While the boat is still off the coast of Scotland and Davie is still trying to figure out what he's going to do, the Covenant runs over a small boat. All the men on the smaller boat die save Alan Breck Stewart, who is trying to escape English soldiers. He carries a belt full of money, which Hoseason wants. Apparently kidnapping and then selling Davie won't be profitable enough, so Hoseason and the first mate plan to murder Alan and steal his money.
Davie, who has no reason to be loyal to the greedy captain, warns Alan of the plan. The two of them fortify a room against the ship's crew. Hoseason agrees to free Alan in Appin, his home, after learning why Alan is wanted. Alan's a Jacobite, who worked against the English in 1745. Good to his word, for once, Hoseason steers for the western coast of Scotland.
But the coast is rocky and the boat runs up against a reef and sinks. Davie is thrown from the wreckage and makes it to the shore of the island of Earraid. The island is bare and rocky and Davie fears he'll die from thirst long before the hunger can kill him. But then he understands that Earraid is only a complete island at high tide--at low tide, the island of Mull is just a perilous walk away. Davie makes it to Mull.