Whentheyhadwalkedabouthalf-an-hour，stillalongopenandwastegroundofthesamedescription，theycametothestumpofanancientoak，which，fromitsrelics，appearedtohavebeenatonetimeatreeofverylargesize。InanadjacenthollowtheyfoundseveralHighlanders，withahorseortwo。
Theyhadnotjoinedthemaboveafewminutes，whichWaverley’sattendantemployed，inallprobability，incommunicatingthecauseoftheirdelayforthewordsDuncanDuroch’’wereoftenrepeated，whenDuncanhimselfappeared，outofbreathindeed，andwithallthesymptomsofhavingrunforhislife，butlaughing，andinhighspiritsatthesuccessofthestratagembywhichhehadbaffledhispursuers。This，indeed，Waverleycouldeasilyconceivemightbeamatterofnogreatdifficultytotheactivemountaineer，whowasperfectlyacquaintedwiththeground，andtracedhiscoursewithafirmnessandconfidencetowhichhispursuersmusthavebeenstrangers。Thealarmwhichheexcitedseemedstilltocontinue，foradroppingshotortwowereheardatagreatdistance，whichseemedtoserveasanadditiontothemirthofDuncanandhiscomrades。
Themountaineernowresumedthearmswithwhichhehadentrustedourhero，givinghimtounderstandthatthedangersofthejourneywerehappilysurmounted。Waverleywasthenmountedupononeofthehorses，achangewhichthefatigueofthenightandhisrecentillnessrenderedexceedinglyacceptable。
Hisportmanteauwasplacedonanotherpony，Duncanmountedathird，andtheysetforwardataroundpace，accompaniedbytheirescort。Nootherincidentmarkedthecourseofthatnight’sjourney，andatthedawnofmorningtheyattainedthebanksofarapidriver。Thecountryaroundwasatoncefertileandromantic。Steepbanksofwoodwerebrokenbycornfields，whichthisyearpresentedanabundantharvest，alreadyinagreatmeasurecutdown。
Ontheoppositebankoftheriver，andpartlysurroundedbyawindingofitsstream，stoodalargeandmassivecastle，thehalf-ruinedturretsofwhichwerealreadyglitteringinthefirstraysofthesun。Itwasinformanoblongsquare，ofsizeNoteQ。CastleofDoune。