“See, father!” said Walter Stewart to old Sir Allan, as he and his brother Patrick entered the hall one evening, followed by some of their people, with whom they had been all day engaged in the pursuit of a wolf, whose grinning countenance, attached to his shaggy skin, was borne triumphantly on the point of a hunting spear. “See here, father! we have got him at last. We have at last taken vengeance on the villain for his cruel slaughter of poor Isabel’s child. Look at the spoils of the murdering caitiff who devoured the little innocent.”
“Hath he not been a fell beast, father?” said Patrick, holding up the hunting spear before Sir Allan, and shaking the trophy.
“Ah!” said Sir Allan, rousing himself up, “a fell beast indeed!—aye, aye—poor child, poor child!—bring his head nearer to me, boy! Would I could have been with you! Aye, aye—dear me—age will come upon us. But I have seen the day, boys—aye, aye—och, hey!”
“Ho, there!” cried Walter Stewart, “what means it that there are no signs of supper? By St. Hubert, but we have toiled long enough and hard enough to-day with legs, arms, spears, spades, and mattocks, to have well earned our meal! Where is brother Murdoch?—where is the Lady Stradawn?”
“Aye, aye,” said the querulous old Sir Allan, “it is ever thus now-a-days. I am always left to myself—weary, weary is my life I am sure—and I am hungry—very hungry. Aye, aye.”
“Thou shalt have thy supper very soon, father,” said Patrick, kindly taking his hand; “and Walter and I will leave you but for a brief space, to rid us of these wet and soiled garments.”
The two brothers then hastened from the hall to go to their respective chambers.
“Whose draggle-tailed beast was that I saw tied up under the tree beyond the outer gateway as we came in?” demanded Walter of his attendant, Dugald Roy.
“I have seen the beast before,” replied Dugald. “If I am not far mista’en, it is the garron the proud Priest of Dalestie rides,—and a clever beast it would need to be, I am sure, for many a long, and late, and queer gate does it carry him, I trow.”
“How came the animal there, Dugald?” demanded Walter quickly.