"
At this the men were silent; but at last one said:
"I'd swear that it was even so. And what say you all if we go thence
this very night and fall upon the chapel with fire and sword? 'Tis a
straight road from this, and easily found."
At this moment there were footsteps in the outer corridor. Three men
entered, dragging with them yet another who was bound with ropes. Their
prisoner was David Blair, the farmer of Scalpsie. He had been captured,
hiding like a frightened cur, among the rocks of Ascog.
The Norse captain, who could speak the Gaelic, on learning who he was,
commanded him, on pain of instant death, to tell where Kenric of Bute
had taken the women and children.
The farmer hesitated a moment; then, seeing the captain draw his sword,
he gasped:
"Oh, spare me, spare me, my lord! Give me but my life, and I will tell
you all. I will tell you where you may find these people, and how you
can get at them. But, since death is the punishment wherewith you
threaten my silence, tell me, then, what shall be my reward if I tell
you this you ask?"
The captain smiled grimly. Then in Danish he said:
"You base inhuman craven! you ask what reward I will give you? Methinks
the only fitting reward for such treachery were to have a cauldron of
boiling lead poured down your guilty throat. Reward, forsooth!"
"Nay, but I cannot understand, my master.
Pages:
219
220
221
222
223
224
225
226
227
228
229
230
231
232
233
234
235
236
237
238
239
240
241
242
243