e sheriff tremulously asserted that the populace were but too
pleased at this exhibition of the royal clemency.

"If that is the case then," replied his majesty, "we shall not need to
trouble you. And so, farewell to you!"

The king, Baldy, and the cobbler took the road towards Stirling, and
Sir Donald spread out his troop to intercept traffic in that
direction. Advancing toward the bewildered crowd, Sir Donald spoke to
them.

"You will go quietly to your homes," he said. "You have not seen the
hanging, but you have witnessed to-day what none in Scotland ever saw
before, the king intervene personally to save a doomed man; therefore,
be satisfied, and go home."

Some one in the mob cried,--

"Hurrah for the poor man's king! Cheer, lads, cheer!" A great uproar
was lifted to the skies; afar off the three pedestrians heard it,
and Baldy, the man of many friends, taking the clamour as a public
compliment to himself, waved his bonnet at the distant vociferous
multitude.

THE KING'S VISIT

"No, no," said the king decisively, "Bring them in, bring them in.
I'll have none cast into prison without at least a hearing. Have any
of your men been killed?"

"No, your majesty," replied Sir Donald, "but some of them have wounds
they will not forget in a hurry; the Highlandmen fought like
tiger-cats."

"How many are there of them?" asked the king.

"Something more than a score, with a piper that's noisier than the
other twenty, led by a breechless ruffian, although I must say he
knows what to do with a sword."

"All armed, you say?"

"Every one of them but the piper. About half an hour ago they came
marching up the main street of Stirling, each man with his sword
drawn, and the pipes skirling death and defiance. They had the whole
town at their heels laughing and jeering at them and imitating the
wild Highland music. At first, they paid little attention to the mob
that followed them, but in the square their leader gave a word in
Gaelic, and at once the whole company swerved about and charged the
crowd. There was instant panic among the townspeople, who fled in all
directions out-screaming the pibroch in their fright. No one was hurt,
for the Highlandmen struck them with the flat of their swords, but
several were trampled under foot and are none the better for it."

"It serves them right," commented the king. "I hope it will teach them
manners, towards strangers, at least. What followed?"

"A whistle from their