By this time many of the men of the castle, led by
Kenric and Sir Piers de Currie, were scouring the island in search of
the fugitive Harald, and when the boat touched at the little pier it was
as though it were one of the fishing craft returning after a night at
sea. Allan carried his prisoner up to the castle gates, followed by a
crowd of wondering children, and meeting the Lady Adela in the hail he
told her how he had passed his first night as watchdog over at Scalpsie.
CHAPTER XVIII. THE EXPEDITION TO THE ISLAND KINGS.
It was on a day in the month of August, 1262, that the armament of
twelve gallant ships of war, under Sir Piers de Currie and Earl Kenric
of Bute, entered the sound of Kilbrannan on their voyage to the outer
isles. There had passed six weeks of busy preparation, for there were
stores to be got ready and put on board, small boats to be made trim,
timbers to be caulked, sails to be mended, many hundreds of arrows to be
cut, pointed, and feathered, and longbows to be strung, swords and
battle-axes to be forged and sharpened, and bucklers to be stretched.
And now, with all these matters duly completed, the twelve vessels, with
their sails brailed up to the yards, and their long oars moving with
regular stride, crept down the channel between Kintyre and Arran.
Leading them was the great Dragon -- the same that had sailed to
Dumbarton -- commanded by Earl Kenric himself, who stood on the poop
clothed in armour of iron network and with the sword of Somerled at his
side, and wearing his shining brass helm crested with gold wings.
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