Lairds of Glenlyon

THE LAIRDS OF GLENLYON. I J
plea of his father's madness, made peace with the govern-
ment, and was himself appointed administrator of the estate.
Yet the mad laird was left at large, and, with Finlay, his
attendant, wandered as far and widely among the hills, in
pursuit of game, as his heart could desire. Many stories
are told of their wanderings and doings. I may give one.
They were after the deer, the chase was unsuccessful, and
Colin's mood was chafed. On the brow of Stuic-an-lochain
— a huge rock beetling over a deep circular mountain tarn
— they encountered a flock of goats. Mad Colin and his
man forced them over the precipice. When surveying their
work from the top of the cliff, Colin unexpectedly came be-
hind Finlay, and ordered him, in a threatening voice, to
jump over. He knew it was useless to resist. He said
quietly, and as a matter of course : " I will, Glenlyon ; but,"
looking at a grey stone behind them, " I would just like
to say my prayers at yon stone first ; it is so like an
altar." Colin mused, looked at the stone, and, letting go
his hold, bade him go, and be back immediately. Finlay
reached the stone, knelt down, muttered whatever came
uppermost, and every now and then took a sly look at his
master. Colin stood yet on the edge of the cliff, and kept
looking on the mangled bodies of the goats. He seemed to
become horrified at his own mad work. Finlay lost not his
opportunity. He stealthily crept behind his master, grasped
him by the shoulders, and shouted, in a thundering voice :
" Leap after the goats." The unhappy lunatic supplicated
for mercy, in vain. Finlay 's grasp was like a vice ; and he
so held him over the precipice, that if let go he could not
recover himself, but inevitably fall over. " Let me go this
once," supplicated Colin. " Swear, first, you shall not cir-
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