And as Alan spoke , he set his hands on his knees and looked at the bouman with a smiling mouth , and that dancing light in his eyes that meant mischief to his enemies . Perhaps the bouman was honest enough ; perhaps he had meant to cheat and then , finding himself alone with two of us in a desert place , cast back to honesty as being safer ; at least , and all at once , he seemed to find that button and handed it to Alan . `` Well , and it is a good thing for the honour of the Maccolls , '' said Alan , and then to me , `` Here is my button back again , and I thank you for parting with it , which is of a piece with all your friendships to me . '' Then he took the warmest parting of the bouman . `` For , '' says he , `` ye have done very well by me , and set your neck at a venture , and I will always give you the name of a good man . '' Lastly , the bouman took himself off by one way ; and Alan and I -LRB- getting our chattels together -RRB- struck into another to resume our flight . CHAPTER XXII THE FLIGHT IN THE HEATHER : THE MOOR Some seven hours ' incessant , hard travelling brought us early in the morning to the end of a range of mountains . In front of us there lay a piece of low , broken , desert land , which we must now cross . The sun was not long up , and shone straight in our eyes ; a little , thin mist went up from the face of the moorland like a smoke ; so that -LRB- as Alan said -RRB- there might have been twenty squadron of dragoons there and we none the wiser . We sat down , therefore , in a howe of the hill-side till the mist should have risen , and made ourselves a dish of drammach , and held a council of war . `` David , '' said Alan , `` this is the kittle bit . Shall we lie here till it comes night , or shall we risk it , and stave on ahead ? '' `` Well , '' said I , `` I am tired indeed , but I could walk as far again , if that was all . '' `` Ay , but it isnae , '' said Alan , `` nor yet the half . This is how we stand : Appin 's fair death to us . To the south it 's all Campbells , and no to be thought of . To the north ; well , there 's no muckle to be gained by going north ; neither for you , that wants to get to Queensferry , nor yet for me , that wants to get to France . Well , then , we 'll can strike east . '' `` East be it ! '' says I , quite cheerily ; but I was thinking in to myself : `` O , man , if you would only take one point of the compass and let me take any other , it would be the best for both of us . ''
`` Well , then , east , ye see , we have the muirs , '' XXXXX Alan .
getting give lay lie risk said stave struck take went