At this moment a quantity of water was
suddenly flung upon the fire, which sank with a hissing noise, and with
it disappeared the light it had hitherto afforded. Four or five active
arms lifted Waverley out of the boat, placed him on his feet, and
almost carried him into the recesses of the cave. He made a few paces in
darkness, guided in this manner; and advancing towards a hum of voices,
which seemed to sound from the centre of the rock, at an acute turn
Donald Bean Lean and his whole establishment were before his eyes.
The interior of the cave, which here rose very high, was illuminated by
torches made of pine-tree, which emitted a bright and bickering light,
attended by a strong though not unpleasant odour. Their light was
assisted by the red glare of a large charcoal fire, round which were
seated five or six armed Highlanders, while others were indistinctly
seen couched on their plaids, in the more remote recesses of the cavern.
In one large aperture, which the robber facetiously called his spence
(or pantry), there hung by the heels the carcasses of a sheep, or
ewe, and two cows lately slaughtered. The principal inhabitant of this
singular mansion, attended by Evan Dhu as master of the ceremonies, came
forward to meet his guest, totally different in appearance and manner
from what his imagination had anticipated.
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