A Legend of Montrose

time, and I wish the fellows that enlisted were half as trusty as these.—Here, sir,' he added to the Chief, 'is your money; it impairs Hall's finances and mine somewhat, but debts of honour must be settled.'

'My father's curse upon my father's son,' said Allan, interrupting him, 'if he receive from you one penny! It is enough that you claim no right to exact from him what is his own.'

Lord Menteith eagerly supported Allan's opinion, and the elder M'Aulay readily joined, declaring the whole to be a fool's business, and not worth speaking more about. The Englishmen, after some courteous opposition, were persuaded to regard the whole as a joke.

'And now, Allan,' said the Laird, 'please to remove your candles; for, since the Saxon gentlemen have seen them, they will eat their dinner as comfortably by the light of the old tin sconces, without scomfishing them with so much smoke.'

Accordingly, at a sign from Allan, the living chandeliers, recovering their broadswords, and holding the point erect, marched out of the hall, and left the guests to enjoy their refreshment. [Such a bet as that mentioned in the text is said to have been taken by MacDonald of Keppoch, who extricated himself in the manner there narrated.]

CHAPTER V.

Thareby so fearlesse and so fell he grew,
That his own syre and maister of his guise
Did often tremble at his horrid view;
And if for dread of hurt would him advise,
The angry beastes not rashly to despise,
Nor too much to provoke; for he would learne
The lion stoup to him in lowly wise,
(A lesson hard,) and make the libbard sterne
Leave roaring, when in rage he for revenge did earne.—SPENSER.

Notwithstanding the proverbial epicurism of the English,—proverbial, that is to say, in Scotland at the period,—the English visitors made no figure whatever at the entertainment, compared with the portentous voracity of Captain Dalgetty, although that gallant soldier had already displayed much steadiness and pertinacity in his attack upon the lighter refreshment set before them at their entrance, by way of forlorn hope. He spoke to no one during the time of his meal; and it was not until the victuals were nearly withdrawn from the table, that he gratified the rest of the company, who had watched him with some surprise, with an account of the reasons why he ate so very fast and so very long.

'The former quality,' he said, 'he had acquired, while he filled a place at the bursar's table at the Mareschal-College of Aberdeen; when,' said he; 'if you did not move your jaws as fast as a pair of castanets, you were very unlikely to get any thing to put between them. And as for the quantity of my food, be it known to this honourable company,' continued the Captain, 'that it's the duty of every commander of a fortress, on all occasions which offer, to secure as much munition and vivers as their magazines can possibly hold, not knowing when they may have to sustain a siege or a blockade. Upon which principle, gentlemen,' said he, 'when a cavalier finds that provant is good and abundant, he will, in my estimation, do wisely to victual himself for at least three days, as there is no knowing when he may come by another meal.'

The Laird expressed his acquiescence in the prudence of this principle, and recommended to the veteran to add a tass of brandy and a flagon of claret to the substantial provisions he had already laid in, to which proposal the Captain readily agreed.

When dinner was removed, and the servants had withdrawn, excepting the Laird's page, or henchman, who remained in the apartment to call for or bring whatever was wanted, or, in a word, to answer the purposes of a modern bell-wire, the conversation began to turn upon politics, and the state of the country; and Lord Menteith enquired anxiously and particularly what clans were expected to join the proposed muster of the King's friends.

'That depends much, my lord, on the person who lifts the banner,' said the Laird; 'for you know we Highlanders, when a few clans are assembled, are not easily commanded by one of our own Chiefs, or, to say the truth, by any other body. We have heard a rumour, indeed, that Colkitto—that is, young Colkitto, or Alaster M'Donald, is come over the Kyle from Ireland, with a body of the Earl of Antrim's people, and that they had got as far as Ardnamurchan. They might have been here before now, but, I suppose, they loitered to plunder the country as they came along.'

'Will Colkitto not serve you for a leader, then?' said Lord Menteith.

'Colkitto?' said Allan M'Aulay, scornfully; 'who talks of Colkitto?—There lives but one man whom we will follow, and that is Montrose.'

'But Montrose, sir,' said Sir Christopher Hall, 'has not been heard of since our ineffectual attempt to rise in the north of England. It is thought he has returned to the King at Oxford for farther instructions.'

'Returned!' said Allan, with a scornful laugh; 'I could tell ye, but it is not worth my while; ye will know soon enough.'

'By my honour, Allan,' said Lord Menteith, 'you will weary out your friends with this intolerable, froward, and sullen humour—But I know the reason,' added he, laughing; 'you have not seen Annot Lyle to-day.'

'Whom did you say I had not seen?' said Allan, sternly.

'Annot Lyle, the fairy queen of song and minstrelsy,' said Lord Menteith.

'Would to God I were never to see her again,' said Allan, sighing, 'On condition the same weird were laid on you!'

'And why on me?' said Lord Menteith, carelessly.

'Because,' said Allan, 'it is written on your forehead, that you are to be the ruin of each other.' So saying, he rose up and left the room.

'Has he been long in this way?' asked Lord Menteith, addressing his brother.

'About three days,' answered Angus; 'the fit is wellnigh over, he will be better to-morrow.—But come, gentlemen, don't let the tappit-hen scraugh to be emptied. The King's health, King Charles's health! and may the covenanting dog that refuses it, go to Heaven by the road of the Grassmarket!'

The health was quickly pledged, and as fast succeeded by another, and another, and another, all of a party cast, and enforced in an earnest manner. Captain Dalgetty, however, thought it necessary to enter a protest.

'Gentlemen cavaliers,' he said, 'I drink these healths, PRIMO, both out of respect to this honourable and hospitable roof-tree, and, SECUNDO, because I hold it not good to be preceese in such matters, INTER POCULA; but I protest, agreeable to the warrandice granted by this honourable lord, that it shall be free to me, notwithstanding my present complaisance, to take service with the Covenanters to-morrow, providing I shall be so minded.'

M'Aulay and his English guests stared at this declaration, which would have certainly bred new disturbance, if Lord Menteith had not taken up the affair, and explained the circumstances and conditions. 'I trust,' he concluded, 'we shall be able to secure Captain Dalgetty's assistance to our own party.'

'And if not,' said the Laird, 'I protest, as the Captain says, that nothing that has passed this evening, not even his having eaten my bread and salt, and pledged me in brandy, Bourdeaux, or usquebaugh, shall prejudice my cleaving him to the neck-bone.'

'You shall be heartily welcome,' said the Captain, 'providing my sword cannot keep my head, which it has done in worse dangers than your fend is likely to make for me.'