grange all the meal and flour that
now lie in my granaries at Rothesay, and you shall store it away in
secret places. Ere the sun sets this night every woman and bairn now
alive in Bute shall be brought to the abbey, and they shall live here,
guarded by a band of our best men-at-arms."

"But, my son," objected the abbot, "is not your own castle a far
stronger and safer refuge?"

"It may well be that it is stronger, my father," said Kenric; "but since
it is the first place that our enemies will make for, 'tis not more safe
than the abbey, which would be the last place that Christian men would
attack."

"You speak wisely there," said the father; "but still do I doubt your
wisdom in seeking to gather so many women and children together in one
defenceless place. How will it be if our enemies forget the sanctity of
this refuge, and discovering our children assail them all in the mass?
Better it were, methinks, to let each family remain in their own home,
for thus distributed over the island some, if not all, must surely escape."

"Father," said Kenric, "it is not without reason that I propose this
course, and the two years that I passed under the care of the holy
brethren of the abbey gave me some teaching of a practical sort. Wist
you not that under this very chapel there is a strong, large chamber?
And wist you not also that connected with that chamber there is a long
vault running a full four furlongs underground, even unto the inclosed
space that the men of Bute name the Circle of Penance?"

"Even so, my lord," said the abbot; "and now do I well understand your
plan. It is in that underground passage that you would have our helpless
people take refuge. Send me, then, a score of your men to make timely
preparation and I will gladly receive the innocents into my care. God
grant that we may be able to protect them, even at the cost of our own
lives."

"Amen," said Kenric, and then he rode away. Taking the green road that
led westward, he stopped at every farmstead and cottage by the way and
there bade all the women, from the aged crone to the young damsel,
repair to the abbey of St. Blane's, taking with them all their children.

Soon he reached Kilmory Castle, where he had counsel with Sir Oscar and
Allan Redmain concerning the protection of their fortress. It was
probable that the enemy would land upon the western side of the island,
but lest they should determine to make their first attack upon Rothesay
it was dee