seizing an occasion when David had fallen a little behind.

"Thou art a true son of Malise MacKim, whatever thy mother may aver,"
cried the Earl. "I'll wager a gold angel thou art going to say
something shrewdly unpleasant. That great lurdain, thy father, never
asks permission to speak save when he has stilettos rankling where his
honest tongue should be."

"My lord," said Sholto, "bear a word from one who loves you. Go not
into this town of Edinburgh. Or at least wait till you can ride
thither with three thousand lances as did your father, and his father
before him."

The Earl laughed merrily and clapped his young knight on the
shoulder.

"Did you not tell me the same ere we came to the Castle of Crichton,
and lo! there we were ten days in the place and not a man-at-arms
within miles except your own Galloway varlets! Sholto, my lad, we
might have sacked the castle, rolled all the platters down the slopes
into the Tyne, and sent the cooks trundling after them, for all that
any one could have done to stop us. Yet here are we riding forth,
feathers in our bonnets, swords by our sides, panged full of the
Chancellor's good meat and drink, and at once, as soon as we are gone,
Sholto MacKim begins the same old discontented corbie's croak!"

"But, my lord, 'tis a different matter yonder. The Castle of Edinburgh
is a strong place with many courts and doors--a hostile city round
about, not a solitary castle like Crichton. They may separate you from
us, and we may be able neither to save you nor yet to die with you, if