146 DAYS OF DEER-STALKING. 



Cumyn, Earl of Badenoch, and M'lntosh of Tirnie. The 

 latter had presented Cumyn's lady with a present of twelve 

 cows and a bull ; but this substantial donation, so far from 

 exciting the gratitude of the chief, only raised his envy and 

 cupidity, and he resolved to strip his neighbour of his 

 opulence. He surrounded M'Intosh's castle of Tomafour, 

 situated about a mile from his own castle of Blair Atholl, 

 and in the silence of midnight massacred the whole family. ' 

 Near M'lutosh's seat lived an old man who held a piece of 

 land of him, for which he only paid the rent of a bonnet 

 yearly ; and he always got his master's bonnet back again. 

 This man was the first who entered the castle after the 

 murder, and casting his eyes round on the scene of death, 

 fortunately discovered an infant sleeping in its cradle. He 

 carried away the child to its nearest relative, Campbell of 

 Achnabreck, in Argyleshire, and there the child was nur- 

 tured, unconscious of the melancholy story of his parents. 

 It was judged prudent to conceal his birth for some time, 

 as the Cumyns were a powerful race, whom it was perilous 

 to offend. The boy grew, and became an excellent bowman ; 

 his aged conductor used to go occasionally to see him, and 

 perceiving his dexterity in hitting the mark, said one day, 

 " The grey breast of the man who killed your father is 

 broader than that target." This led to a recital of the 

 whole transaction. Even the young laird burned for re- 

 venge; and he succeeded in obtaining a select band of clans- 

 men to share in his feelings. They went to Cumyn's castle, 

 and assailed him with a shower of arrows. His followers were 

 scattered, and the guilty chief fled to Loch Rannoch, Glen 

 Firnat, and thence to Glen Tilt, hotly pursued by his much 

 injured adversary. At length, as he raised his hand to 

 wipe the sweat from his forehead, he was struck with an 

 arrow, and fell by the side of a small lake at the foot of 

 Ben-y-gloe, where a cairn was raised to perpetuate his 

 crime and its punishment. 



The above story is yet current in the country, and the 

 remains of M'Intosh's castle may still be seen. There is a 

 rock in the Tilt called M'Intosh's Chair, where he held his 

 court, his people standing round him ; happily he could only 

 do so when the water was very low, as he hung a man 



