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'The head of a black sheep,'1 answered Donald; and this was brought. Every morning came the same question, 'What will you eat to-day, Donald?'; and every morning the same response was given, 'The head of a black sheep.'

But one day, when the Kintail man came down, he found the dungeon Domhnull Càm and his servant had escaped. Immediately the news was brought to Mackenzie. The old fox was furious. "What!' he said, 'Domhnull Càm escaped? He must never reach Lewis; he is a worse man than Neil, the Bastard.' A party was at once organized to pursue the fugitives, and at the same time swift messengers were sent forth to order on pain of death that the coast should be watched, and especially that all boats should be dry-docked.'s

Domhnull Càm had certainly escaped. Patiently he had worked and filed away with the jawbone of the black sheep, until at length he was free; and men to this day speak with wonder of what he had done 'le carabad na caorach duibhe.' He had been greatly aided by his henchman, who was the smith and armourer of his family. Here it was that Alastair received the name by which he is now remembered. Rather than delay the attempt to escape, Alastair bravely pulled his foot through the iron ring, leaving his heel behind him, so that men call him 'Alastair of the small heel' to this day.

The fugitives hastened north, but they were in the land of their foes, and they dared not show face near the habitation of man. At night they made for the shore, where they tried to find a craft of some sort in which to essay a passage across the Minch. But no boats were to be found. Grimmer and grimmer grew Domhnull Càm. At length he came to a half-broken coble which had been left on the beach as absolutely unseaworthy. The two men looked at one another, and then without a word launched the wreck' into the sea. Two oars they procured and a baler, which they caulked with peat; and thus fitted they set out on their venturesome voyage. Turn about they rowed and baled, and bit by bit the grey land in the distance became more and more distinct. Suddenly, when nearing land, Domhnull Càm took the baler and cast it into the sea, and then looked at the oarsman. Alastair gave a look to his chief, but said never a word. At length they leaped ashore from the now sinking craft. If you had spoken to me, Alastair, when I threw out the baler, you would have been thrown out along with it,' said the grim Macaulay as he leaped up the rocks. They were the first words which had passed his lips since he had left the 'Morthir.'"

Never halting, the two men worked their way westwards until they 1'Cia a dh'itheas tu an diugh, a Dhomhnuill.'

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8 Gu'm biodh na h-eathrichean gu leir air an tarruing.'

4 Alastair na saile bige.'

56 Da ablach raimh agus taoman tolltach'=Two wretched oars and a leaking baler.

6 Morthir' = mainland.

arrived at Uig. They reached Mangersta, to find that it had been harried by the Ness men. Then they made for the Glen. Here Donald found his kinsmen, whose joy was unbounded at the return of their renowned chief. Messengers were sent east and west and north and south for all men to gather at the Glen the following night; and to the 'twelve heroes' of Uig were special ones sent, lest by any means they should fail to turn up.

I shall not recount here how Macaulay led the forces of the west against the fort of Stornoway, which, built by the Fife men, had in his absence passed into the hands of Kintail; neither dwell upon the grim slaughter which took place at its capture. It was not against Kintail that Donald's anger burned fiercest, but against 'Big Grahame' of Barvas, who had made the first move against him, and with success. Accordingly Domhnull Cam commissioned the 'twelve heroes' of Uig to go secretly to Barvas and bring Big Grahame to Uig, dead or alive. Their lives were forfeit if they failed.

They set out, and the second night arrived at the house of the 'Greumach Mòr.' They entered; he was at supper alone; an old crone, his mother, sat spinning in a corner; the men of Uig sat them down in silence on the peat heap; no word passed between them.

Such behaviour surprised Big Grahame. He naturally concluded that they were come to intercede for peace and protection. He called them up to the table, at the same time commanding his mother to place before them food. The men of Uig in silence placed themselves at the table, six on either side of him. He went on with his supper, but they tasted no food. Suddenly they gripped him. He leaped up. Awful must have been the struggle. At last they forced him to his knees, but such was his strength that, in spite of all their efforts, they could not manacle him. The old crone had looked on in silence. She did not love her son. A story is told of her ferocity in youth. She had been a Macaulay, and bitter grew her mood at seeing the threatened discomfiture of her tribesmen. 'Hawks were the men of my youth,' she said; 'now the Macaulays are hoodie crows.'s She gave them a hint, and the twelve Uig heroes soon reduced the Barvas champion to helplessness.

Without delay they set out for home. Great would be their danger on the journey. But by taking secret paths and spending one whole day in the 'Black Corry,' they managed to evade any pursuing bands. Greumach Mòr was growing hopeless. He asked them to ease his bands a little. They consented. A strong 'sioman,' a rope, was round his waist. Six men went on in front, having one end of it; the other six came on behind, holding the other. Grahame silently worked his arms free. He would make one dash for liberty. They were crossing Grimersta

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3. Bu sheabhagan fir m' oige-sa, ach an diugh cha Chlanna Cumhail ach Staragan. Cha chuala iad a riamh mu. Spoth nan collach.' (The last half I have not translated.)

River. The six men of the van had climbed up the steep bank on one side; the other six were entering the river on the other. Grahame was in the middle of the stream. Suddenly, without any warning, he stretched forth his arms, and, exerting all his strength, pulled the twelve into the river. But they clung on; and their prisoner was soon again at their mercy.

The twelve men of Uig decided not to pursue their course westward any further. They crossed the narrow channel at Linshader into Bernera, and sent for Domhnull Càm. At Kirkibost men gathered from all parts, for it was known that on the morrow Domhnull Cam would arrive.

In the morning a forerunner came in to say that the Macaulay was coming. The prisoner addressed him.

'How does Domhnull Càm look to-day?' quoth he.

'As the eagle when it pounces on a lamb newly born,' was the reply. 'Alas!' was the sad rejoinder, 'my spoiling is done.'1

Soon Macaulay appeared. The prisoner was the first to speak. 'Mercy, mercy, O Dhomhnull Chàim!' said he.2

Mercy to a dog! Do you remember, Big Grahame, your reply to me on board your ship, and my promise to you?' was Macaulay's

answer.

Immediately he was ordered to prepare for death. The executioner, wielding a great sword, advanced upon his victim, who, without a word, laid his neck on a rude kind of block. He raised his sword, and brought it down with such force as would have cut through an inch of iron. But from the neck of the Greumach Mòr it didn't draw blood. All were amazed; many were frightened. Suddenly a thin piping voice was heard, and all turned their eyes on an old mendicant from Assynt. Cut the grass between his feet,' he said, and smiled in a superior way. This was done, and the power of the magic which had hitherto protected him being thus nullified, the next blow severed Big Grahame's head from his body.

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