vocate's quibble, your majesty. Safe conduct is a
phrase well understood by high and low alike. But we have placed our
heads in the lion's mouth, as our leader said last Wednesday night,
and we cannot complain if now his jaws are shut. Nevertheless I would
respectfully submit to your majesty that I alone of those present
doubted a Stuart's word, and am like to have my doubts practically
confirmed. I would also point out to your majesty that my comrades
would not have been here had I not trusted the Master of Ballengeich,
and through him the king, therefore, I ask you to let me alone pay the
penalty of my error, and allow my friends to go scatheless from the
grim walls of Stirling."

"There is reason in what you say," replied the king. "Are you all
agreed to that?" he asked of the others.

"No, by God," cried the leader springing to his feet and smiting the
table with his fist as lustily as the king had done. "We stand
together, or fall together. The mistake was ours as much as his, and
we entered these gates with our eyes open."

"Headsman," said the king, "do your duty."

The headsman whipped off the black cloth and displayed underneath it a
box containing a large jug surrounded by eleven drinking-horns. Those
present, all now on their feet, glanced with amazement from the masked
man to the king. The sternness had vanished from his majesty's face,
as if a dark cloud had passed from the sun and allowed it to shine
again. There sparkled in the king's eye all the jubilant mischief of
the incorrigible boy, and his laughter rang to the ceiling. Somewhat
recovering his gravity he stretched out his hand and pointed a finger
at the cobbler.

"I frightened you, Flemming," he cried. "I frightened you; don't deny
it. I'll wager my gold crown against a weaver's woollen bonnet, I
frightened the whole eleven of you."

"Indeed," said the cobbler with an uneasy laugh, "I shall be the first
to admit it."

[Illustration: "HEADSMAN: DO YOUR DUTY."]

"Your face was as white as a harvest moon in mid-sky, and I heard
somebody's teeth chatter. Now the drink we have had at our meetings
heretofore was vile, and no more fitted for a Christian throat than is
the headsman's axe; but if you ever tasted anything better than this,
tell me where to get a hogshead of it."

The headsman having filled their horns, the leader raised the flagon
above his head and said,--

"I give you the toast of The King!"

"No, no," proclaimed the boyish