Argyll's Highlands, or, MacCailein Mor and the Lords of Lorne

ARGYLL S HIGHLANDS AND THE LORDS OF LORNE. II
was sadly afraid that his servant would be killed, and he did not
wish to lose his services.
In the morning the young sailor arose and opened his trunk, and
took out of it a sword and a fine suit of tartan, which he had kept
there concealed, and which his master had never set eyes on.
He dressed himself in his tartan, and proved that his sword was of
the best steel by bending it quite round his body. James was
somewhat comforted when he saw this ; for he thought that his ser-
vant seemed to know the use of his weapon ; and, as he looked
such a fine, brave fellow in his tartan, he might possibly contrive to
save his life from the skill and strength of the champion. The
young Highland sailor walked, with a quick step, up to the City
Hall, where a great crowd of people and the town council were
assembled to witness the combat. The stage was ready prepared,
and the champion was the first to mount it. He capered from one
end of it to the other, displaying his agility. The town council
pitied the young sailor, and gave him a glass of wine ; telling him
that they feared it would be his last ; for they considered him to be
no fit match for so formidable an antagonist. The young man,
however, was not a whit afraid ; for he had more knowledge of the
sword than they were aware of; and he gaily mounted the stage
and went through the usual form of shaking hands with the
champion.
Then the combat began. At first, the champion capered about,
making light of his opponent ; but he soon found that this would
not do, and that the Highland sailor must be vanquished with hard
fighting, and not with tricks : so he slashed and lunged at him in
earnest. The young sailor, at first, stood on the defensive, warding
off the champion's blows and guarding himself, until he had dis-
covered the full amount of skill possessed by his antagonist. The
crowd began to jeer at the champion for not making quicker work
of the Highlander ; and the champion, stung by their taunts, got
furious, and cut and slashed desperately, trying to close with the
young man and to bring him to his knees by sheer strength. But
he did not know of what thews and sinews the Highlander was
made ; and the harder he strove to get in his sword, the farther he
seemed from his purpose. The young sailor parried every blow