Their bodies were never found.
A moment after the fall of the bridge, Robert Bruce, gazing with the
rest at the triumphant torrent, saw the _Bonnie Annie_ go darting past.
Alec was in his shirt-sleeves, facing down the river, with his oars
level and ready to dip. But Bruce did not see Annie in the bottom of
the boat.
"I wonner hoo auld Marget is," he said to his wife the moment he
reached home.
But his wife could not tell him. Then he turned to his two younger
children.
"Bairns," he said, "Annie Anderson's droont. Ay, she's droont," he
continued, as they stared at him with frightened faces. "The Almichty's
taen vengeance upon her for her disobedience, and for brackin' the
Sawbath. See what ye'll come to, bairns, gin ye tak up wi' ill loons,
and dinna min' what's said to ye. _She's_ come to an ill hinner-en'?"
Mrs Bruce cried a little. Robert would have set out at once to see
Margaret Anderson, but there was no possibility of crossing the Wan
Water.
Fortunately for Thomas Crann, James Johnstone, who had reached the
bridge just before the alarm arose, sped to the nearest side, which was
that away from Glamerton. So, having seen the boat go past, with Alec
still safe in it, he was able to set off with the good news for Thomas.
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