40 THE GENTLE AET OP BLAZON 



' I WILL BELL THE CAT ! ' growied the Warden ; and, 

 as he spoke, there came a loud knocking at the church 

 door. Douglas of Lochleven, looking out, beheld the 

 upstart Earl of Mar, with his following of three hundred 

 stalwart fellows, all dressed in the livery of the earldom 

 — white doublets with black bands (derived from the 

 white shield and ' sable pale of Mar '). Cochrane him- 

 self, says quaint old Pitscottie, was gorgeously attired 

 in a riding coat of black velvet, a heavy gold chain 

 about his neck ' to the awaillour [value] of 500 crowns,' 

 and a baldrick of silk and gold across his shoulder. He 

 wore a gold-mounted hunting horn, too, set with a large 

 beryl. ' This Oouchrane was so proud in his consait 

 that he contit no lord to be marrow [equal] to him, 

 thairfor he raschit rudlie at the kirk dore.' He claimed 

 admittance as Earl of Mar to the assembly of peers. 

 Angus strode down the aisle and bade his kinsman to 

 admit the fellow. Then the door was flung to and 

 barred to shut out Mar's followers. Angus wrenched 

 the gold chain from his victim's neck. ' A rope would 

 fit it better,' quoth he. Lochleven tore off the gay 

 horn, saying, ' Hunter of mischief hath he been ower 

 lang.' 



' My lords ! ' cried Cochrane, ' is this mows [acting] or 

 earnest ? ' — ' Hard earnest,' shouted the Warden, ' and 

 sae ye '11 find it.' 



Before the summer sun had set, Cochrane and half a 

 dozen of his fellows dangled limp in their gay coats 

 over the parapet of Lauder Bridge. 



Modern usage has transposed the meaning of 

 ' banner ' and ' standard.' What is now known as the 



