tle this dispute."

He had come up just when the young men were in the final grips, when
Sholto had at last gotten his will of his brother's head, and was, as
the saying is, giving him "Dutch spice" in no very knightly fashion.

The Angus marshal, seeing this, seized Sholto by the collar of his
mailed shirt, and drawing him suddenly back, caused him to lose hold
of his brother, who as quickly rose to his feet. The red man began to
beat Sholto about the headpiece right heartily with his staff, which
exercise made a great ringing noise, though naturally, the skull cap
being the work of Malise MacKim, little harm ensued to the head
enclosed therein.

But Master Laurence was instantly on fire.

"Here, Foxy-face," he cried, "let my brother a-be! What business is it
of yours if two gentlemen have a difference? Go back to your Angus
kernes and ragged craw-bogle Highland folk!"

Meanwhile Sholto had recovered from his surprise, and the crowd of
varlets was melting apace, thinking the Angus marshal some one of
consequence. But the brothers MacKim were not the lads to take beating
with a stick meekly, and the provost, who indeed had nothing to do
with the Galloway part of the encampment, had far better have confined
his officiousness to his own quarters.

"Take him on the right, Sholto," cried Laurence, "and I will have at
him from this side." The Red Angus drew his sword and threatened
forthwith to slay the lads if they came near him. But with a spring
like that of a grey Grimalkin of the woods, Sholto leapt within his
guard ere he had time to draw back his arm for thrust or parry, and at
the same moment Laurence, snatching the red and white staff out of his
hand, dealt him so sturdy a clout between the shoulders that, though
he was of weight equal to both of his opponents taken together, he was
knocked breathless at the first blow and went down beneath the impetus
of Sholto's attack.

Laurence coolly disengaged his brother, and began to thrash the Angus
man with his own staff upon all exposed parts, till the dry wood
broke. Then he threw the pieces at his head, and the two brothers went
off arm in arm to find a woody covert in which to repair damages
against the weapon-showing, and the inspection of their lord and his
keen-eyed master armourer.

As soon as they had discovered such a sequestered holt, Laurence, who
had frequent experience of such rough-and-tumble encounters, stripped
off his doublet of purple velvet, a