TRIAL OF THE BRAES CROFTERS. 6 1 



Did you call on the crowd to keep back and give it (the fire) air ? 

 I may have said stand back, but not to give it air. 



Now, why did you say that ? In order to please them. 



Did you make a speech after that? Yes, for their kindness. I 

 thanked them because they had not struck me, and as I wanted to get 

 rid of their company. 



Did anbody say "Angus, boy, you need not fear?" Yes. That 

 was at the first stage of the proceedings, when I said don't kill me. 



Did you say you were not afraid of anything ? I said I was there 

 independent of factor or anybody else. 



Did you say you were not afraid of anybody ? Well, I might have 

 said so. 



Was that true ? No, it was not. (Laughter). 



Did you say that all the people of the Braes would not hurt you ? 

 Very likely. 



And that was not true ? Well, I saw it was not true at that stage. 

 (Laughter). 



Did you tell any more lies that day ? Well, I do not remember. It 

 is not my profession to tell lies. 



You seem to practice it occasionally. (Laughter). 



You asked for a smoke ? Yes. 



Why did you ask for that ? I was not a smoker, but I asked for it 

 to please them. 



How long did you smoke ? For five or six minutes. 



In answer to further questions, witness said that when leaving he 

 shook hands with a number of the men in the crowd. He denied 

 having advised the crowd, in his speech, to be smart and hard about 

 Ben-Lee, and that they would get it. He had no whisky that day, and 

 denied emphatically that he had lately been dismissed for drunkenness. 

 He reported the case to the Fiscal when he went home. 



Mr. Macdonald Is this the first criminal charge against the Braes 

 tenants ? No. 



There was a charge of intimidation, but it broke down ? Yes. 



Did you go to the Braes with the intention of serving these summon- 

 ses ? Yes, and I thought I was safe in serving summonses in any part 

 of Skye up to that time, 



Is it not the case that you were sent to the Braes with the view of 

 getting up a charge of deforcement against these people ? It was not, sir. 



EVIDENCE OF EWEN ROBERTSON, PORTREE. 

 Ewen Robertson, who spoke through Mr. Whyte as interpreter, 



