When I opened them again, the rogues were crept the least thing nearer without speech or hurry.

Every eye was upon mine, which struck me with a strange sensation of their brightness, and of the fear with which they continued to approach me.

I held out my hands empty: whereupon one asked, with a strong Highland brogue, if I surrendered.
"Under protest," said I, "if ye ken what that means, which I misdoubt." At that word, they came all in upon me like a flight of birds upon a carrion, seized me, took my sword, and all the money from my pockets, bound me hand and foot with some strong line, and cast me on a tussock of bent.

There they sat about their captive in a part of a circle and gazed upon him silently like something dangerous, perhaps a lion or a tiger on the spring.

Presently this attention was relaxed.