death, as by the Bull's Head here on the table ye would have me
believe?"

"For black treason do we apprehend you, Earl of Douglas," creaked the
voice of the Chancellor, still speaking from behind his array of
men-at-arms, "and because you have set yourself above the King. But we
are no butchers, and trial shall ye have by your peers."

"And who in this place are the peers of the Earl of Douglas?" said the
young man, haughtily.

"I will not bandy words with you, my Lord Douglas. You are
overmastered. Yield yourself, therefore, as indeed you must without
remeed. Deliver your weapons and submit; 'tis our will."

"My brave Chancellor," said the Earl William, still in a voice of
pleasant irony, "you have well chosen your time to shame yourself. We
are your invited guests, and the guests of the King of Scotland. We
are here unarmed, sitting at meat with you in your own house. We have
come hither unattended, trusting to the honour of these noble knights
and gentlemen. Therefore my brother and I have no swords to deliver.
But if, being honourable men, you stand, as is natural, upon a nice
punctilio, I can satisfy you."

He turned again to Sholto MacKim.

"Give me your sword," he said. "'Tis better I should render it than
you."

With great unwillingness the captain of the guard of Thrieve did as he