottish mainland at Loch Nevis.
Here his peril was as imminent as it had been at South Uist. It was the
country of Lochiel, Glengarry, and other Jacobite chiefs, and was filled
with soldiers, diligently seeking the leaders of the insurrection.
Charles and his guides found themselves surrounded by foes. A complete
line of sentinels, who crossed each other upon their posts, inclosed the
district in which he had sought refuge, and escape seemed impossible.
The country was rough, bushy, and broken; and he and his companions were
forced to hide in defiles and woodland shelters, where they dared not
light a fire, and from which they could see distant soldiers and hear
the calls of the sentinels.
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