ighted brow bent upon the concourse about Sholto.

With a push of his elbows this way and that, the young captain of the
Earl's guard opened a road through the press.

In short, emphatic sentences he told his tale, and at the name of
prisonment and treachery to his cousins the countenance of William
Douglas grew stern and hard. His face twitched as if the news came
very near to him. He did not answer for a moment, but stood biting his
lips and glooming upon Sholto, as though the young man had been a
prisoner waiting sentence of pit or gallows for evil doing.

"I must see James concerning this ill news," he said when Sholto had
finished telling him of the Black Bull's Head at the Chancellor's
banquet-table.

He turned to go within.

"My lord," said Sholto, "will you give me another horse, and let
Darnaway rest in your stables? I must instantly ride south again to
raise Galloway."

"Order out all the horses which are ready caparisoned," commanded
William of Avondale, "and do you, Captain Sholto, take your choice of
them."

He went within forthwith and there ensued a pause filled with the
snorting and prancing of steeds, as, mettlesome with oats and hay,
they issued from their stalls, or with the grass yet dewy about their
noses were led in from the field. Darnaway took his leave of Sholto
with a backward neigh of regret, as if to say he was not yet tired of
going on his master's service.

Then presently on the terrace above appeared lazy Lord James, busily
buckling the straps of his body-armour and talking hotly the while
with his brother William.

"I care not even whether our father--" he cried aloud ere, with a
restraining hand upon his wrist, his elder brother could succeed in
stopping him.

"Hush, James," he said, "at least be mindful of those that stand
around."

"I care not, I tell you, William," cried the headstrong youth,
squaring his shoulders as he was wont to do before a fight. "I tell
you that you and I are no traitors to our name, and who meddles with
our coz, Will of Thrieve, hath us to reckon with!"

William of Avondale said nothing, but held out his hand with a slow,
determinate gesture. Said he, "An it were the father that begat us."
Whereat, with all the impetuousness of his race and nature, James
dashed his palm into that of his brother.

"Whiles, William," he cried, "ye appear clerkish and overcautious, and
I break out and miscall ye for no Douglas, when ye will not spend your
siller