Historical memoirs of Rob Roy and the Clan Macgregor

164 MEMOIR OF ROB ROY.
follow. On another occasion, Athol sent twenty
men from Glenalmond, to lay hold of him. He
saw them approaching : but did not shun them,
though alone, and his uncommon size, the large-
ness of his limbs, the fierceness of his coun-
tenance, and the posture of defence, in which
he placed himself, intimidated them so much,
that they durst not go near him. He told them,
that " he knew what they wanted : but if they
did not depart, none of them should return."
He desired them to " tell their master, that if
he sent any more of his pigmy race to dis-
turb him, he would hang them up to feed the
eagles ;" and having sounded his horn, for he
often carried one, Athol's men became alarmed,
and speedily took their leave.
Although Rob Roy, from his great personal
prowess, and the dauntless energy of his mind,
which, in the most trying and difficult emer-
gencies, never forsook him, was the dread of
every country where his name was known, the
urbanity and kindness of his manners to his
inferiors, gained him the good will and services
of his whole clan, who were always ready to sub-
mit to any privation, or to undergo any hard-
ship to protect him from the multitude of
enemies who watched to destroy him ; and one