in the name of the Most High; and bound himself, by an oath,
to cause that wicked one's transgressions return upon his own head
sevenfold. But, before he engaged further in the business of vengeance,
he kneeled with his adopted son, and committed the whole cause unto the
Lord, whom he addressed as one coming breathing burning coals of
juniper, and casting his lightnings before him, to destroy and root out
all who had moved hand or tongue against the children of the promise.
Thus did he arise confirmed, and go forth to certain conquest.

We cannot enter into the detail of the events that now occurred without
forestalling a part of the narrative of one who knew all the
circumstances--was deeply interested in them, and whose relation is of
higher value than anything that can be retailed out of the stores of
tradition and old registers; but, his narrative being different from
these, it was judged expedient to give the account as thus publicly
handed down to us. Suffice it that, before evening, George was
apprehended, and lodged in jail, on a criminal charge of an assault and
battery, to the shedding of blood, with the intent of committing
fratricide. Then was the old laird in great consternation, and blamed
himself for treating the thing so lightly, which seemed to have been
gone about, from the beginning, so systematically, and with an intent
which the villains were now going to realize, namely, to get the young
laird disposed of; and then his brother, in spite of the old
gentleman's teeth, would be laird himself.

Old Dal now set his whole interest to work among the noblemen and
lawyers of his party. His son's case looked exceedingly ill, owing to
the former assault before witnesses, and the unbecoming expressions
made use of by him on that occasion, as well as from the present
assault, which George did not deny, and for which no moving cause or
motive could be made to appear.

On his first declaration before the sheriff, matters looked no better:
but then the sheriff was a Whig. It is well known how differently the
people of the present day, in Scotland, view the cases of their own
party-men and those of opposite political principles. But this day is
nothing to that in such matters, although, God knows, they are still
sometimes barefaced enough. It appeared, from all the witnesses in the
first case, that the complainant was the first aggressor--that he
refused to stand out of the way, though apprised of his danger; an