Next day Kenneth started for Kinellan, where his father, the old
chief Alexander, resided, and related to him what had taken place.
His father was much grieved, for he well knew that the smallest
difference between the families would revive their old grievances,
and, although there was less danger since Macdonald's interest
in Ross was smaller than in the past, yet he knew the clan to be
a powerful one still, more so than his own, in their number of
able-bodied warriors; but these considerations, strongly impressed
upon the son by the experienced and aged father, only added fuel
to the fire in Kenneth's bosom, which was already fiercely burning
to avenge the insult offered him by Macdonald's servants. His
natural impetuosity could ill brook any such insult and he considered
himself wronged so much that he felt it his duty personally to
retaliate and avenge it. While this was the state of his mind
matters were suddenly brought to a crisis by the arrival on the
fourth day of a messenger from Macdonald with a summons requesting
Alexander and his son Kenneth to remove from Kinellan, with all
their families, within twenty-four hours, allowing only that the
young Lady Margaret, Macdonald's own cousin, might remain until
she had more leisure to remove, and threatening war to the knife
in case of noncompliance.
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