the  farthest  entry  o'  the  pass,  every  man  o'  them  wi'  a  hole  in
his  breasty  and  its  fellow  at  his  back."

Whilst  thus  speaking,  he  had  taken  the  longest  arrow  out  of
the  sheafy  and  stood  playing  it  in  his  hand,  seemingly  ready  to
give  it  to  the  first  of  his  visiters  who  should  bend  the  bow.  The
three  M'Gregors  were  tall,  muscular,  and  in  the  prime  of  man-
hood. The  young  chief  first  took  up  the  bow,  and,  after  ex-
amining its  unbending  strength,  laid  all  his  might  into  it.  He
strained  till  the  blood  rushed  to  his  face,  and  his  temples
throbbed  almost  to  bursting,  but  in  vain ;  the  string  remained
slack  as  at  first.  Evan  and  his  associate  were  alike  unsuccess-
ful ;  as  well  might  they  have  striven  to  root  up  the  gnarled  oak
of  their  native  mountains.
"  There 's  not  a  man,"  exclaimed  the  chief  of  the  McGregors,
chagrined  at  the  absence  of  the  man  he  sought,  and  his  own
and  his  clansmen's  vain  efibrts  —  <<  there 's  not  a  man  in  your
clan  can  bend  that  bow ;  and  if  Calum  Dhu  were  here,  he  should

not  long "     Biting  his  lip,  he  suppressed  the  rest  of  the

sentence,  for  the  third  McGregor  gave  him  a  glance  of  caution.
