about five in the evening
I thought Alan would be gravelled at that , for we lacked the means of writing in that desert . But he was a man of more resources than I knew ; searched the wood until he found the quill of a cushat-dove , which he shaped into a pen ; made himself a kind of ink with gunpowder from his horn and water from the running stream ; and tearing a corner from his French military commission -LRB- which he carried in his pocket , like a talisman to keep him from the gallows -RRB- , he sat down and wrote as follows : `` DEAR KINSMAN , -- Please send the money by the bearer to the place he kens of . `` Your affectionate cousin , `` A. S. '' This he intrusted to the bouman , who promised to make what manner of speed he best could , and carried it off with him down the hill . He was three full days gone , but about five in the evening of the third , we heard a whistling in the wood , which Alan answered ; and presently the bouman came up the water-side , looking for us , right and left . He seemed less sulky than before , and indeed he was no doubt well pleased to have got to the end of such a dangerous commission . He gave us the news of the country ; that it was alive with red-coats ; that arms were being found , and poor folk brought in trouble daily ; and that James and some of his servants were already clapped in prison at Fort William , under strong suspicion of complicity . It seemed it was noised on all sides that Alan Breck had fired the shot ; and there was a bill issued for both him and me , with one hundred pounds reward .