leader collected his helots again, and so they
marched straight from the square to the gates of the castle. The two
soldiers on guard crossed pikes before them, but the leader, without a
word, struck down their weapons and attempted to march in, brave as
you please; who but they! There was a bit of a scuffle at the gate,
then the bugle sounded and we surrounded them, trying to disarm them
peaceably at first, but they fought like demons, and so there's some
sore heads among them."

"You disarmed them, of course?"

"Certainly, your majesty."

"Very well; bring them in and let us hear what they have to say for
themselves."

The doors were flung open, a sharp command was given, and presently
there entered the group of Highlanders, disarmed and with their elbows
tied behind their backs. A strong guard of the soldiery accompanied
them on either side. The Highlanders were men of magnificent physique,
a quality that was enhanced by the picturesque costume they wore, in
spite of the fact that in some instances, this costume was in tatters,
and the wearers cut and bleeding. But, stalwart as his followers
were, their leader far outmeasured them in height and girth; a truly
magnificent specimen of the human race, who strode up the long room
with an imperial swagger such as had never before been seen in
Stirling, in spite of the fact that his arms were pinioned. He marched
on until he came before the king, and there took his stand, without
any indication of bowing his bonneted head, or bending his sturdy bare
knees. The moment the leader set his foot across the threshold, the
unabashed piper immediately protruded his chest, and struck up the
wild strain of "Failte mhic an Abba," or the Salute to the Chief.

"Stop it, ye deevil!" cried the captain of the guard. "How dare you
set up such a squawking in the presence of the king?" and as the piper
paid not the slightest attention to him, he struck the mouth-piece
from the lips of the performer. This, however, did not cause a
cessation of the music, for the bag under the piper's elbow was filled
with wind and the fingers of the musician bravely kept up the strain
on the reed chanter with its nine holes, and thus he played until his
chief came to a stand before the king. The king gazed with undisguised
admiration upon the foremost Highlander, and said quietly to the
captain of the guard,--

"Unbind him!"

On finding his arms released, the mountaineer stretched them out once
or