“Whaur’s yer warrant?” asked Malcolm coolly. “Ye wad hae the impidence to deman’ my warrant, ye yoong sorner!” cried Bykes indignantly. “Come yer wa’s, my man, or I s’ gar ye smairt for ’t” “Haud a quaiet sough, an’ gang hame for yer warrant,” said Malcolm. “It’s lyin’ there, doobtless, or ye wadna hae daured to shaw yer face on sic an eeran’.” Duncan, who was dozing in his chair, awoke at the sound of high words. His jealous affection perceived at once that Malcolm was being insulted. He sprang to his feet, stepped swiftly to the wall, caught down his broadsword, and rushed to the door, making the huge weapon quiver and whir about his head as if it had been a slip of tin-plate. “Where is ta rascal?” he shouted. “She’ll cut him town! Show her ta lowlan’ thief! She’ll cut him town! Who’ll be insulting her Malcolm?” But Bykes, at first sight of the weapon, had vanished in dismay. “Hoot toot, daddy,” said Malcolm, taking him by the arm; “there’s naebody here. The puir cratur couldna bide the sough o’ the claymore. He fled like the autumn wind over the stubble. There’s Ossian for ’t.” “Ta Lord pe praised!” cried Duncan. “She’ll be confounded her foes. But what would ta rascal pe wanting, my son?” Leading him back to his chair, Malcolm told him as much as he knew of the matter. “Ton’t you co for _no_ warrant,” said Duncan. “If my lort marquis will pe senting for you as one chentleman sends for another, _then_ you co.” Within an hour Bykes reappeared, accompanied by one of the gamekeepers --an Englishman. The moment he heard the door open, Duncan caught again at his broadsword. “We want you, my young man,” said the gamekeeper, standing on the threshold, with Bykes peeping over his shoulder, in an attitude indicating one foot already lifted to run. “What for?” “That’s as may appear.” “Whaur’s yer warrant?” “There.” “Lay ’t doon o’ the table, an’ gang back to the door, till I get a sklent at it,” said Malcolm. “Ye’re an honest man, Wull--but I wadna lippen a snuff-mull ’at had mair nor ae pinch intill ’t wi’ yon cooard cratur ahin’ ye.” He was afraid of the possible consequences of his grandfather’s indignation. The gamekeeper did at once as he was requested, evidently both amused with the bearing of the two men and admiring it. Having glanced at the paper, Malcolm put it in his pocket, and whispering a word to his grandfather, walked away with his captors. As they went to the House, Bykes was full of threats of which he sought to enhance the awfulness by the indefiniteness; but Will told Malcolm as much as he knew of the matter--namely, that the head gamekeeper, having lost some dozen of his sitting pheasants, had enjoined a strict watch; and that Bykes, having caught sight of Malcolm in the very act of getting over the wall, had gone and given information against him.