TRIAL OF THE BRAES CROFTERS. 77 



You saw some boys with flags on the watch ? There were. 



And what were these boys to do? They were to give us notice. 



Of what ? About the force that was being sent to us. 



Was that a sheriff-officer you expected ? We did not know that it was 

 a sheriff-officer. 



Did you expect Martin ? No. 



Did you expect summonses ? Yes, I expected a summons. 



Now, was it for persons coming with summonses that you placed the 

 boys on the watch ? Yes. 



And it was arranged that as soon as a boy saw them he was to give 

 warning ? Yes. 



And you were to collect then ? Yes. 



Mr. Macdonald objected to this line of examination, as being really 

 an attempt to prove the charge of Deforcement which the Prosecutor 

 had not been able to libel relevantly. The Sheriff however allowed it. 



Was it said that he would not be allowed to serve a summons ? I 

 did not hear that. 



What were you going to do when you met the persons comiug with 

 the summonses ? To return them. 



That is to return him to Portree? I do not know where. (Laughter. ) 



I suppose you know that you were to turn him ofi' the Braes ? Yes, 

 we were going to turn him off the Braes. 



Are you any relation of Finlaysons in the box ? I am a brother of 

 Malcolm's and a son of Alexander P'inlayson. 



Did you see any stones thrown ? No. 



Nor clods of earth ? No. 



Nor peats ? No. 



Did you see Robertson on the ground ? Yes. 



Did you see him lying on the ground ? No. 



Did you see anybody touch him ? No. 



What became of him ? I saw him going away, and the children were 

 cheering him home. (Laughter.) 



Were they throwing anything after him ? I did not see, I was far 

 from him. Witness saw only two of the prisoners, Malcolm Finlayson 

 and Patrick Macdonald following Martin to the second crowd, near 

 Murchison's schoolhouse. 



Alexander Finlayson, Peinachorrain, was at Gedentailler on the day 

 when Martin came with the papers. He knew that Martin was the 

 factor's clerk, but did not know that he was a sheriff-officer. The 

 papers were lying on the road when he saw them first, and Martin was 

 laughing and talking, and did not appear to be frightened. He 



