vily to the floor.

Roderic, seeing this and waxing wrathful, sprang lightly from his seat,
and ere Kenric could well understand his intention he had caught hold of
the youth and gripped him by his sword hand. He wreathed his other
strong arm round the lad's lithe body. Long he wrestled with him, but at
last he drew him down by main force with his back across his thigh and
his right hand set hard at his throat. With his left hand he again
gripped Kenric's sword hand and tried to wrest the weapon from his
grasp. But Kenric's wrist was of mighty strength and he held with a grip
of iron to the handle of his sword. Then Roderic dragged the lad's hand
forward and got it between his teeth, that by biting it he might force
him to loosen his hold of the weapon. And now Kenric must surely have
been overcome had not Duncan of the long arm at that moment come behind
Earl Roderic and rushed upon him and caught him up in his arms. With all
the force of his giant strength the Highlander lifted the man high in
the air and shook him fiercely. Kenric, freeing himself, drew back to
the door, and he saw Duncan fling Earl Roderic upon the table and grip
him by the throat.

"Spare him!" cried Kenric as the seneschal drew his dirk.

Then Duncan, thrusting his knife in his garter, turned Roderic over with
his face downward, and holding him there with his bare knee on his back,
he took off his great plaid and twisting it ropewise he bound the earl's
arms tightly together, so that he could no longer move them.

The earl of Colonsay had already been pinioned in like manner. But
Erland the Old, when he saw Kenric stand free and unharmed, fearing to
be ill treated, rushed out into the corridor. There he was met by Alpin,
who, with drawn sword, was about to kill him. His sword was raised in
the act of smiting him when, from the banqueting hall beyond, there came
a loud and plaintive cry that echoed throughout the castle like the cry
of a wounded eagle. Alpin lowered his weapon and, leaving old Erland to
be arrested by the guards, he sped towards the hall. Kenric, hearing
that scream, followed after him.

In the hall they found their mother. A crowd of the men and women of the
castle were there with her, holding torches and lighted cruse lamps over
the body of the dead lord of Bute. The Lady Adela was wringing her hands
in frantic grief.

"Who is the villain that hath done this wicked thing?" she cried as
Alpin and Kenric entered.

"Roderic,