They took him to
Ellandonnan, whence shortly after he was sent south to the King,
where he had to take his trial. He, however, denied the whole
affair, and in the absence of positive proof, the judges declined to
convict him; but the King, quite persuaded of his guilt, ordered
him to be sent a prisoner to the Bass Rock, with strict injunctions
to have him kept in chains. This order was obeyed, and Rory's hands
and legs were much pained and cut with the irons. The governor
had unpleasant feuds with one of his neighbours, which occasioned
several encounters and skirmishes between their servants, who
came in repeatedly with wounds and bruises. Rory, noticing this
to occur frequently, said to one of them, "Would to God that the
laird would take me with him, and I should then be worth my meat to
him and serve for better use than I do with these chains." This
was communicated to the governor, who sent for Rory and asked him
if he would fight well for him. "If I do not that," said he, "let
me hang in these chains." He then took his solemn oath that he
would not run away, and the governor ordered the servants to set
about curing Rory's wounds with ointments.
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