The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, July 5, 1903, Page 7

ne,” said the King decisively. r ; bring them in; e cast into prison ast & hearing. your men been r Majesty,” replied Sir Donald, t ave wounds they will e & hurry; the Highlandmen e tiger cats.” many &re there of them? asked ething more than & score, with a by & breechless ruffian, al- must say be knows what to do s sword od, you say?” ery one of them but the piper. t f an hour ago they came march- e main strest of Btirling, each word drawn, and the pipes . 5 .'.anz and deflance. sarmed them, of course?” ainly, your Majesty.” well; bring them in, and let us what they have to say for them- doors were flung open, a sharp and was given, and presently there of Highlanders, dis- elbows tied behind The Highlanders ficent physique, en- sque costume they that in some n tatters and ecleased the moun- ut twice, then L ast, rrs.kh‘! r‘fi wever, to remove his else in t jefeated him at N e, which yc ATRY How & to become & be allowed & Robert, did because of the e mentl I came be- the Bruce desolated our James. P her. your pe lapse of lswed the ct, then, to take Stir- twenty men? ected King James the Fifth to done by King Robert ady disclalmed respon- jeeds Of ancestors less re- d King Robert ¢ made proclamation in the we chieftains must bring ir right to occupy theit 1 some have preferred to me enure, others prepared to have been settled in both which of these two class g, chief of the Clan Mac- either. I cannot cubmit to you our sse Robert, your ances- ed them. 1 cannot fight the owlands, because my clan is re I, Finlay MacNab, come ace, asking you to repair the ne by your ancestor.” cried the King. “If the pres- ent typifies your jdea of & peacefu: end that 1 should ever in anger. me in peace and have been shame- ou, now, if I had castie door, sword in hand, how would you have treated me, Finlay the Fifth?” “If you had come with only twenty men behind you I should treat you with all the hospitality of Glendochart, which r exceeds that of Stirling.’ It has all been a mistake,” said the King with great cordiality. “The parch- ment you seek shall be givgn to you, and 1 trust that your generosity, Lord of Glendochart, will allow me to amend your opinion of Stirling hospitality. I shall take it kindly if you will be my guests in the castle until my officers of law repair the harshness of my ancestor, Robert.” Then, turning to the guard, the King con- tinued Unbind these gentlemen and return to them their arms.” The captain of the guard brought the chief his sword and would have presented 1t to him, but the King himself arose and took the weapon in his own hand, tender- ing it to its owner. The chieftain accepted the sword and rested its point on the floor, then in dignified native courtesy he doffed his broad, feathered bennet. “‘Sire,” he sald, with slow deliberation, cotland has a King that this good blade shall ever be proud to serye.” 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 to- gether, and all that Stirling had to show Mac b beheld. On the last night there was a banquet, which was the best that Stirling could be- stow, in honor of the Clan MacNab. The great hall was decorated with the colors of the clan, and at the further end had been painted the arms of the MacNab. Five plpers of the King’s court ha learned the “Salute to the Chief,” and now, headed by MacNab's own, they paced up and down the long room, mak- ing It ring with their warllke music. The King and the chieftain came in together, and the latter took his place at his host's right hand his impassive face be- THE SUNDAY CALL. s trayed no surprise at the splendid prepa- the ample board cunningly prepared by rations which had been made for his re- foreign cooks, the like of which the High- ception. Many dainties were placed on landers had never before tasted, but the mountaineers ate stolidly whatever was set in front of them, and if unusual fla- vors saluted their palates the strangers made no sign of approval or the reverse. ‘The red wine of Burgundy, grown old in the King’s cellars, they drank like water, emptying their tankards as fast as the at- tendant could refill them. Soon the ruddy fluld, whose.potency had been underesti- mated, began to have its effect, and the dinner table became noisy as the meal progressed, songs bursting forth now and then, with strange shouts and cries more familiar to the hills of Loch Tay than to the rafters of Stirling. The chief him- self lost the solemn dignity which had at first characterized him, and as he emptied flagon after flagon, he boasted loudly of the prowess of his clan; foretold what he would do in future flelds now that he was allled with the King of Scotland. At last MacNab sprang to his feet, hold- ing aloft his brimming flagon, and called for cheers for the King of Bcotland, a ‘worthy prince who knew well how to en- tertain a brother prince. Repeating this in Gaelic, his men, who had also risen with their chief, now sprang upon the benches, where, standing unsteadily, they raised & ries of yells so wild that a shudder of fear passed through many of - the courtiers. The chief, calling to his Pplper, commanded him instantly to com- Ppose a pibroch for the King, and that ready musiclan, swelling with pride, marched up and down and round and round the great hall pouring forth a tri- umphal quickstep with many wonderful flourishes and variations. Then at a word: from the chief each man placed his flagon on the table, whipped out his sword, swung It overhead, to the amaze- ment of the courtiers, for it is not in ac- cord with etiquette 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 Loch Tay,” cried the chlef, “and I will show you a ban- queting hall in honor of James V 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 Loch Tay? The smitten King laughnd neartily and repiled: “Yes, Finlay, I will.” The next day the MacNaba set faces toward the north on their long tramp home. ‘“What proud ‘deevils’ mey are!” sald Sir David Lyndsay to the King after the company had departed. “I have been through the MacNab country from one end of it to the other, and there is not a decent hut on the hillside. let alone a castle fit to entertain a king, vet the chief gives an invitation in the heat of wine and when he is sobered he is too proud to admit that he cannot make good the words he has uttered.” *“That very thing is troubling me, plied the King, “but it's a long time till July, and between now and then we will make him some excuse for not returning his visit, and thus avold putting the old man to shame.” “But that, too, will offend him beyond repair,” objected the poet. “Well, we must lay our heads together, Davie,” answered the King, “‘and think of some way that will neither be an insult nor a humiliation.” Affairs of state gave James the valld excuse he required and so ‘he sent a com- mission to the chief of the MacNabs. “His Majesty,” sald the head commission- er, “is entertaining the Embassadors from Spain and from France, and likewise a legate from the Pope. If he came north he must at least bring with him these great noblemen with their retinues, and while he would have been glad to visit you with some of his own men he co not impose upon your hospitality by bringing also a large number of strangers and foreigner: “Tell his Majesty,” replied MacNab with dignity, “that whether he bring with him the King of Spain, the Emperor of France or even the Pope himself, none of these princes in the estimation of Mac- Nab, superior to James the Fifth of Scot- 1ahd. The entertainment, therefore, which the King graciously condescends to ac- cept, is certainly good enough for any foreigners that may accompany him, be their nobility ever so high.” ‘When this reply was reported to the King he first smiled and then sighed. “] can do nothing further,” he sald. “Return to MacNab and tell him that the Pope’'s legate desires to visit the Priory on Loch Tay. Tell the chief that we 11 take the boat along the lake on the day arranged. Bay that the foreigners are anxious to taste the venison of the hills, and that nothing could bo better than to give us & dinner under the trees. Tell him that he need not be at any trouble to pro- vide us lodging, for we shall return to the island Priory and thers sleep.” In the early morning the King and his followers, the Embassadors and their trains embarked and sailed from the island Priory the length of the beautiful lake; the numerous craft being driven through the water by sirong northern oarsmen, their wild chanting choruses echoing back from the mountains. The evening before horses for the party had been led through forests, over the hills and along the strand to the meeting place at the other end of the lake. A summer hase hung in the valley, and when the King came in sight of the stronghold of the MacNabs he rubbed his eyes in wonder, thinking the misty uncer- tainty of the atmosphere was playing tricks with his vision. There, befare them, stood the most bulky edifice, the most extraordinary pile he had ever be- held. At one end a great squars keep arose, its amazing height looming gigan- tically in the gauze-like magic of the mist. A high wall, machicolated at the top, connected this keep with a small oc- tagonal tower, whose twin was placed some distance to the left, leaving an opening between for a wide entrance. The two octagonal towers formed a sort of frame for a roaring waterfall in the back- ground. From the second octagonal tow- er another extended lofty wall connected it with a round peel as high as the keep. This castle, of a size so enormous that it made all others its beholders had ever seen shrink into comparative Insignifi- cance, was surrounded by a balley wall; outside of that was a moat which proved to be a foaming river fed by the volume of water which came down the precipice behind the castle. “We have a great many strongholds in Italy,” said the Pope's legate, “but never have I seen anything to compare with this."” “Oh,” sald MacNab, slightingly, “we ars but a small clan; you should ses the High- land castles farther north; they are of stone; indeed, our own fortresses, which are further inland, are also of stone. This is merely our pleasure house, bullt of pine exclaimed the Pope's never before heard of such a thing. They crossed the bridge, passed between the two octagonal towers and entered th: extensive courtyard, surrounded by the castle itself; a courtyard broad enough to afford maneuvering ground for an army. The interior walls were as attractive as the outside was grim and forbidding. Bal- conles ran around three sides of the in- closure, tall, thin, straight pine poles, ris- ing three stories high, supporting them, each pole fluttering a flag at the top. The balconies were all festooned with branches of living green. Inside, the King and his men found g ii sl & & & ZOBERT BARK. CQPYRIGHT 1903 B ROBERT BARR empte accommodations: their rooms were carpeted with moss and with flowers, forming a varlety of color and ylelding a softness to the f which the artificial plles of Eastern looms would have at- pted to rival in vain. Here for three s the royal party was entertained. Hunting in the forest gave them prodig- fous appetites, and there was no criticism the cooking. The supply of food and lavish in the extreme. from the river and locn, game from the moors and vi on from the hills, It twas evening of the third day when the cavalcade set out again for the priory. 15»'1 chiet, Finlay MacNab, accompanied his guests down the valley, and when some distance from the castle of logs James smote him on the shoulder, copy- ing thus his own astonishing actien. “Sir Finlay,” he cried, “a King's hand should be no less potent than a King's sword, and thus I create thee a knight of my realm, for never befors has monarch been so royally entertained, and mow I pause here to look once more on your cas- tle of pine.” So they all’ stayed progress and turned their eyes toward the wooden palace they had left. “If it were built of stome,” said the Pope’s legate, “it would be the strongest house In the world t is the largest” “A bulwark of bones is better than & castle of stones,” said Sir Finlay. “That is an old Highland saying with us, which means that a brave following is the best ward. I will show you my bulwark of bones.” And with that, bowing to the King as if to ask permission, he raised his bugle to his lips and blew a blast. Instantly from corner of the farthest bastion & torch flamed forth, and that torch lighted the one next to it, and this its neighbor, so that speedily a rim of fire ran along the outlines of the castle, marking out the square towers and the round, lining the curtain, the smaller towers, turrets and parapets. Then at the top of the balley wall a circle of Highlanders lit torch after thus was the whole castle fl- v & circle of fire. The huge edi- fice was etched In flame against the som- ber background of the high mountain. “Confess, legate,"” “that you never saw an ng to admit as mueh,” re- plied the Roman. Another blast from the bugle and all the torches on the castle itself disap- peared, though the fire on the balley wall remained intact. From _machicolated tower, keep, peel and curtain, the nimble Highlanders, torchless, scrambled dow cheering as they cam For a moment the castle walls were alive with fluttering tartans, strongly il- luminated by the torches from the outer ba! Each man held 2is breath while this perilous acrobatic performance was being accomplished, and silence reigned over the royal party until suddenly broken by the Italian. “High .ahder he cried, “your castle is said the Highlander calmly, ing his bugle again to his lips. At the next blast thoss on the balley wall thrust their torches, still burming, among the chinks of the loge and swarmed to t ground as speedily and as safely as those on the main building. Now the lighted torches that had been thrown on the roof of the castle, disap- pearing a moment from sight, gave evi- dence of thelr existence. Hers and there a long ton of flame sprang up and dfed down again “Can nothing be done tc save the pal- shouted the excitable Frenchman. e waterfall! the waterfall! Let us go or the castle will be destroyed.” tand where you are,” sald the ehief, nd you will see a sight worth coming north for.” Now, almost with the suddenness of an explosion, great sheets of flame rose, tow- ering Into s mountain of fire. The logs themselves seemed to redden as the light glowed through every crevice between them. The bastions, the balley walls, were great wheels of flame, encireling a palace that had all the vivid radiance of molten gold. The valley for miles up and down was lighter than the sun ever made it. “Chieftain,” Sald the legate In an awed whisper, “is this conflagration secident or design? “It is our custom,” replied MaoNab. “A monarch's pathway must be lighted, and it is not fitting that a residence once honored by our King should ever again be occupied by any one less noble. The pine tree is the badge of my clan. At my behest the pine tree sheltered the King. and now, at the blast of my bugle, it sends forth to the glen its farewell of flame.” % WE SCOOP THE COUNTRY % THE SUNDAY CALL E Is the Only Paper in America Giving Its Subscribers ‘Which Have Made the Artist World Famous. This Is Because Bry- son Personally Superintends His Pictures by the Costliest and Most Remark. able Color Process Ever Invented. This Is Also the Reason That Most of His Pictures Are Known by Their Cardinal Colors. Just Read This List—All Companion Pictures to THE LADY IN SCARLET: Vanity. Love’s Confidence. These Six Pictures Would Cost You Over $1.50 Apiece If They Could Be Bought at an Art Store. Lady in Red. Simplicity. Beginning NEXT ABSOLUTELY FREE Any or All of That Wonderful Series of Colored Art Masterpieces, % BRYSON'S BEAUTIFUL WOMEN : You Will Get the Whole Series in Rapid Succession. The First Will Be TOR0A0R0R0RCY CRCROSORCRC OO the Reproduction of All Lady In Green. 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