The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-12-27

| Inc KING shrugged MS shoulders.
THE man forgets that the sea also is
eternal, and that it ultimately wears away
| the cliff. This appears 10 be al incite'
ment toward war, then?'
"Oh, not So" replied Macdonald. 1.-THE
man is one of their poets, and he is re-
citing an epic he has written, doubtless
| in praise OF alcolms bodybuilding"
God save us!" cried the king. Have
I've then poets in Skye?"
1.-The whole of the Highlands is land
| of poetry, your majesty affirmed Mac
| Donald, drawing himself up proudly, al
| though the very poor judges of the art
| in Stirling may not be aware Of the
| fact.
| The king laughed heartily at this. But
| here we have another follower of the
muse who has taken the place of the
| first. What is this one saying?'
He says that beautiful is the west
err sky when the sun sinks beneath the
! wave, but more beautiful still is the
cheek of the Rose of Skye, the daughter
of their chieftain.
''Ah, that is better and more reassuring.
think either of us, Jamie, would rather
be within sight OF the smiles Of the Rose
o. Skye than within reach OF the clay
mores of her kinsmen.'
BY this time the assemblage on shore
became aware that visitors were APP
pr Coaching, and the defamation ceased.
Malcolm Macleod himself came forward
ON the landing to greet the newcomers.
He was huge mau of about fifty, tail
and we'll proportioned, with an honest
but masterful face, all in all magnificent
specimen of the race, destined by nature
to be leader or men. He received his
visitors with digniiicd ccar;esy.
81 am James Macdonald" explained
that young man by way Of Introduction,
"son of the Laird of Slcat. We heard
you had built Il boat ior the king. ani
Sc have come TO see it. This is James
Stuart, friend Of mine from the Low
lands, and I have brought him with me
that he may learn what bodybuilding
really is"
You are very welcome" said Mac
Leod, ''and just in time, for they are
taking her round the headland to Dun
vegan tomorrow morning. Aye, she's IL
bonnie boat, if / do say it myself, Cor
no one knows her and what she'll do bet
ter than t.
The king should be proud of her. said
Macdonald.
Macleod tossed his shaggy head and
replied with a sheer:
ITS little the king knows about boats.
He should be playing with a shallop IN
a tub of water, instead of meddling with
mems affairs. Allaster Crottach is our
king and if he graciously pleases to tickle
the lad in Stirling by saying he owns the
boat. Allaster himself will have the using
of her. I would not spike plank Tor
the king, but I'd build fleet for Allaster
if he wanted it. Has your friend the
Gaelic? II he has. he may tell the king
what l say when he goes back to the
Lowlands."
No, he has no Gaelic, Malcolm. but
I'll put into English whatever you IKE
to say
Malcolm Macleod took the strangers to
his own house, which was the best IN the
village. Almost the entire population OF
the port had been working on the kings
boat. and now that it was finished and
launched the place had earned holiday
Malcolm was delighted to have visitors
who could bear witness to the Skill OF
his designing, appreciate the genius OIL
the poets and listen to the skreigh o.
the piping. The strangers were most hos
pitably entertained and entered thorough
" into the spirit of the festivities.
''Losh, jamie" said the king to his
friend two or three days after their ar
rival. 81 might well have ignored your
advice about the ships, as l did your base
counsel about the army. / need no neet
here to protect me in Skye, where every
man is my friend"
THAT is very true replied Macdonald.
"but you must not forget that no one
ha, any suspicion who you are. Every
one is a friend of James Stuart OF the
Lowlands, but l near nobody say a good
word for the king"
"What have they against him." asked
the Guidman of Ballengeich with
frown.
"It isn't exactly that they have any
thing against the king" said Macdonald
perhaps not slow to prick the self-estecm
Of his comrade, "but they consider him
merely a boy of small weight in their
affairs one way or another. They neither
fear him nor respect him. The real mon
arch Of these regions is the humpback
in Dunvegan Castle; and even il they
knew you were king, your sternest COM
mand would have no effect against his
slightest wish, unless you had irresist
ible force at the back of YOU"
"Ah. Jamie, you are simply trying I,
Justify the bringing of the fleet round
Scotland
Indeed and 1 am not. The only use
to which you can put your fleet Will
be to get you away from here in case OF
trouble. AS far as it's force is concerned,
these islanders would simply take to the
hills and defy it,
"Ah. WE'LL" said the king, 'Tll make
them think better of me before l am
done with them"
The weeks festivities were to end with
a grand poetical contest. All the bards
of the island were scribbling; at any
| rate, those who could write But this
Homeric competition was endangered by
disquietng news brought to the lslanC
b. the fishermen. They reported that q
| powerful fleet had been seen rounding
| the northern coast Of Scotland. and was
low making toward the South. This un
expected intelligence seemed to change
| instantaneously the attitude OF the is
landers toward their two guests.
The kings alertness of mind saved th'
situation. He had brought with HIM from
Stirling. in case Of emergencies, severa