s going on, but there seemed to be a
great commotion, for a big crowd of men had suddenly appeared from
nowhere. And there was Danny's father, and Nancy's father, apparently
having high words; and yes, there was Callum right in the centre of the
seething mass.

There were mingled cries of "Popery" and "Fenians" and "Orangemen."
Then suddenly above the noise there came a roar, "The Oa! The Oa!
MacDonald! MacDonald!"

"Grandaddy! oh, Grandaddy!" cried Scotty shrilly, "they're killin'
Callum, they're killin' Rory!"

At the first sound of the MacDonalds' battle-cry Big Malcolm raised his
head like a stag who has heard a challenge, and, at the boy's cry, he
cleared the intervening space with one bound, flung open the door and
shot out into the street.

"Malcolm, Malcolm!" cried Store Thompson in dismay, but Big Malcolm had
heard the call to arms and nothing in the township of Oro could hold
him back.

Scotty sprang to follow him, but Store Thompson closed the door, and
his wife, who had re-entered, put her arms about the boy and drew him
back.

"Ye mustna gang oot there, ma lad," said the storekeeper. "Yon's no
place for a child; aye," he added, "an' no place for yer grandfather
either!"

"Lemme go!" shouted Scotty, struggling equally with his captor and his
sobs. "They--'re--killin'--Rory! Lemme go!"

"Yer Grandaddy said ye were to bide here, laddie, mind ye!" cried Store
Thompson's wife soothingly.

At the reminder of his grandfather's commands Scotty collapsed. He
retired to the window once more, bathed in tears of helpless rage. But
another shout from the MacDonalds sent him flying again to the door,
where he once more encountered the ample skirts of his keeper.

"Ah'd niver look Marget Malcolm in the face again, Jeames, if onything
happened the bairn," she cried, struggling with Scotty's sturdy
muscles. "He maun jist bide!"

"What in heaven's name is the matter with that child?" demanded a
laughing voice from the rear of the shop. "Has he an attack of spasms?"

Scotty stopped struggling and looked up. In his absorption over the
battle outside he had not noticed that three strangers had entered the
shop with Store Thompson's wife, and he drew back abashed. The speaker
was a short, well-built man under middle age, with an air and
appearance quite different from the rough exterior of Scotty's own
people. There was a look of command in his merry blue eyes and an air
of superiority in his straig