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 Stowe 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 apologized 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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