Historical memoirs of Rob Roy and the Clan Macgregor

I50 MEMOIR OF ROB ROY.
Roy's occupied a farm on a regular lease ; but
the factor, Drummond of Blairdrummond, took
occasion to break it, and the tenant was ordered
to remove. Rob Roy, hearing the story, went
to Drummond Castle to claim redress of this
grievance. On his arrival there, early in the
morning, the first person he met was Blair-
drummond in front of the house, whom he
knocked down, without speaking a word, and
walked on to the gate. Perth, who saw this
from a window, immediately appeared, and, to
soften his asperity, gave him a cordial welcome.
He told Perth that he wanted no show of hos-
pitality, he insisted only to get back the tack of
which his namesake had been deprived, other-
wise he would let loose his legions on his pro-
perty. Perth was obliged to comply, the lease
was restored, and Rob Roy sat down quietly
and breakfasted with the earl.
Graham of Killearn, who was the chamber-
lain or factor on the estate of Montrose, was
second cousin to that nobleman, and left no
means untried to recover the rents of his lord,
in doing which he often displayed great want of
humanity and fellow-feeling. Being in the con-
stant practice of distressing those tenants who
were in arrear, he was consequently despised in