Page:Scott - Tales of my Landlord - 3rd series - 1819.djvu/278

268 "Some five-and-twenty or thirty," said Donald, "his ordinary retinue."

"Shake down plenty of straw in the great barn," said the Laird.

Another servant here stumbled hastily in, announcing the expected arrival of Sir Hector M'Lean, "who is arriving with a large following."

"Put them in the malt kiln," said M'Aulay; "and keep the breadth of the middenstead between them and the M'Donalds; they are but unfriends to each other."

Donald now re-entered, his visage considerably lengthened—"The tiel's i' the folk," he said; "the hale Hielands are asteer, I think. Evan Dhu, of Lochiel, will be here in an hour, with Lord kens how many gillies."

"Into the great barn with them beside the M'Donalds," said the Laird.

More and more Chiefs were announced, the least of whom would have accounted it