Historical memoirs of Rob Roy and the Clan Macgregor

MEMOIR OF ROB ROY. 1 43
appearance of his antagonist bespoke no irreso-
lution. The packet was given up ; and Rob Roy
having taken out the bond he wanted, begged
the officer would excuse the delay he had occa-
sioned, and wishing him a good journey, left the
military to proceed unmolested. By this bold
exploit many chieftains saved their heads, and
the forfeiture of a number of estates was pre-
vented.
We have formerly noticed, that several mighty
chiefs of the Highlands had augmented their
territories by the suppression of inferior lairds,
who did not hold their lands by subordinate
charters. In order to reduce these unprotected
barons, and annex their properties to the estate
of the more powerful families, a knighted eleve
of the house of Argyll was commissioned, and
among some others, he seized upon a small
estate in Glendochart, This iniquitous practice
was insisted upon after the junction of the king-
doms under the sixth James, that it might be
known upon what grounds landlords held their
estates ; but our hero considering it as repugnant
to justice, was determined to redress the griev-
ance. He therefore sent his men to Glen-
urchy, to waylay the obnoxious knight, at a
defile which wound along the craggy cliffs of