The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-10-30
CHAPTER TX.
LAURENCE SINGS A HYMN.

LAURENCE SINGS A HYMN.
Laurence turned and bebeld his bro
tier. In another instant the two young
men had clinehed and were rolling on
the ground, wrestling and striking ae-
cording to their ability. Sholto might
easily have had the better Of the fray
but for the fact of Laurence's recent
degradation, for the elder brother was
the taller by an inch, and of a frame OF
body more 1.-THE and supple. But the
accuracy Of Laurence MacKim's shape,
and the severe training of the smithy,
mad not left q superfiuous ounce OF
flesh on him anywhere.
In a minute the brothers had become
the center of a riotous, laughing throng
of varlets, archers seeking their corps,
young squires sent by their lords 70
find out the exact positions allotted to
each contingent by the provost of the
camp. For, as the Wrappen-shaw was
to be of three days duration, in all its
nobler parts, a wilderness OF tents had
already begun to arise under the scat
tered white thorns of the great Bore
land croft which stretched up from the
river.
These all laughed and TESTED after
their kind, encouraging the youths to
fight it out. and naming Laurence the
Brock, or Badger, from his stoutness,
and slim Sholto the Whitterick. or, as
one might say, the Weasel.
AT him, Whittericki Grip him! Grip
him! Now you have him at the pinch.
Brock! Good, Brock! Well donei Well
donei All, would youl Hands off that
dagger! Let fsticuffs settle it. The
Whitterick hath 1.-THE Whittericki'
And thus ran the comment. Sholto,
being encountered with his armor, Lau-
renee might IN time have gotten the
upper grip. but a diversion occurred
which completely altered the character
of the conflict. A stout reddish young
man came up. holding in his hand a
staff painted with twining stripes Of
white ard red, which showed him TO be
the marshal of that part of the camp
which pertained to the Earl of Angus.
He looked on a moment from the skirts
of the crowd and then elbowed his way
self-importantly into the center until
he stood Immediately about Laurence
AMI Sholto
What means this hubbub, 1 say?
Quit your hold there and come with
me. My Lord of Angus shall settle
this disputer'
He had come up just when the young
men were in the final grips. Sholto at
last having gotten his will of his bro
Tiers head, and. as the saying is, was
giving him Dutch spice" in no very
knightly fashion.
The Angus marshal, seeing this,
seized Sholto by the collar Of his mailed
shirt and, drawing him suddenly back,
caused him to lose hold of his brother,
who as quickly rose to his feet. The
red man began to beat SholtO about
the headpiece right heartily with his
staff, which exercise made great
ringing noise though, naturally, the
skull cap being the. work of Malise
MacKim, little harm ensued to the
head enclosed therein.
But Master Laurence was instantly
on fire.
Here, Foxy-face'' he cried. "let my
brother abe? What business is it Of
yours if two gentlemen have a differ
ence? Go back to your Angus kernes
and ragged craw-bogle Highland folk,''
Meantime Sholto had recovered from
his surprise. ard the crowd of varlets
was melting apace, thinking the Angus
marshal someone of consequence. But
the brothers MaclZim were not the lads
TO take beating with a stick meeklv,
and the provost. who indeed had Moth
ing to do with the Galloway part of
the encampment had far better have
confined his officiousness to his own
quarters.
Take him on the right. Sholto." cried
Laurence. and wiz have at him from
this side" The Red Angus drew his
sword and threatened forthwith to STAY
the lads if they came near him. But !
with a spring like a gray grimalkin of
the woods. Sholto leaped within his
guard ere he had time to draw back his (
arm for thrust or parry, and at the I
same moment Laurence. snatching the |
red and white staff out Of his hand !
dealt him so sturdy a blow between /
the shoulders that though he was of /
weight equal to both of his opponents, /
be was knocked breathless at the first 1
blow and went down beneath the i'm /
petus Of Shclto's attack.
Laurence coolly disengaged his broth /
er and began 70 thrash the Angus man /
with his own staff Upon all exposed /
parts till the dry wood broke Then he /
threw the pieces al his head, and the /
Two brothers went Of arm in arm to /
find a woody covert in which the repair !
damages against the weapon showing !
and the inspection OF their iprd and his |
keen-eyed master armOrer.
As soon as they had discovered such /