Would
you that I should bring you that damsel's head, my lord?"
"The saints forbid!" said Kenric. "But bide your time and you shall be
set free, and the more speedily since I intend that you shall come with
us on our journey to the isles."
Well, on that same day Earl Kenric went secretly over to the forest of
Toward, in Cowall, with a few chosen men, and in the evening when Allan
was setting forth for Scalpsie he found two great black wolves lying
dead and bloody beside the granary of Kilmory Castle, and he cut off
their heads and carried the same to Rothesay and delivered them to the king.
"Here, my lord, are the heads of two wolves," said he, "that were alive
this morning and now are dead; and I cut off their heads with my own
hands. For this I claim my freedom."
"Right so," said Kenric smiling. "You have well won your freedom, and so
easily, that methinks it might even have been secured four weeks ago and
more."
And now Allan Redmain was made master of the /Kraken/ galley, with four
score of skilful archers under him. And as the vessels sped down
Kilbrannan Sound on this August morning he trod the deck with a proud
firm step that made his long sword rattle in its sheath, and with his
young heart beating quicker in anticipation of the battles that were
before him.
By midnight the ships, with all sails set and oars inboard, were abreast
of the Mull of Kintyre, and at sunrise the next morning, beating due
north the voyagers sighted the little isle of Cara, with the higher land
of the larger isle of Gigha rising boldly behind it.
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