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Intro
After his parents die, 17-year-old David Balfour leaves his home in Essendean, carrying a letter from his father addressed to his uncle Ebenezer Balfour at the House of Shaws near Edinburgh. David expects a warm welcome, but when he arrives, he finds Ebenezer suspicious and hostile. Ebenezer tries to kill David by tricking him into climbing a dangerous tower staircase, but David narrowly escapes and confronts his uncle. Afraid that David will expose his murderous schemes, Ebenezer feigns remorse and invites David to accompany him on business to the docks.
Ebenezer leads David aboard a ship, The Covenant, supposedly to meet a lawyer. However, in reality, Ebenezer has arranged for the ship’s captain, Hoseason, to kidnap David. Once aboard, Hoseason’s crew knocks David unconscious and imprisons him below deck. David wakes up sick and wounded, and Hoseason’s first mate, Mr. Riach, tends to him. David soon discovers the ship is sailing to the Carolinas, where Hoseason plans to sell him into slavery.
While at sea, the ship collides with a small boat and ends up rescuing Alan Breck Stewart, a Jacobite rebel carrying gold for his exiled clan chief, Ardshiel. Hoseason and the crew conspire to kill Alan and steal his gold, but David overhears the plot and warns Alan. Together, they fend off the attackers, cementing their friendship. A few days later, the ship wrecks off the island of Earraid, and David washes ashore alone, cold, and hungry. After several days surviving on mollusks, David finally crosses to the mainland, determined to find Alan, who left instructions for him. He travels through the Highlands, encountering dishonest guides and criminals, but eventually makes contact with Alan’s trusted clansmen. Through these contacts, David learns about Highland clan politics, particularly the bitter rivalry between Alan’s Stewart clan and the Campbell clan.
In Appin, David witnesses the assassination of Colin Campbell, known as the Red Fox, who enforces harsh British laws against Highland clans. Mistakenly identified as an accomplice, David flees with Alan. Though David initially suspects Alan was involved in the murder, Alan denies any direct role, and David chooses to trust him. Knowing they face execution if captured, they hide from British troops, enduring days of hunger, exposure, and near capture. Alan and David receive brief shelter from James Stewart, a clansman forced to publicly blame them for the murder to save himself.
Continuing their desperate flight, David collapses from exhaustion and illness, prompting Alan to repeatedly risk exposure by assisting him. Their friendship strains under stress, eventually erupting into confrontation. After nearly fighting each other, Alan’s sincere remorse moves David, and their bond strengthens. Soon afterward, sympathetic Highlanders shelter and protect David while he recovers from severe illness, ignoring the substantial rewards being offered for his capture.
With their money nearly gone and danger increasing, Alan and David head south toward the Lowlands. To avoid detection, they cleverly deceive an innkeeper’s sympathetic daughter, who helps ferry them secretly across the Firth of Forth. Once safely near Edinburgh, David seeks out Mr. Rankeillor, the lawyer responsible for his inheritance. Initially cautious, Rankeillor verifies David’s identity and listens to his story. Convinced of Ebenezer’s wrongdoing, Rankeillor devises a plan to force Ebenezer into a confession without a public scandal.
Rankeillor, David, and Alan confront Ebenezer at the House of Shaws. Alan pretends he is holding David captive, demanding Ebenezer either pay a ransom or openly refuse responsibility. Ebenezer panics and accidentally admits his crime of kidnapping David. Hidden witnesses immediately reveal themselves, cornering Ebenezer legally. Ebenezer, forced by his confession, agrees to surrender two-thirds of the estate’s income to David. Though David regains his inheritance, he feels uneasy about Alan’s continued danger and the wrongful accusations against James Stewart. Despite warnings from Rankeillor, David resolves to help Alan escape safely to France and aid Stewart’s legal defense. Rankeillor admires David’s courage and provides him with financial support and letters of introduction.
As the novel comes to a close, David and Alan set off toward Edinburgh, knowing their time together must end soon. On a hill overlooking the city, they quietly part ways, each deeply saddened but too proud to express it openly. Alan slips away into hiding, and David enters Edinburgh alone, determined to fulfill his final responsibilities, though he’s lonely without his friend.
