“‘And shall there be no vengeance for this dastard deed?’ at length the deep, full voice of Lord Edward Bruce arose, distinct above the rest.  ’Shall the Bruce sit tamely down to await the working of the villain oath, and bid its tools go free, filling the whole land with well-trained murderers?  Shall Buchan pass scathless, to weave yet darker, more atrocious schemes?’

“‘Brother, no,’ frankly rejoined the king.  ’We will make free to go and visit our friends in Buchan, and there, an thou wilt, thou shalt pay them in coin for their kindly intents and deeds towards us; but for this poor fool, again I say, let him go free.  Misery and death, God wot, we are compelled to for our country’s sake, let us spare where but our own person is endangered.’

“And they let him free, my masters, unwise as it seemed to us; none could gainsay our sovereign’s words.  Sullen to the last, the only symptom of gratitude he vouchsafed was to mutter forth, in, answer to the Bruce’s warning words to hie him to his comrades in Buchan, and bid them, an they feared fire and devastation, to fly without delay, ’Aye, only thus mayest thou hope to exterminate the traitors; pity none, spare none.  The whole district of Buchan is peopled by the Comyn, bound by this oath of blood,’ and thus he departed.”

“And spoke he truth?” demanded Sir Amiot, hoarsely, and with an agitation that, had others more suspicious been with him, must have been remarked, although forcibly and painfully suppressed; “spoke he truth?  Methought the district of Buchan had only within the last century belonged to the Comyn, and that the descendants of the Countess Margaret’s vassals still kept apart, loving not the intermixture of another clan.  Said they not it was on this account the Countess of Buchan had exercised such influence, and herself beaded a gallant troop at the first rising of the Bruce? an the villain spoke truth, whence came this change?”

“Why, for that matter, your worship, it is easy enough explained,” answered Murdoch, “and, trust me, King Robert set inquiries enough afloat ere he commenced his scheme of retaliation.  Had there been one of the Lady Isabella’s own followers there, one who, in her name, claimed his protection, he would have given it; not a hair of their heads would have been injured; but there were none of these, your worship.  The few of the original clan which had not joined him were scattered all over the country, mingling with other loyal clans; their own master had hunted them away, when he came down to his own districts, just before the capture of his wife and son.  He filled the Tower of Buchan with his own creatures, scattered the Comyns all over the land, with express commands to attack, hunt, or resist all of the name of Bruce to the last ebb of their existence.  He left amongst them officers and knights as traitorous, and spirits well-nigh as evil as his own, and they obeyed him to the letter, for amongst the most inveterate, the most treacherous, and most dishonorable persecutors of the Bruce stood first and foremost the Comyns of Buchan.  Ah! the land was changed from the time when the noble countess held sway there, and so they felt to their cost.