arket-day came on the morning after the day John Splendid and I
foregathered with my Lord Archibald. It was a smaller market than usual,
by reason of the troublous times; but a few black and red cattle came
from the landward part of the parish and Knapdale side, while Lochow
and Bredalbane sent hoof nor horn. There was never a blacker sign of
the time's unrest But men came from many parts of the shire, with
their chieftains or lairds, and there they went clamping about this
Lowland-looking town like foreigners. I counted ten tartans in as many
minutes between the cross and the kirk, most of them friendly with
MacCailein Mor, but a few, like that of MacLachlan of that ilk, at
variance, and the wearers with ugly whingers or claymores at their
belts. Than those MacLachlans one never saw a more barbarous-looking
set. There were a dozen of them in the tail or retinue of old Lachie's
son--a henchman, piper, piper's valet, _gille-mor_, _gille_ wet-sole, or
running footman, and such others as the more vain of our Highland gentry
at the time ever insisted on travelling about with, all stout junky men
of middle size, bearded to the brows, wearing flat blue bonnets with a
pervenke plant for badge on the sides of them, on their feet deerskin
brogues with the hair out, the rest of their costume all belted tartan,
and with arms clattering about them. With that proud pretence which is
common in our people when in strange unfamiliar occasions--and I would
be the last to dispraise it--they went about by no means braggardly but
with the aspect of men who had better streets and more shops to show
at home; surprised at nothing in their alert moments, but now and again
forgetting their dignity and looking into little shop-windows with the
wonder of bairns and great gabbling together, till MacLachlan fluted on
his whistle, and they came, like good hounds, to heel.

All day the town hummed with Gaelic and the round bellowing of cattle.
It was clear warm weather, never a breath of wind to stir the gilding
trees behind the burgh. At ebb-tide the sea-beach whitened and smoked
in the sun, and the hot air quivered over the stones and the crisping
wrack. In such a season the bustling town in the heart of the stem
Highlands seemed a fever spot. Children came boldly up to us for
fairings or gifts, and they strayed--the scamps!--behind the droves and
thumped manfully on the buttocks of the cattle. A constant stream of men
passed in and out at the chang