nd dine with his majesty of Kippen."

A spontaneous cheer burst from every man in the great hall to the
accompaniment of a rattle of swords. Most of those present were more
anxious to follow the king to a contest than into a council chamber.
When silence ensued, the mild voice of the archbishop, perhaps because
it was due to his profession, put in a seasonable word; and the nobles
scowled for they knew he had great influence with the king.

"Your majesty, if the Buchanans are drunk----"

"If they are drunk, my lord archbishop," interrupted James, "we will
sober them. 'Tis a duty even the Church owes to the inebriate." And
with that he led the way out of the hall, his reply clearing the brows
of his followers.

A few minutes later a clattering cavalcade rode forth from the Castle
of Stirling, through the town and down the path of Ballengeich, a
score of soldiers bringing up the tail of the procession; and in due
time the company came to the entrance of Arnprior Castle. There seemed
like to be opposition at the gate, but Sir Donald, spurring his horse
forward among the guard, scattered the members of it right and left,
and, raising both voice and sword, shouted,--

"The king! The king! Make way for the King of Scotland!"

The defenders seeing themselves outnumbered, as the huntsmen had been
in that locality a short time before, gave up their axes to the
invaders as meekly as the royal rangers had given up their venison.

The king placed his own guard at the gate. Springing from his horse he
entered the castle door, and mounted the stone steps, sword in hand,
his retinue close at his heels. The great hall to which they ascended
was no monk's chapel of silence. There was wafted to them, or rather
blown down upon them like a fierce hurricane, the martial strains of
"Buchanan for ever," played by pipers anything but scant of wind; yet
even this tornado was not sufficient to drown the roar of human
voices, some singing, others apparently in the heat of altercation,
and during the height of this deafening clamour the king and his
followers entered the dining-hall practically unobserved.

On the long oaken table, servitors were busily placing smoking viands
soon to be consumed; others were filling the drinking-horns, while
some of the guests were engaged in emptying them, although the meal
had not yet begun. Buchanan, his back towards the incomers, his brawny
hands on the table, leaning forward, was shouting to the compa