The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1909-02-28

of his enemies, March retired and rode
away to his frontiers vowing to open
Scotland to the English.
The ill-starred Prince had not yet done
himself enough of harm. He rode to see
Ramorney, with the kindly intention of
condoling with him but Ramorney showed
too much grief over his lost hand to suit
the Princes taste. Rothsay finally yawned
in the face of his unfortunate friend and
remarked that it was poor taste to fling
a bloody hand at ones head every few
minutes. Banteringly he promised to have
an iron one made.
Ramorney turned from him with a low
groan of despair and rage. Evil as he
was, i'll as he had deliberately guided the
Prince, he still had loved him as much
as so twisted nature as his could love
any one. In men like him, such rare and
unnatural love turns to malignant hatred
at the first wound. So 1t was with Ra-
morney; and when the Prince lightly
turned from his cast-off favorte's bed
side, he left behind him one who swore
that he would exact bitter payment.
He knew who would help him, and he
managed to communicate at once with
the Duke of Albany, who wanted his
nephew removed that he might wrest the
crown from his imbecie brother.
Ramorney's torture of mind and body
was not to be assuaged, however, till he
had punished the smith who had ended
his career as knight and made him a
manned jest. He sent retainer, Bon
thron, to assassinate Harry of the Wynd.
The next morning the burghers were
alarmed by the peal of the town bells
being rung backward-the call to arms.
telling of imminent danger Early risers
had found figure wearing the we'll
known armor of Harry of the Wynd lying
face downward in the street with a ghast-
ly cut in the head. showing that he had
been done to death from behind with a
pole axe.
All Perth rang with the cry that the
champion of the town had been assas-
sinated. Harnessed and armed, the citi-
zens rushed to the scene, and in their rage
they did not hesitate to say aloud that
Ramorney and the Prince knew of the
deed.
Long before they were all assembled.
however. 1t had been discovered that the
dead man was not the armorer, but his
friend Oliver Proudfute When the smith
arrived he explained that he had lent his
| coat of mail to Proudfute the night be-
| fore. because his friends had anticipated
some trouble with ruffians who were rois-
tering near the house. Evidently the as
sassin had been misled by this and had
| killed the wrong man.
The burghers demanded vengeance and
cried to the armorer that he must lead
them. Harry Smith felt reluctant for the
first time In his life, reused though he
was by the murder of his friend. There
was a very simple though potent reason
for this. Catherine, who had heard the
news of his death. had awakened sudden
| ly to the knowledge that she loved Harry
| of the Wynd, fighter though he was. and
she had run bareheaded and forgetful of
all reserve to his house to ask particu
lars She had fallen fainting at the door.
and the smith needed to ask no questions
when she revived and saw him standing
before her alive.
He lamented his fate therefore. at be-
ing pressed into renewed strife at the very
moment when he most wished to become
man of peace. But he could not with
draw.
The angry citizens forced their way to
the King and demanded that all OF Sir
John Ramorneys household be forced IN
pass by the body of Proudfute and there
swear that they were innocent of any mart
in the murder. This proof by bier
right was guaranteed to the city in its
charter and the mobiles had to accede
1t rested on the common belief that the
wounds of murdered person would bleed
when the slayer touched them.
The ceremony was performed in the
church next day before the king. RAJ