them off it.’
‘Orrr?’ said the Doctor sleepily.
‘Or,’ said Polly. She had her hand to her head, thinking hard. ‘We try and capture the ship.’
‘What would we do that for?’ said Kirsty.
Polly said, ‘Well surely you could sail to somewhere safe with it. Wasn’t France your ally, or something?’
The Scots girl set her lips and shook her head slowly.
‘I’ll no leave Scotland for anything,’ she said.
‘It would be safer,’ said the Doctor.
‘Never!’ said Kirsty.
The Doctor sat up suddenly. ‘It wouldn’t have to be for long, you know. Just for... let’s see...’ With his encyclopaedic memory for dates and times, the Doctor ran his mind back through the history of the Jacobite rebellion. How long before there would be a general amnesty and pardon and they could return to their glens?
‘Let’s see, it would be...’ then he stopped himself. ‘No,’ he said, ‘not very long, just a while.’
Poor Kirsty had enough on her mind without wondering how a man could see into the future in this way.
‘Just for a while, and then it will be safe to return here again.’
Kirsty still shook her head obstinately. ‘Why should I leave my ain country?’ she said.
The Doctor lay back again. ‘Please yourself,’ he said,
‘but you and your father may both lose your lives if you stay in the glen.’
‘Well,’ said Kirsty, reluctantly, ‘if you’re sure there’s no other way.’
Polly was also remembering her history a little, but she wasn’t as clear about it as the Doctor. ‘The Doctor says it won’t be for long,’ she said.
‘What must we do then?’ said Kirsty.
‘We must make a plan.’ She looked at the Doctor.
‘Doctor, I know you’ve got a plan for us. It’s just like you.
Come on, what is it?’
‘No,’ said the Doctor, closing his eyes again.
‘Oh, come on, I know you better than that. You must have a plan.’
The Doctor still shook his head. ‘Not really,’ he said.
The two girls looked at him in despair and he opened one eye. ‘But I have got a wee idea,’ he said.
Polly sat back, relieved. Just the Doctor playing one of his tricks as usual. She looked reproachfully at him. ‘Oh Doctor!’ she said.
As though recharged and filled with fresh energy, the Doctor sprang onto his knees. ‘Just thought of it,’ he said.
‘Won’t work, of course.’ And then as their faces fell again, he said, ‘but it’s worth a try. Anybody got any money?’
Polly nodded. ‘We’ve seventeen guineas left. We took it from the English Lieutenant.’
’Ah,’ the Doctor rubbed his hands, ‘a fortune in these days. Now, we need weapons, lots of them... and a rowing boat.’
’I can get the boat,’ said Kirsty. ‘I’ve a cousin McLaren who runs a fishing smack out of Inverness.’
The Doctor nodded. ‘Good, and the weapons can be
bought from the English soldiers. They must have hoards of Rebel weapons as souvenirs by now.’
‘But will they sell them to us?’ said Polly.
The Doctor nodded. ‘You don’t know the English soldier. He’d sell you his mother for sixpence.’
‘And then?’ said Kirsty.
‘We smuggle them out to the brig,’ said the Doctor.
Polly nodded her head excitedly. ‘Yes Doctor, then?’
‘And then,’ the Doctor’s face became blank, ‘I dunno.’
He yawned. ‘I expect we’ll find something to do once we get there. I must sleep now.’ The Doctor fell back in the hay, closed his eyes, and with the particular gift he had was instantly fast asleep.
‘Oh no,’ Polly leaned over and tried to wake the Doctor.
She looked at Kirsty who was also examining the Doctor.
‘Och, he’s fast asleep,’ said Kirsty. The two girls looked at each other over the sleeping Doctor.
‘I’m scared to fall asleep,’ said Kirsty, ‘in case I dinna wake up in time.’
‘Oh, don’t worry,’ said Polly, ‘the Doctor will wake us up in an hour. He’s like that. Must have an inbuilt alarm clock.’ The two girls snuggled
‘Orrr?’ said the Doctor sleepily.
‘Or,’ said Polly. She had her hand to her head, thinking hard. ‘We try and capture the ship.’
‘What would we do that for?’ said Kirsty.
Polly said, ‘Well surely you could sail to somewhere safe with it. Wasn’t France your ally, or something?’
The Scots girl set her lips and shook her head slowly.
‘I’ll no leave Scotland for anything,’ she said.
‘It would be safer,’ said the Doctor.
‘Never!’ said Kirsty.
The Doctor sat up suddenly. ‘It wouldn’t have to be for long, you know. Just for... let’s see...’ With his encyclopaedic memory for dates and times, the Doctor ran his mind back through the history of the Jacobite rebellion. How long before there would be a general amnesty and pardon and they could return to their glens?
‘Let’s see, it would be...’ then he stopped himself. ‘No,’ he said, ‘not very long, just a while.’
Poor Kirsty had enough on her mind without wondering how a man could see into the future in this way.
‘Just for a while, and then it will be safe to return here again.’
Kirsty still shook her head obstinately. ‘Why should I leave my ain country?’ she said.
The Doctor lay back again. ‘Please yourself,’ he said,
‘but you and your father may both lose your lives if you stay in the glen.’
‘Well,’ said Kirsty, reluctantly, ‘if you’re sure there’s no other way.’
Polly was also remembering her history a little, but she wasn’t as clear about it as the Doctor. ‘The Doctor says it won’t be for long,’ she said.
‘What must we do then?’ said Kirsty.
‘We must make a plan.’ She looked at the Doctor.
‘Doctor, I know you’ve got a plan for us. It’s just like you.
Come on, what is it?’
‘No,’ said the Doctor, closing his eyes again.
‘Oh, come on, I know you better than that. You must have a plan.’
The Doctor still shook his head. ‘Not really,’ he said.
The two girls looked at him in despair and he opened one eye. ‘But I have got a wee idea,’ he said.
Polly sat back, relieved. Just the Doctor playing one of his tricks as usual. She looked reproachfully at him. ‘Oh Doctor!’ she said.
As though recharged and filled with fresh energy, the Doctor sprang onto his knees. ‘Just thought of it,’ he said.
‘Won’t work, of course.’ And then as their faces fell again, he said, ‘but it’s worth a try. Anybody got any money?’
Polly nodded. ‘We’ve seventeen guineas left. We took it from the English Lieutenant.’
’Ah,’ the Doctor rubbed his hands, ‘a fortune in these days. Now, we need weapons, lots of them... and a rowing boat.’
’I can get the boat,’ said Kirsty. ‘I’ve a cousin McLaren who runs a fishing smack out of Inverness.’
The Doctor nodded. ‘Good, and the weapons can be
bought from the English soldiers. They must have hoards of Rebel weapons as souvenirs by now.’
‘But will they sell them to us?’ said Polly.
The Doctor nodded. ‘You don’t know the English soldier. He’d sell you his mother for sixpence.’
‘And then?’ said Kirsty.
‘We smuggle them out to the brig,’ said the Doctor.
Polly nodded her head excitedly. ‘Yes Doctor, then?’
‘And then,’ the Doctor’s face became blank, ‘I dunno.’
He yawned. ‘I expect we’ll find something to do once we get there. I must sleep now.’ The Doctor fell back in the hay, closed his eyes, and with the particular gift he had was instantly fast asleep.
‘Oh no,’ Polly leaned over and tried to wake the Doctor.
She looked at Kirsty who was also examining the Doctor.
‘Och, he’s fast asleep,’ said Kirsty. The two girls looked at each other over the sleeping Doctor.
‘I’m scared to fall asleep,’ said Kirsty, ‘in case I dinna wake up in time.’
‘Oh, don’t worry,’ said Polly, ‘the Doctor will wake us up in an hour. He’s like that. Must have an inbuilt alarm clock.’ The two girls snuggled
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