of one who fears neither potentate nor peasant,
and so accompanied the captain; but the gossips nodded their heads
sagely at one another, whispering that it would be well to take a good
view of MacDonald's back, as they were little likely to see him soon
again, and this whisper proved true, for next day MacDonald had
completely disappeared, no one knew whither.

When James the laird's son, entered the presence of James the king,
the latter said as soon as the captain had left them alone together,--

"Jamie, my man, you understand the Gaelic, so it is possible you
understand those who speak it."

"If your majesty means the Highlanders, they are easily enough
understood. They are plain, simple, honest bodies who speak what's on
their minds, and who are always willing, in an argument, to exchange
the wag of the tongue for a swoop of the black knife."

"I admit," said the king with a smile, "that they are a guileless
pastoral people, easy to get on with if you comprehend them, but that
is where I'm at a loss, and I thought your head might supplement my
own."

"I am delighted to hear you want my head for no other purpose but that
of giving advice," returned the Highlander candidly.

"Truth to tell, Jamie, your head would be of little use to me were it
not on your shoulders. If the head were that of a winsome lassie I
might be tempted to take it on my own shoulder, but otherwise I am
well content to let heads remain where Providence places them."

Whether intentional or not, the king had touched a sore spot when he
referred to the laying of a winsome lassie's head on his shoulder, and
MacDonald drew himself up rather stiffly.

"In any ploy with the ladies," he said, "your majesty has the weight
of an ermine cloak in your favour, and we all know how the lassies
like millinery."

"Then, Jamie, in a fair field, you think you would have the advantage
of me, as for example if our carpet were the heather instead of the
weaving of an Eastern loom?"

"I just think that," said MacDonald stoutly.

The king threw back his head and laughed the generous laugh of the
all-conquering man.

"E-god, Jamie, my man, we may put that to the test before long, but it
is in the high realms of statesmanship I want your advice, and not in
the frivolous courts of love. You may give that advice the more freely
when I tell you that I have made up my mind what to do in any case,
and am not likely to be swayed one way or other by the counsel