y from his steed.
The crowd opened a place for him, crying "All hail to Kenric!" and he
took his stand in their midst at the eastern side of the court. No
farther did he venture, but stood there with bent head and sober,
sunburnt face, resting his left hand upon his sword.

Then when the abbot had spoken a few holy words, Sir Oscar Redmain
raised his voice and told what they had all come for to that place, and
he asked the counsellors to name the man whom they would choose for
their lord.

"Kenric, son of Hamish!" they all cried.

Kenric then stepped forward as though he were unwilling thus to be made
ruler over the people of Bute, for the high honour had come suddenly
upon him and he had never dreamed of being king, but only a faithful
priest of St. Blane's, serving the Lord and His people.

Sir Oscar met him at the foot of the throne, and took from him his great
sword and his dirk.

Then Kenric turned and faced the people, and spoke to them in a loud,
clear voice.

"Men of Bute," said he, "much do I tremble at this great and solemn duty
that you have thrust upon me. I am but a stripling, fitted better to
play upon the hills in boyish sport than to rule over men who are my
elders. If it be that I am indeed to be your king, then do I deem your
choice made only because I am my dear father's son, and not that I have
any virtue or prowess that would befit me for that high office. And now
I ask you, men of Bute, whether you have ever found any fault with the
manner in which the late king, Earl Hamish, ruled this land, and whether
you know of anything deserving blame in myself, that should unfit me to
be your lord and king?"

They replied as with the voice of one man that they knew no fault of any
kind.

Then standing upon the Stone of Destiny, Kenric took from the steward a
straight white wand, and the abbot and three friars anointed him king.
At the same time old Dovenald, clothed in a scarlet robe, advanced from
the crowd, and bending low before the throne repeated the catalogue of
Kenric's ancestors.

When these ceremonies were over, the young king swore upon his sword
that he would continue his vassals in the possession of their lands and
defend their rights with his own life, and do exact justice to all his
subjects.

"And now," said he, "if there be any amongst you who would dispute my
kingship, let him stand forward and I will prove myself with the sword."
And he threw down his gauntlet from his girdle.