In the meantime, Kintail sent for twenty-four of his ablest men in Kintail and Lochalsh, and took them, along with the best of his own kinsmen, to Baile Chaisteil (now Grantown), where his uncle Grant of Grant resided, with the view to purchase from him a heavy and long-standing claim which he held against Glengarry for depredations committed on Grant's neighbouring territories in Glenmoriston and Glen-Urquhart. Grant was unwilling to sell, but ultimately, on the persuasion of mutual friends, he offered to take thirty thousand merks for his claim. Mackenzie's kinsmen and friends from the West were meanwhile lodged in a great kiln in the neighbourhood, amusing themselves with some of Grant's men who went to the kiln to keep them company. Kintail sent a messenger to the kiln to consult his people as to whether he would give such a large amount for Grants "comprising" against Glengarry. The messenger was patiently listened to until he had finished, when he was told to go back and tell Grant and Mackenzie, that had they not entertained great hopes that their chief would "give that paper as a gift to his nephew after all his trouble," he would not have been allowed to cross the Ferry of Ardersier; for they would like to know where he could find such a large sum, unless he intended to harry them and his other friends, who had already suffered quite enough in the wars with Glengarry; and, so saying, they took to their arms, and desired the messenger to tell Mackenzie that they wished him to leave the paper where it was. And if he desired to have it, they would sooner venture their own persons and those of the friends they had left at home to secure it by force, than give a sum which would probably be more difficult to procure than to dispossess Glengarry altogether by their doughty arms. They then left the kiln, and sent one of their own number for their chief, who, on arriving, was strongly abused for entertaining such an extravagant proposal and requested to leave the place at once. This he consented to do, and went to inform Grant that his friends would not hear of his giving such a large sum, and that he preferred to dispense with the claim against Glengarry altogether rather than lose the goodwill and friendship of his retainers, who had so often endangered their lives and fortunes in his quarrels. Meanwhile, one of the Grants who had been in the kiln communicated to his master the nature of the conversation which had there passed when the price asked by Grant was mentioned to the followers of Mackenzie. This made such an impression upon Grant and his advisers, that he prevailed upon Mackenzie, who was about starting for home, to remain in the castle for another night. To this Kintail consented, and before morning he obtained the "paper" for ten thousand merks - a third of the sum originally asked for it. "Such familiar relationship of the chief with his people," our authority says, "may now-a-days be thought fabulous;