The Black Douglas

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The Black Douglas, by S. R. Crockett

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Title: The Black Douglas
Author: S. R. Crockett
Illustrator: Frank Richards
Release Date: February 9, 2006 [EBook #17733]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
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[Illustration: "AND AT THE LAST HE ... SAILED OVER THE SEAS TO HIS OWN LAND." Frontispiece]
The Black Douglas

By
S.R. Crockett
Author of "The Raiders," "The Stickit Minister," etc.

New York Doubleday & McClure Co. 1899

COPYRIGHT, 1899,
By S.R. CROCKETT.

CONTENTS
* CHAPTER I The Black Douglas rides Home.
* CHAPTER II My Fair Lady
* CHAPTER III Two riding together
* CHAPTER IV The Rose-red Pavilion
* CHAPTER V The Witch Woman
* CHAPTER VI The Prisoning of Malise the Smith
* CHAPTER VII The Douglas Muster
* CHAPTER VIII The Crossing of the Ford
* CHAPTER IX Laurence sings a Hymn
* CHAPTER X The Braes of Balmaghie
* CHAPTER XI The Ambassador of France
* CHAPTER XII Mistress Maud Lindesay
* CHAPTER XIII A Daunting Summons
* CHAPTER XIV Captain of the Earl's Guard
* CHAPTER XV The Night Alarm
* CHAPTER XVI Sholto captures a Prisoner of Distinction
* CHAPTER XVII The Lamp is blown out
* CHAPTER XVIII The Morning Light
* CHAPTER XIX La Joyeuse baits her Hook
* CHAPTER XX Andro the Penman gives an Account of his Stewardship.
* CHAPTER XXI The Bailies of Dumfries
* CHAPTER XXII Wager of Battle
* CHAPTER XXIII Sholto wins Knighthood
* CHAPTER XXIV The Second Flouting of Maud Lindesay
* CHAPTER XXV The Dogs and the Wolf hold Council
* CHAPTER XXVI The Lion Tamer
* CHAPTER XXVII The Young Lords ride away
* CHAPTER XXVIII On the Castle Roof
* CHAPTER XXIX Castle Crichton
* CHAPTER XXX The Bower by yon Burnside
* CHAPTER XXXI The Gaberlunzie Man
* CHAPTER XXXII "Edinburgh Castle, Tower, and Town"
* CHAPTER XXXIII The Black Bull's Head
* CHAPTER XXXIV Betrayed with a Kiss
* CHAPTER XXXV The Lion at Bay
* CHAPTER XXXVI The Rising of the Douglases
* CHAPTER XXXVII A Strange Meeting
* CHAPTER XXXVIII The MacKims come to Thrieve
* CHAPTER XXXIX The Gift of the Countess.
* CHAPTER XL The Mission of James the Gross
* CHAPTER XLI The Withered Garland
* CHAPTER XLII Astarte the She-wolf
* CHAPTER XLIII Malise fetches a Clout
* CHAPTER XLIV Laurence takes New Service
* CHAPTER XLV The Boasting of Gilles de Sillé
* CHAPTER XLVI The Country of the Dread
* CHAPTER XLVII C?sar Martin's Wife
* CHAPTER XLVIII The Mercy of La Meffraye
* CHAPTER XLIX The Battle with the Were-wolves
* CHAPTER L The Altar of Iron
* CHAPTER LI The Marshal's Chamber
* CHAPTER LII The Jesting of La Meffraye
* CHAPTER LIII Sybilla's Vengeance
* CHAPTER LIV The Cross under the Apron
* CHAPTER LV The Red Milk
* CHAPTER LVI The Shadow behind the Throne
* CHAPTER LVII The Tower of Death
* CHAPTER LVIII The White Tower of Machecoul
* CHAPTER LIX The Last Sacrifice to Barran-Sathanas
* CHAPTER LX His Demon hath deserted him
* CHAPTER LXI Leap Year in Galloway

THE BLACK DOUGLAS
CHAPTER I
THE BLACK DOUGLAS RIDES HOME
Merry fell the eve of Whitsunday of the year 1439, in the fairest and heartsomest spot in all the Scottish southland. The twined May-pole had not yet been taken down from the house of Brawny Kim, master armourer and foster father to William, sixth Earl of Douglas and Lord of Galloway.
Malise Kim, who by the common voice was well named "The Brawny," sat in his wicker chair before his door, overlooking the island-studded, fairy-like loch of Carlinwark. In the smithy across the green bare-trodden road, two of his elder sons were still hammering at some armour of choice. But it was a ploy of their own, which they desired to finish that they might go trig and point-device to the Earl's weapon-showing to-morrow on the braes of Balmaghie. Sholto and Laurence were the names of the two who clanged the ringing steel and blew the smooth-handled bellows of tough tanned hide, that wheezed and puffed as the fire roared up deep and red before sinking to the right welding-heat in a little flame round the buckle-tache of the girdle brace they were working on.
And as they hammered they talked together in alternate snatches and silences?--Sholto, the elder, meanwhile keeping an eye on his father. For their converse was not meant to reach the ear of the grave, strong man who sat so still in the wicker chair with the afternoon sun shining in his face.
"Hark ye, Laurence," said Sholto, returning from a visit to the door of the smithy, the upper part of which was open. "No longer will I be a hammerer of iron and a blower of fires for my father. I am going