bove the rest.
'Shall the Bruce sit tamely down to await the working of the villain
oath, and bid its tools go free, filling the whole land with
well-trained murderers? Shall Buchan pass scathless, to weave yet
darker, more atrocious schemes?'

"'Brother, no,' frankly rejoined the king. 'We will make free to go and
visit our friends in Buchan, and there, an thou wilt, thou shalt pay
them in coin for their kindly intents and deeds towards us; but for this
poor fool, again I say, let him go free. Misery and death, God wot, we
are compelled to for our country's sake, let us spare where but our own
person is endangered.'

"And they let him free, my masters, unwise as it seemed to us; none
could gainsay our sovereign's words. Sullen to the last, the only
symptom of gratitude he vouchsafed was to mutter forth, in, answer to
the Bruce's warning words to hie him to his comrades in Buchan, and bid
them, an they feared fire and devastation, to fly without delay, 'Aye,
only thus mayest thou hope to exterminate the traitors; pity none, spare
none. The whole district of Buchan is peopled by the Comyn, bound by
this oath of blood,' and thus he departed."

"And spoke he truth?" demanded Sir Amiot, hoarsely, and with an
agitation that, had others more suspicious been with him, must have been
remarked, although forcibly and painfully suppressed; "spoke he truth?
Methought the district of Buchan had only within the last century
belonged to the Comyn, and that the descendants of the Countess
Margaret's vassals still kept apart, loving not the intermixture of
another clan. Said they not it was on this account the Countess of
Buchan had exercised such influence, and herself beaded a gallant troop
at the first rising of the Bruce? an the villain spoke truth, whence
came this change?"

"Why, for that matter, your worship, it is easy enough explained,"
answered Murdoch, "and, trust me, King Robert set inquiries enough
afloat ere he commenced his scheme of retaliation. Had there been one of
the Lady Isabella's own followers there, one who, in her name, claimed
his protection, he would have given it; not a hair of their heads would
have been injured; but there were none of these, your worship. The few
of the original clan which had not joined him were scattered all over
the country, mingling with other loyal clans; their own master had
hunted them away, when he came down to his own districts, just before
the capture of his wife and son. He