t
to some hospitable purpose or other. At length the arrival of M'Dougal
of Lorn, after all his means of accommodation were exhausted, reduced
him to some perplexity. "What the devil is to be done, Donald?" said
he; "the great barn would hold fifty more, if they would lie heads
and thraws; but there would be drawn dirks amang them which should lie
upper-most, and so we should have bloody puddings before morning!"

"What needs all this?" said Allan, starting up, and coming forward with
the stern abruptness of his usual manner; "are the Gael to-day of softer
flesh or whiter blood than their fathers were? Knock the head out of
a cask of usquebae; let that be their night-gear--their plaids
their bed-clothes--the blue sky their canopy, and the heather their
couch.--Come a thousand more, and they would not quarrel on the broad
heath for want of room!"

"Allan is right," said his brother; "it is very odd how Allan, who,
between ourselves," said he to Musgrave, "is a little wowf, [WOWF, i.e.
crazed.] seems at times to have more sense than us all put together.
Observe him now."

"Yes," continued Allan, fixing his eyes with a ghastly stare upon the
opposite side of the hall, "they may well begin as they are to end; many
a man will sleep this night upon the heath, that when the Martinmas wind
shalt blow shall lie there stark enough, and reck little of cold or lack
of covering."

"Do not forespeak us, brother," said Angus; "that is not lucky."

"And what luck is it then that you expect?" said Allan; and straining
his eyes until they almost started from their sockets, he fell with a
convulsive shudder into the arms of Donald and his brother, who, knowing
the nature of his fits, had come near to prevent his fall. They seated
him upon a bench, and supported him until he came to himself, and was
about to speak.

"For God's sake, Allan," said his brother, who knew the impression his
mystical words were likely to make on many of the guests, "say nothing
to discourage us."

"Am I he who discourages you?" said Allan; "let every man face his world
as I shall face mine. That which must come, will come; and we shall
stride gallantly over many a field of victory, ere we reach yon fatal
slaughter-place, or tread yon sable scaffolds."

"What slaughter-place? what scaffolds?" exclaimed several voices; for
Allan's renown as a seer was generally established in the Highlands.

"You will know that but too soon," answered Allan. "Speak to m