60 THE HIGHLAND CLEARANCES. 



Did you make a statement about the widows of Gedintailler in Por- 

 tree before that ? I do not think it. I would always be speaking to 

 them about rents. 



Did you make a statement about the character of the widows ? No, 

 no. 



Were you rebuked by Norman Beaton about the filthiness of your 

 language about these women ? Filthy language ! I do not remember. 

 I was not checked by Norman Beaton or any other. 



The Sheriff objected to this, but Mr. Macdonald said he wished to 

 show that the whole of the disturbance arose out of an attack made by 

 Martin a short time before, on the character of the ladies who formed 

 the major part of the crowd. 



Mr. Macdonald Did Widow Nicolson strike you ? No. 



Did any one strike you ? No, but it was a narrow shave. 



Did any one threaten to strike you? Yes, Donald Finlayson with a 

 stick. 



And you did not attempt to proceed further ? No, not I. 



Did you make any attempt to regain the doubles of your summonses ? 

 I just let them go. 



I suppose you were glad to get rid of them ? Oh no, not in that 

 way. 



How far had you gone back towards Portree before you were again 

 overtaken by the crowd ? Well, I think it would be about three-quar- 

 ters of a mile. Malcolm Finlayson came up to me then, and I took the 

 summonses out of my pocket. He snatched them from me, although I 

 had a good hold of them. He did not return them, and I heard nobody 

 tell him to return them to me. 



You said some one tried to burn the summonses and failed ? Yes. 



And then you said " I have a good breath," did you not ? I was 

 hearing murmurs in the crowd that they would make me burn them, so 

 I took a piece of paper and set fire to a bit of one of the summonses. 



What did you say then ? I handed it to some one in the crowd, and 

 immediately there was a great clapping of hands. 



Now, did you not set fire to the summonses ? No, I set fire to a bit 

 of one of them with a piece of paper which I lighted at a burning 

 peat. 



Did you not bend down and set fire to them ? No, I am quite certain 

 I did not. 



Did you not, Martin, in setting fire to these summonses say, " Now, 

 keep back, boys, and give it air ? " I did not set fire to the summonses, 

 but after they set fire to them there was a great cheering. 



