iliff.

"Ta Mackhai! Ta Mackhai!" yelled Tonal'; and, raising an old claymore
in one hand, his dirk in the other, to the full stretch of his long
arms, he shrieked out,--

"Doon wi' ta caterans! Doon wi' ta Lowland loons! Mackhai! Mackhai!
Fecht, laddies! fecht! Hech! hech! hech! Hurray!"

"Hech! hech! hech! Hurray!" shouted Kenneth, roaring with laughter.
"Fecht, laddies, fecht!"

The weird-looking old piper waved his claymore wildly about his head,
and it flashed in the sun; but in his efforts he nearly toppled off the
tower headlong down to the front of the castle. He made a snatch at the
ancient crenelation, and, to the horror of all, a quantity of the
crumbling stone fell with a crash, and, but for a rapid dash backward,
two of the bailiffs men would have been crushed.

But, active still as a wild cat, the old man saved himself; and, though
one of his legs came right over the front, and he lay on his face for a
few moments, he climbed back, stood erect again, planted one foot on the
remaining crenele, and raised his flashing broadsword, tore off his
bonnet, dashed it down, and, as his thin long grey hair streamed out in
the sea breeze, he yelled once more,--

"Mackhai! Mackhai! Fecht, laddies, fecht!"

Then he disappeared.

"He's coming down with his old carving-knife, Maxy," cried Kenneth,
wiping the tears from his eyes. "I shall have to go and lock the old
chap up, or he'll do some one a mischief."

"Hi, there!" shouted the bailiff; and his voice was the signal for the
three dogs to burst into a tremendous trio of barking. "Look here, I
give you fair warning. You're resisting the law, and it'll be the worse
for you if any one of my men is hurt."

"Come roond and we'll pitch ye all into ta watter!" shouted Scoodrach.

"Yes, come round the other side, you bun-faced looking bailiff!" cried
Kenneth; and the defenders uttered a fresh cheer, while Grant in his
excitement took off his black coat and white cravat, and rolled up his
sleeves, before putting on an apron one of the maids had fetched.

"Hurray, Grant! you look as if you were going to clean the plate," cried
Max excitedly.

"I'm going to take care, sir, that that scum does not touch it," said
Grant, with dignity. "Well done, laddie!" he added to himself. "I'm
beginning to like him after a'."

"Are you going to open this gate?" cried the bailiff, waving his piece
of blue paper.

"Yes, when you are gone," cried Kenneth, stooping