Kidnapped

After two days of walking, David begins asking about Shaws and is troubled to find people are surprised when he mentions the name. Inquiring further, he finds that even though Shaws is well known, Ebenezer has a terrible reputation and is indeed thought of as “nae kind of man at all” (11). Upset and ashamed that his uncle is so poorly regarded, David almost turns back but decides to push on until he can judge things for himself.

Coming at last to a hill overlooking the estate, he is met by a woman who at the mention of Shaws calls down a curse on the house and his uncle Ebenezer. Though the land around the house is rich and pleasant, the building itself looks like a ruin to David.

The closer he comes, the gloomier the building appears. David’s knocks go unanswered at first; then, after he begins banging and calling aloud, he is greeted by an old man with a blunderbuss menacing him from a window. David shows his letter addressed to Ebenezer, but the old man is uninterested until David shares his name and mentions his father’s death.

The old man invites David into the house and shocks David speechless by revealing he is none other than Ebenezer Balfour. Ebenezer questions David about the letter and what he knows of Shaws. David admits that he only just learned of his uncle’s existence and is unaware of the letter’s contents. He bristles at his uncle’s suggestion that he has come begging and insists that he can get on fine without his uncle’s help. Ebenezer suddenly becomes friendly and escorts David to a room to stay the night. The two men make the journey in darkness, as Ebenezer has a rule against candles and fires in the house.

The next morning, David rises to find his bedroom door locked. Ebenezer lets David out and offers him some hospitality while inundating his nephew with question after question. David begins to feel like he’s being treated more like a thief than a houseguest and threatens to leave. Ebenezer responds by assuring David that they will “agree fine yet” in the end (19).

David spends the day idling about the house and trying to get his uncle to clarify plans he might have for helping David. While in the library, David discovers a note in a book that indicated his father had given the volume to Ebenezer on his fifth birthday. This seems odd to David since the note was written in a well-lettered hand that suggests the writer could not have been younger than the recipient.

The note confuses David so much that he asks his uncle if he and his father were twins. The question sets Ebenezer in a rage. David begins to suspect that his uncle is trying to hide the fact that David’s father was his elder, which would make David the rightful heir to the estate.

Ebenezer calms some of David’s suspicions by suddenly giving his nephew a great sum of money, claiming it is a gift he promised David’s father he would give to David. Ebenezer then requests that David fetch a chest from the tower in the house.

David proceeds carefully up the staircase in pitch dark due to his uncle’s rule about candles. Near the top, the tower is suddenly illuminated by lightning, and David sees that stairs are missing ahead. Convinced his uncle meant for him to fall to his death, David confronts Ebenezer, who collapses in a panic. David administers a dose of heart medicine and then locks his uncle away for the night.

The next morning, David lets his uncle out of his bedroom and demands an explanation. However, a ship’s cabin boy knocks with a letter for Ebenezer. It’s from Captain Hoseason of the ship Covenant asking for orders before they set sail. David agrees to accompany his uncle to Queen’s Ferry to meet with Hoseason, assuming he will be safe in the bustle of the port. On the road, he speaks at length with the cabin boy, Ransome, who brags about the rough and criminal nature of his life on the Covenant. David pities Ransome, who seems more simple-minded than wicked. To David, living on the Covenant sounds like hell itself. 

David and Ebenezer meet Captain Hoseason at an inn. David is so taken by the sea and the port that when his uncle suggests that David go and enjoy himself, he leaves Ebenezer alone with Captain Hoseason.

David runs into Ransome and buys him an ale. In the bar, David speaks with the owner and learns that the rumor around town is that Ebenezer killed David’s father for the estate. It is widely known that his father was the elder Balfour son.

This exchange confirms David’s suspicion, and he is thrilled at his good fortune. He then meets Captain Hoseason and his uncle. The captain offers David a drink and a tour of the ship while he and Ebenezer conclude their business. Once they are onboard, however, David sees his uncle rowing away. It’s only then that David realizes his peril and cries out for help before blacking out.