The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-10-23
CHAPTER VI.
pOIsONING OF MALJsE-


These things material to the life and
history of William, sixth Earl of Doug
! las, are not written from hearsay, but
are chronicled within the lifetime by
one who saw them and had part therein
/ though the part was but a boys one
! His manuscript has come down to US
and lies before the transcriber. Sholto
/ Mackim, the son of Malise, the smith.
/ testifies to these things in his own
/ clerkly script. He adds particularly
/ that his brother Lawrence, being at the
time but boy, had little knowledge of
| the actual facts, and is not to be be-
lleved If at any time he should contro-
vert anything which he has written. So
far, however, as the present collector
and editor can find out, Lawrence Mac
Kim appears to have been entirely ST
lent on the subject. at least with his
pen, so that his brothers caveat was
needless.
The instant Lord William entered his
own castle OF Thrieve over the draw
bridge, and without even returning the
saiutations of his guard, he turned
about TO the two men who had COM
PEELED his return.
''Ho, guard, there!" he cried. Seize
me the abbot of the new abbey and
Malise MacKim."
obedient, 20 archers OF the earl's guard.
commanded by old John of Abernethy,
called Landless Jock, fell in at back
and 'front.'.
Malise, the master armorer, stood ST.
lent, taking the mater with is usual
phlegm; but the abbot was voluble.
William" he said, holding out his
hands with en- appealing gesture, L
have labore6 with you, striven with,
prayed for you. Tonight 1 came forth
through the storm, and that though an
old man, to deliver you from the mani
fest snares of the devil"
But the earl interrupted his recital
without conjunction.
Set Maiise MacKim in the inner
dungeon, he cried. Thrust his feet
into the great stocks and let my lord
abbot be warded safely in the castle
chapel He is little likely TO be dis
turbed there at his dsvotionS"
Aye, my lord, it shall be done," said
Landless Jock, shaking his head with
gloomy foreboding as the naughty
young earl in his wet and torn disarray
flashed past him without further notice
of the men whom his bare word had
committed TO prison. The earl sDrang
up the narrow turret stair, passing as
he die so the Vaulted hall of the men
alarms, where more than d hundred |
stout archerS and soearmen sat ca
rousing and singing even at that ad- |
vanced hour of the night, while as |
many more lag about the halls or on |
the wooden shelves which they used for |
sleeping upon, and which folded back |
against the wall during the day. At the |
first glimpse of their young master, |
every man left awake among them |
struggled to his feet and stood stiffiy |
propped, drunk or sober, according to |
his condition, with is eyes turned upon |
the door which gave upon the turnpike |
stair. But with a slight answering |
wave of his hand, the earl passed on 10
his own apartment.
He found his faithful body servant.
Rene le BlesOis, stretched across the
threshold. The staunch Frenchman rose
at the sound of his mas
ter's footsteps, and, though still sound
ly asleep, he stood with the latch of
the door in mis- hand and his other held
to his brow in salutation.
Lord William Douglas would doubt
less have cast himself, wet as he was.
upon his bed, had not LIE Blesois, OBJ
his lords plight even in his
own sleep-dulled condition, entered the
chamber after his master, and, with
1ut question or speech, silently began
10 relieve him Of his wet hunting dress
A loose chamber gown of rich red
10th, lined with silk and furred with
'cristy'' gray, hung over the back Of 4
black oaken chair, and into this the
7oung earl flung himself in black and
;ullen anger.
LIE Blesois, still without a word
spoken, left the room with the wet
clothes over his arm. AS he did so a
small object rolled from the fold or
,revice of the doublet, where it had
)een safely lodged till displaced by the
oosening Of the belt or the removing
# the banderole of his hunting horn.
lie Blesois turned at the tinkling
.ound, and would have stopped to lift
t after the manner of q careful serVi-
or. But the eye Of his master was