Before morning we came to a break in a mountaintop. Water was pouring through the middle. Onone side there was a cave in a rock. Birch treesgrew in a thin，pretty wood. A little farther therewas a wood of pine trees，too.
We slept in the cave. We cut heather bushesto make our beds. Then we slept with Alan’s overcoatfor cover. We lit a small fire to warm ourselves.
We cooked hot porridge in our pan，and littlefish from the stream. We had no fishing - rod，but we did not need one. We stood in the water andcaught the fish in our hands.
We stayed in this shelter for five days. It was apleasant place. When we were not fishing，Alantaught me the use of the sword. He was a veryfierce teacher，and I could never please him. I wasoften afraid，but I learnt something.
Meanwhile we made plans for our escape，天亮前，我们来到一座山顶上，那里有一个豁口，水从韶中潺潺流过。豁口的一边有个石洞。洞外稀稀落落的白桦树长成一个小树林，景色很秀丽。稍远一点还有一个松树林。
我们睡在那座山洞里。割了些灌木条搭了个床，身上盖的是艾伦的大衣。我们生了一小堆火取暖，用我们带的铁锅煮稀饭，还烧了些从小溪捉到的小鱼吃。我们没有鱼杆，实际上也不需要鱼杆，站在水中，用手就可以抓到鱼。
我们在山洞里住了五天。那可是个好地方。我们不在小溪里逮鱼时，艾伦就教我刀法。他是一位十分严厉的老师，对我的功夫总是感到不满意。我常常怕他，可总算是学到一些本领。
在这五天里，我们也商定了逃
“The re d - coa ts will not c ome he re for a longtime ，”Alan said on the first morning.“We mus ts e nd a me s s a ge to J ame s ，a nd h e mus t find somemone y fo r us .”
走的方案。
艾伦在第一天早晨对我说；“红外套们还不会马上搜索这里。咱们得给詹姆斯带个信儿，让他务必弄点钱来。”
“How ca n we s e nd a me s s a ge ？”I asked.“Wec a n’t le a ve this pla ce .”
“Inde e d？”Alan said.“you ha ve n’t ma ny ide a s ，ha ve you，Da vid？I sha ll irtve n t a wa y.”
He sat and thought for a time. He picked up apiece of wood. He made it into a cross，and burntthe four ends in the fire. Then he looked at me.
“Will you le n d me my button ?”he said.“It’s as tra nge que s tio n，but I don ’t like cutting off a nothe rone from my c oa t.”
I gave him the button. He tore a thin bit ofcloth from his overcoat. He put it through the holein the button. Next he tied it to the cross，and addeda few pine and birch leaves.
“Now，”he said,“the re is a ve ry sma ll villa gene a r this pla ce . I ha ve frie nds in it. I c a n trus t some ofthem，but not a ll. You s e e ，Da vid，the y a re poor . Thegove rnme nt will o ffe r a rewa rd if s ome one finds u s .
The re a re ba d pe o ple e ve rywhe re ，a nd. we a k one s ，too . I ca n ’t trus t them，For tha t re a son the y mus t nots e e me . I s ha ll go down to the villa g e whe n it is da rk.
I sha ll le a ve this c ros s in a frie nd’s window.”
“怎样带法呢？咱们又离不开这个地方。”我说。
“是吗？大卫，你没有多少办法，对不对？我来想个法子。”艾伦说。
他坐在那里想了一会儿，然后拣起一块木头，做了一个十字架，把四个末端放在火里烧了烧，看着我，说：
“把你那颗扣子借给我用一用好不好？我不该再从你那里要扣子，可是我舍不得从我的上衣上再割下一颗。”
我把那颗扣子给了他。他从他的大衣上撕下一绺呢子，穿进钮扣眼里。然后，他把那绺呢子系在十字架上，又插进几片松树和桦树叶子。
他说：“好啦，离这里不远有一个很小的村子。村子里有我的一些朋友，有的很可靠，有的靠不住。大卫，你要知道他们都是穷人。政府对发现咱们踪迹的人是有赏金的。
什么地方都有坏人，也有的人意志薄弱，我不能信赖他们。所以，不能让他们见到我。等天黑以后，我下
“And if he finds it，wha t will he think？”I asked.
“We ll，”Alan said,“he ’s not ve ry c le ve r，it istrue . But I hope he will think this ，the c ros s is like a fiery cros s . Tha t is a s ign in o ur cla ns . It me a n s thec la n mus t ga the r a nd fight. But the re is no word withthis fie ry c ro s s ； s o he will think tha t the c la n mus t notris e . The s ign will me a n s ome thing e ls e to him. The nhe will s e e my button . He will s a y to hims e lf,‘Ala n isin the he a the r，a nd he ne e ds me . ’”
山到这个村子里去一趟，把这个十字架放在一个朋友家的窗户上。”
“他要是见了十字架，会怎么想呢?”我问。
艾伦回答说：“哦，我那个朋友确实不很聪明。不过，我希望他会这样想：这象个火焰十字架，是我们家族里的一个紧急信号，意味着全家族的人都必须集合起来，进行战斗。可是，这个火焰十字架上没有字，所以他会想：这不是起义信号，而有别的用意。等他看到我的钮扣，就会想：‘ 艾伦藏在附近的灌木丛中，要我去见他。’”
“Ye s . ”I said，abut there is plenty of heather inthe Highlands. How will he find you?”
