THE FIFE ADVENTURERS. 195 



If Tormod complained at the instigation of Neil Macleod 

 which is not improbable he quickly discovered that he 

 had made a mistake. Kintail not appearing to answer the 

 charge, was merely ordered to present Tormod before the 

 Council, the latter understanding that Tormod " is a chieff 

 and speciall man of that clan, and that thairfoir it is necessair 

 that ordour be tane for his deutifull obeidyence and gude 

 behaviour."* But neither Mackenzie nor Tormod appears 

 to have complied with the order. 



Ruari Macleod of Harris also came in for his share of 

 attention by the Council during this year. Donald Macleod 

 of Raasay, whom he had in March, 1 596-7, left as his hostage, 

 disappeared before 3Oth November (the date by which 

 Ruari was ordered to attend personally before the Council), 

 and the lord of Harris stayed at home. Proceedings were 

 instituted against him in November, 1599, and in May, 

 1600, a protest was lodged by the Treasurer and the King's 

 Advocate in the matter of the 10,000 merks which Ruari 

 had forfeited by his contumacy. The wily chief naturally 

 enough threw every obstacle in the way, hoping to defer 

 payment as long as possible if he did not succeed in evad- 

 ing it altogether. He had requested the Crown officers to 

 produce before the King and Council the letters charging 

 him to pay the fine, and had succeeded generally in 

 wearing out the patience of those officials. In view of the 

 experimental stage which the King's great colonising 

 scheme had then reache'd, it was good policy at that junc- 

 ture to handle so powerful a chief as Ruari Macleod some- 

 what tenderly, and this fact Ruari was shrewd enough to 

 perceive. He appears neither to have obeyed the summons 

 to appear before the Council, nor to have paid the fine of 

 10,000 merks. The charming nonchalance displayed by 

 the chiefs, in face of the numerous orders for their appear- 

 ance before the Privy Council, is the best proof of their 

 well-grounded belief that the arm of authority was not 

 long enough to reach them, nor powerful enough to compel 

 their obedience. 



* Keg. of P.O., Vol. VI., p. loi. 



