The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-06-07

BY Fhley McNb in the Highlands
Copyright. 1908. by Robert Barn.

ldhe SURFING with twenty men +,
expected King James the Fifth to
rectlfy the wrong done by King Rob-
ert the First"
But / have already disclaimed re-
sponSib1ltty for the deeds of ancestors
less remote than good King Robert"
You have made proclamation in the
Highlands that the chieftains must
bring you proof of their right to oc-
cupy their lands"
me their deeds Of tenure; others pre-
pared to fight: the cases have been
settled in both instances. To which of
these two classes do you belong, chief
OF the Clan MacNab?"
TO neither. cannot submit to you
our parchments. because Robert, your
ancestor, destroyed them l cannot
cause my clan is SMALL therefore I,
F1nlay MacNab, come to you in peace,
asking you to repair the wrong done
by your ancestor"
Indeed! cried the king IF the
present advent typifies you'd idea of q
peaceful visit, then God forfend that
should ever meet you in anger"
L came in peace and have been
shamefully used"
You must not hold that against US, -
said James. Look you, now, If 1 had
come stOrming at your castle door,
sword in hand. how would you have
treated me, Finlay the Fifth"
If you had come with only twenty
men behind you, should treat you
with all the hospitality of Glendochart
which far exceeds that of Stirling"
1T has all been a mistake said the
king, with great cordiality. 1.-THE
parchment you seek shall be given to
you, and l trust that your generosity
Lord Of Glendochart, will allow me to
amend your opinion of Stirling hospi-
tally. shall take it kindly If you
will be my guests in the castle until
my officers of law repair the harsh
| ness Of my ancestor, Robert Then,
turning to the guard, the king con-
tinued:
"Unbind these gentlemen and re-
turn to them their arms" !.
The captain of the guard brought the
chief his sword and would have pre-
| sented it to him, but the king himself
arose and took the weapon in his own
hand, rendering it to it's owner. The
chieftain accepted the sword and rest
ed its point on the floor, then in dig
nif1ed native courtesy he DOTTED his
broad, feathered bonnet.
Sire" he said, with slow delibera-
ton, Scotland has a king that this
good blade shall ever be proud to
serve"
For three days the MacNabs were
| the guests of the king In his castle.
while the legal documents were being
prepared. King and chieftain walked
the town together, and all that Stir
ling had to show MacNab beheld.
On the last night there was ban
! quet, which was the best that Stirling
could bestow, in honor of the Clan
MacNab. The great hall was deco
| rated with the colors Of the clan, and
at the further end had been painted
the arms of the MacNab. Five pipers
of the kings court had learned the
Salute to the Chief" and now, head
ed by MacNab's own, they paced up
and down the long room, making 1t
ring with their warlike music. The
king and the chieftain came in togeth-
err. and as the latter took his place at
| his hosts right hand, his impressive
face betrayed no surprise at the splen-
did preparations which had been made
for his reception. Many dainties were
placed on the ample board, cunningly
! prepared by foreign cooks. the like of
which the Highlanders had never be-
| fore tasted, but the mountaineers ate
stoltdly whatever was set in front of
! them, and If unsual f1avors saluted
their palates the strangers made no
sign Of approval or the reverse,
The red wine of Burgundy, grown
old in the kings cellars, they drank
like water, emptying their tankards
as fast as the attendant could refill
them. Soon the ruddy fluid, whose
potency had been underestimated, be-
gan to have it's effect, and the dinner
| table became noisy as the meal pro-
crossed, songs bursting forth now and
then, with strange shouts and cries
more familiar to the hills Of Loeb Tay
than to the rafters of Stirling. The
chief himself lost the solemn dignity
which had at first characterized him
| and as he emptied f1agon after flagon
he boosted loudly of the prowess of
his clan: foretold what he would do
In future fields now that he was allied
with the king of Scotland. Often for
getting himself. he fell into the Gaelic,
roaring forth a torrent Of words that
had no meaning for many there pres
| ent, then remembering the king did
not understand the language. he ex-
| pressed his pity for a man in such con-
dition, saying the Gaelic was the old
| est tongue in existence, and the first
spoken by human lips upon this earth
| To all Of which the smiling king nod
| ded approval
AT last MacNab sprang to his feet
holding aloft his trimming f1agon, and
| called for cheers for the king Of Scot
| land, a worthy prince who knew well
| how to entertain a brother prince. Re
peating this in Gaelic, his men, who
had also risen with their chief now
sprang upon the benches, where
standing unsteadily. the raised a Sc
| r1es of yells so wild that a shudder OF
fear passed through many of the cour-
| tiers. The chief, calling to his piper
commanded him instantly to compose
p1broch for the king, and that ready
musician, swelling with pride, march
| ed up and down and round and round
the great hall, pouring forth a tri-
umphal Quickstep with many wonder
full f1ourishes and variations. Then,
| at word from the chief, each man
placed his fagon on the table, whip
ped out his sword, swung it overhead,
to the amaZement of the courtfers for
1t is not in accord. with eiquette to
show cold steel to the eyes of the king.
Down came the blades instantly and
together, each man splitting in two
the goblet he had drunk from.
You must all come to Loeb Tay,"
cried the chief, land I will show you
a banqueting hall in honor of James
", such as you have never before
SEEN" Then to the horror Of the
courtiers he suddenly smote the king
on the back with his open palm and
cried, Jamie, my lad, you'll come and
visit me at Loeb Tay2"
The smitten king laughed heartily
and replied:
yes, FINLEY, l WILL"
The next day the MacNabs set faces
toward the north on their long tramp
home.
What proud devils they are!" said
Sir David LINDSAY to the king after
the company had departed. II have
been through the MacNab country from
one end of 1T to the other, and there Is
not decent hut on the hillside, let
alone a castle fit to entertain a king.
yet the chief gives an invitation in the
heat of wine, and when he Is sobered
he is too proud to admit that he can
! not make good the words he has ut
tered"
THAT very thing is troubling me,s'