Thus did he arise confirmed, and go forth to certain conquest.

We cannot enter into the detail of the events that now occurred
without forestalling a part of the narrative of one who knew all
the circumstances--was deeply interested in them, and whose
relation is of higher value than anything that can be retailed out of
the stores of tradition and old registers; but, his narrative being
different from these, it was judged expedient to give the account
as thus publicly handed down to us. Suffice it that, before
evening, George was apprehended, and lodged in jail, on a
criminal charge of an assault and battery, to the shedding of
blood, with the intent of committing fratricide. Then was the old
laird in great consternation, and blamed himself for treating the
thing so lightly, which seemed to have been gone about, from the
beginning, so systematically, and with an intent which the villains
were now going to realize, namely, to get the young laird
disposed of; and then his brother, in spite of the old gentleman's
teeth, would be laird himself.

Old Dal now set his whole interest to work among the noblemen
and lawyers of his party. His son's case looked exceedingly ill,
owing to the former assault before witnesses. and the unbecoming
expressions made use of by him on that occasion, as well as from
the present assault, which George did not deny, and for which no
moving cause or motive could be made to appear.

On his first declaration before the sheriff, matters looked no
better: but then the sheriff was a Whig. It is well known how
differently the people of the present day, in Scotland, view the
cases of their own party-men and those of opposite political