The Thirsty Sword

ng in the great banqueting hall of the castle of Rothesay. For although to the tired lad Lulach and to Ailsa they had appeared in the guise of enemies, yet each of the three was known to th

of Rothesay Castle they found Earl Hamish and his steward, Sir Oscar Redmain, on the point of setting out on a hunting exp

in the armoury and took bows and hunting spears. Thus equipped, they set off with Earl Hamish and his merry men and long-limbed hounds. And

eef and stewed black cock, with cakes of bread, both white and brown, and many measures of red wine and well-spiced liqu

l, there was a fire of fragrant pine logs blazing on the open hearth. Round the walls of the hall, that were panelled with

rvals of the feast with the music of his harp, or, if need were, to recite to the

nison. At his right hand sat the earl of Jura, Erland the Old, and at his left Earl Sweyn the Silent. His beautiful wife, the Lady Adela -- attired in a rich gown inwoven wit

discourse of how the men had fared t

North, and they spoke with Earl Hamish in the Norse tongue. Their discourse, which has no bearing upon the story, was mainly of cattle and sheep, and of th

s that might be enjoyed in his father's dominions, "you should one day come to Gigha

r the kingdom of which you boast is but a barren rock in the mid sea, an

suppose. Our beasts of the chase are burly men, and our hunting ground is the wide ocean. I and my gallant fellows carry our adventures far into

looked up in sh

les among your enemies, my lord? The Scots are at

Henry, yet the brave Easterlings of Ireland do ofttimes find the need of slaying a few of your proud countrymen; and if I help them -- well, where there is aught

Sir Oscar? Am

ect of the King of Scots is but a traitorous hound if he stoop to take arms in favour of either Easterling or Norseman, and against our good friends of England. You, my

that I paid truage to any king but our own King of Scots, God bless him! And though, indeed, King Alexander is but a str

ly turning to the lady of Rothesay, and helping her to cut up the venison on her platter,

to come back once more to the peaceful Isle of Bute. Much do I envy my good brother Hamish, in that he h

d rosy red at this complim

n Bute and Gigha, you might surely have come to visit your brother long ere this present time. For although Earl Hamish hath o

ger that my brother and I parted, when, as you well know, the lordship over the two islands was divided. The larger dominion of Bute fell to the s

Lord Roderic," said Adela; "and I doubt not you are passing happy

n the board; "for where can a man find happiness wh

ad sorrows?" que

ll that I went north to Iceland, and there I met one who (with submission I say it) was not less beautiful than yourself, my lady. She

g bowl and looked across the tab

irl would have been of the years of your own son

me that they are

arried them away to his crystal home under the sea. Others whispered that the kraken or some other monster of the deep had devoured them. They said these things, believing that Sigrid had no heart for her children, and that she was unkind to them. But many days thereafter I le

ame a day of terrible tempest. The thunder god struck my ship and we were wrecked. Every man that was on board my ship was drowned saving only myself, for the white sea mew swims not more lightly on the waters than I. So I was picked up by a passing vessel, and it was the vessel

d Adela, clasping her hands. "And you have

they are still at play in the crystal halls of

d, what of her?" ask

had gone mad, and that in her frenzy she had cast herself from the cliffs into the

's. For notwithstanding that she dwelt in a country not her own, and among people who spoke a foreign tongue, yet she was very happy. The Ea

g the great treaty of peace between England and Scotland, and also to consider the proposal of a marriage between the daughter of the King of England and the son of the King of Scots. The treaty established a peace which had not yet been broken, and the Princess Margaret of England w

Earl Roderic's story of his great unhappiness

lady was a new experience, observed her pensiveness and wond

"you have no

er knife and dug its po

nd she grasped his wrist so that

"This is the most unlucky thing th

w?" cried Sir Oscar Redmain, rising wrathfully

ing his lady's cry, rose hastily and appro

"for the hall is over war

ere he kissed her fondly on her whi