Rob Roy | Chapter 3 Summary

Frank sets out on horseback to the north country. He has a feeling of independence and pleasure in his journey, despite the unpleasant cause of it. He finds the road, however, lacking in interest, and finds amusement only in the people he encounters on the way.

One such person is a man with whom he travels a day and a half. He too travels on horseback, carrying a heavy portmanteau. He is of a wary and suspicious nature, never revealing too much about what he carries, where he is going, or even the direction of his travels.

Frank resolves to find some amusement in the man. He gains his trust, and then begins asking him questions about himself, causing the man to become wary once again. He will carry on a conversation pleasantly enough, but once Frank starts with his questioning, he withdraws a little, though eventually returning to Frank’s company.

The wary stranger comments on Frank’s horse and, what he considers, its obvious limitations as for endurance and speed. Frank proposes a race between the two. The man hesitates, then states it would not be fair, since Frank is considerably lighter than he. Frank offers to take on some weight, and suggest that he carry the man’s portmanteau. The man states that this would not be heavy enough, as all it holds are a few shirts and stockings. When Frank remarks that it seems a bit heavy to hold only that, the man retreats from the conversation, and is saved by their arrival at a village.