ars. And so, my Lord Menteith, I am yours, hand and
sword, body and soul, till death do us part, or to the end of the next
campaign, whichever event shall first come to pass."

"And I," said the young nobleman, "rivet the bargain with a month's pay
in advance."

"That is more than necessary," said Dalgetty, pocketing the money
however. "But now I must go down, look after my war-saddle and
abuilziements, and see that Gustavus has his morning, and tell him we
have taken new service."

"There goes your precious recruit," said Lord Menteith to Anderson, as
the Captain left the room; "I fear we shall have little credit of him."

"He is a man of the times, however," said Anderson; "and without such we
should hardly be able to carry on our enterprise."

"Let us go down," answered Lord Menteith, "and see how our muster is
likely to thrive, for I hear a good deal of bustle in the castle."

When they entered the hall, the domestics keeping modestly in the
background, morning greetings passed between Lord Menteith, Angus
M'Aulay, and his English guests, while Allan, occupying the same settle
which he had filled the preceding evening, paid no attention whatever to
any one. Old Donald hastily rushed into the apartment. "A message from
Vich Alister More; [The patronymic of MacDonell of Glengarry.] he is
coming up in the evening."

"With how many attendants?" said M'Aulay.

"Some five-and-twenty or thirty," said Donald, "his ordinary retinue."

"Shake down plenty of straw in the great barn," said the Laird.

Another servant here stumbled hastily in, announcing the expected
approach of Sir Hector M'Lean, "who is arriving with a large following."

"Put them in the malt-kiln," said M'Aulay; "and keep the breadth of the
middenstead between them and the M'Donalds; they are but unfriends to
each other."

Donald now re-entered, his visage considerably lengthened--"The tell's
i' the folk," he said; "the haill Hielands are asteer, I think. Evan
Dhu, of Lochiel, will be here in an hour, with Lord kens how many
gillies."

"Into the great barn with them beside the M'Donalds," said the Laird.

More and more chiefs were announced, the least of whom would have
accounted it derogatory to his dignity to stir without a retinue of six
or seven persons. To every new annunciation, Angus M'Aulay answered
by naming some place of accommodation,--the stables, the loft, the
cow-house, the sheds, every domestic office, were destined for the nigh