The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-12-25

James," he said, 'ca1 in the others"
James went to the tent door and
called aloud:
Archibald, Hugh and John, come
hither, quickly"
! A moment after, three young men of
noble build, little more than lads in
deed, but with the dark Douglas allure
stamped plainly upon their counte-
nances, entered, bowed to their father,
and stood silent, with their hands
| crossed upon the hits of their swords.
William Douglas went on with the
same relentless calm.
MY lord" he said, very respectfully,
there stand your five sons, all soldiers
and Douglases, waiting to hear your
will. Murder has been done upon the
chief of our house by two men of cow
ardly heart and mean consideration,
Crichton and Livingston inStigated by
the false ambassador of the king of
France. We have come hither to pun
ish these slayers of our kin, and we
desire to know what you, our father,
think concerning the natter
I James the Gross was still standing,
steadying himself with his hand on the
arm of the oallen chair in which he had
been sitting. He spoke with some diff
ficulty, which might either proceed
from emotion or from the plethoric
habit of the man.
Have I for this brought children into
! the world he said, that they should
lift up their hands against the father
that begat them? Ye know that 1 have
ever warned you against the pride and
arrogance of your cousins of Gallo
way"
You mean of the late Earl of Doug
las and the boy, his brother?" said
William. The pride of Is and II is
surely vastly dangerous
and executed in Edinburgh by royal
authority for many well-grounded of
lenses against the state" cried the
earl loudly.
viii you deign to condescend to
| speak upon some of them?" said his
son, as quietly as before
Your cousins pride and ostentation
OF riches and retinue, being far beyond
| those of the king, constituted a danger
to the state. Nay, the turbulence of
their followers has more than once
come before me in my judicial capaci-
ty as justicer of the realm. What more
would you have?"
We're You. my lord, of those who
condemned them to death?"
Not So William. 1t had not been
seemly in near kinsman and the heir
to their dignities-that is, save and
! except Galloway, which, by iH-chance.
goes IN the female line, if we find not
/ means to break that unfortunate res
erEatlon. Your cousins We're condemned
/ by my Lords Crichton and Living
ston."
We never heard of either of them. )"
said William, calmly.
In their judicial aspect thew NAV ba
styled lords, as is the Scottish custom .
SAID James the Gross, "even as. when T
! was laird of Ralvany and a sitter on
the bed of justice, it was nv right ia
be SO styled -
Then our cousins were condemned
with your approval my lord of Douglas
and Avondale?" persisted his son.
James the Gross was visibly per-
| turbed. Pei
Approval, William, is not the word
| 10 use-not word to use in the cir
menu
But upon being consulted. YOU did
not openly disapprove-is it not so? And
you viii not aid us to avenge our cous-
ms murder now?"
"Hearken, William, it was not posi-
Gle. could not openly disapprove. I
also was in the chancellOr's hands and
I knew not but that he might inclnda
me also in the same condemnation. BE-
SIDES, lads, think of the matter calmly
There is no doubt that the thing han
pens NOSE conveniently, and the event
falls out well with us. Our own barren
acres have many burdens upon them
what could I do? I have been a. poor
man all my life, and after the removal
| OF obstacles l saw my way to become
the richest man in all Scotland. How,
then, could I openly object?"
William Douglas bowed.
So he said, that is what we de-
sired to know, have I your permission
to speak further?"
His father nodded pleasantly, seating
himself again as one who has finished
troublesome business. He rubbed his
hands together and smiled upon his
sons
AYE, speak gin We like, William. but
sit doon-sit doom, lads. We are all of
one family and it falls out well for you
as 1t does for me. Let US all be pleas
ant and agreeable together!'
Il thank you, my lord" said his
son, but we will not sit down. We
are no longer of one family. We may
be your sons in the eye of the law and
in natural fact. But from this day no