Old Donald hastily rushed into the apartment.

"A message from Vich Alister More; [The patronymic of MacDonell of Glengarry.] he is coming up in the evening." "With how many attendants ?" said M'Aulay.
"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 approach 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 tell's i' the folk," he said; "the haill 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 derogatory to his dignity to stir without a retinue of six or seven persons.

To every new annunciation, Angus M'Aulay answered by naming some place of accommodation,--the stables, the loft, the cow-house, the sheds, every domestic office, were destined for the night to some hospitable purpose or other.

At length the arrival of M'Dougal of Lorn, after all his means of accommodation were exhausted, reduced him to some perplexity.