Blair Collection > Celtic magazine > Volume 4

432 THE CELTIC MAGAZINE.
man begone. " Go back," he thundered out, while his eyes flashed with
angry scorn, " go back to your master and tell him I care not for him nor
for his threats, and let him beware of sending such messages to me again.
Take back his letter, and teU him this is how I treated it," at the same
time throwing the paper on the ground and stamping his heel upon it.
" Yet stay ! perchance you might lose this precious epistle, to make sure
of it, you shall eat it. " This proposal was greeted with shouts of laugh-
ter from the aliens, and, in spite of the expostulations and struggles of the
messenger, he was forced, amid the jeers of his persecutors, to chew and
swallow every atom of the document ; then, stripping him of his arms and
most of his clothes, they sent him back, warning him on peril of his life
never again to venture to carry such mandates to them. Thankful to
escajDe with his life from the hands of such desperate characters, the man
hurried back to Strone Castle and reported the iU-usage he had received.
The Governor was very naturally incensed at the recital of the indignities
inflicted upon his ambassador, and vowed that he would have vengeance
upon the insolent intruders. Collecting a large number of his depen-
dants, he placed them under the command of his only son, William
Grant, with orders to proceed up the Glen, and drive out the aliens at the
point of the sword, giving no quarter.
This William Grant was a singularly handsome young man, and con-
siderably over six feet in height. He was yet so weU-proportioned, that
only by comparison with his fellows, one noticed his unusual stature.
With blue eyes and fair hair — a clear white skin, which any lady might
envy, and a graceful athletic form — he was a very Adonis personified ;
and his qualities of head and heart being in unison with his good looks,
he was loved and admired by the whole clan. The men selected for this
expedition to Glen-TJrqubart cheerfuUy placed themselves under his com-
mand, and started in high spirits, anxious to pmiish the interlopers for
their many acts of oppression and insolence. Beaching the Glen, they
proceeded with caution to prevent being taken unawares by the wily foe,
and after going some distance without seeing or hearing anything of the
aliens, they redoubled their vigilance, supposing the enemy was trying to
lead them into an ambuscade. But, when they had traversed the Glen
from end to end without any signs of opposition, they hardly knew what
to think. The young men of the party exulting in their strength and
courage, boastingly asserted that taking fright at the preparations made
against them, the aliens considering " discretion the better part of valour,"
had decamped en masse. The older men, knowing better the desperate
character of the men they had to contend with, shook their heads, and
gave it as their opinion that instead of flying, the aliens had merely
hidden themselves in the thickest part of the forest, among the numerous
caves and hiding places in the rocks, and were waiting an opportunity to
take their jjursuers unawares.
William and his party continued their search for several days without
discovering any traces of the aliens, till, at last, they decided ujDon return-
ing home. William, however, was so delighted with the beauty of the
Glen and the appearance of good sport which it afforded, that he deter-
mined upon spending a little time to pursue his favourite pastime. Some
of the most prudent of his followers tried to tiun him from his purpose,