* * * *

" I return to my story. When I
awaked out of my dream, as I had
done before in the affair of Wilson,
(and I desire the same apology I made
in the introduction to these Memoirs
may serve for both, ) I presently rose,
and ordered thirty-six dragoons to be
at the place appointed by break of day.
When we arrived thither, I sent a party
to each of the five farmers' houses.
This villain Steele had murdered above
forty of the king's subjects in cold
blood ; and, as I was informed, had
often laid snares to entrap me ; but it
happened, that although he usually
kept a gang to attend him, yet at this
time he had none, when he stood in
the greatest need. One of the party
found him in one of the farmers' houses,
just as I happened to dream. The
dragoons first searched all the rooms
below without success, till two of them
hearing somebody stirring over their
heads, went up a pair of turnpike stairs.
Steele had put on his clothes, while the
search was making below ; the cham-
ber where he lay was called the Cham-
ber of Deese,* which is the name given
to a room where the laird lies, when he



* Or chamber of state ; so called
from the dais, or canopy and eleva-
tion of floor, ^yhich distinguished the
part of old halls which was occupied
by those of high rank. Hence the
phrase was obliquely vised to signify
state in general.
