richton
CHAPTER XXX
The Bower by yon Burnside
CHAPTER XXXI
The Gaberlunzie Man
CHAPTER XXXII
"Edinburgh Castle, Tower, and Town"
CHAPTER XXXIII
The Black Bull's Head
CHAPTER XXXIV
Betrayed with a Kiss
CHAPTER XXXV
The Lion at Bay
CHAPTER XXXVI
The Rising of the Douglases
CHAPTER XXXVII
A Strange Meeting
CHAPTER XXXVIII
The MacKims come to Thrieve
CHAPTER XXXIX
The Gift of the Countess.
CHAPTER XL
The Mission of James the Gross
CHAPTER XLI
The Withered Garland
CHAPTER XLII
Astarte the She-wolf
CHAPTER XLIII
Malise fetches a Clout
CHAPTER XLIV
Laurence takes New Service
CHAPTER XLV
The Boasting of Gilles de Sille
CHAPTER XLVI
The Country of the Dread
CHAPTER XLVII
Caesar Martin's Wife
CHAPTER XLVIII
The Mercy of La Meffraye
CHAPTER XLIX
The Battle with the Were-wolves
CHAPTER L
The Altar of Iron
CHAPTER LI
The Marshal's Chamber
CHAPTER LII
The Jesting of La Meffraye
CHAPTER LIII
Sybilla's Vengeance
CHAPTER LIV
The Cross under the Apron
CHAPTER LV
The Red Milk
CHAPTER LVI
The Shadow behind the Throne
CHAPTER LVII
The Tower of Death
CHAPTER LVIII
The White Tower of Machecoul
CHAPTER LIX
The Last Sacrifice to Barran-Sathanas
CHAPTER LX
His Demon hath deserted him
CHAPTER LXI
Leap Year in Galloway
THE BLACK DOUGLAS
CHAPTER I
THE BLACK DOUGLAS RIDES HOME
Merry fell the eve of Whitsunday of the year 1439, in the fairest and
heartsomest spot in all the Scottish southland. The twined May-pole
had not yet been taken down from the house of Brawny Kim, master
armourer and foster father to William, sixth Earl of Douglas and Lord
of Galloway.
Malise Kim, who by the common voice was well named "The Brawny," sat
in his wicker chair before his door, overlooking the island-studded,
fairy-like loch of Carlinwark. In the smithy across the green
bare-trodden road, two of his elder sons were still hammering at some
armour of choice. But it was a ploy of their own, which they desired
to finish that they might go trig and point-device to the Earl's
weapon-showing to-morrow on the braes of Balmaghie. Sholto and
Laurence were the names of the two who clanged the ringing steel and
blew the smooth-handled bellows of tough tanned hide, that wheezed and
puffed as the fire roared up deep and red before sinking to the right
welding-heat in a little flame rou
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