Scotland -- History -- 1689-1745 -- Fiction; Stair, John Dalrymple, Earl of, 1648-1707 -- Fiction
“It was most glorious. My God! I would give ten years of peace for such
another fight—but what mattered the victory? Dundee was slain.” His
voice fell to gloom. “I loved Dundee, though he was a Lowlander—this
Saxon Caryl that I’ve told ye of: he had a face like his, a girl’s
face, always calm. I would have died for Dundee. He was a great
gentleman, full of courtliness.”
He rested his head on his hand and gazed sadly at the slow moving
clouds.
“The day before the battle,” he went on, “he called us to his tent:
Keppoch, Glengarry, Lochiel and us—he was writing a letter to the Duke
o’ Gordon when we came in. ‘How do ye spell the name o’ yonder castle?’
he asked; Lochiel told him. ‘That’s Castle Blair,’ and he laughed and
said he had little learning. He told us his plans as he sealed his
letter, and how we were to meet Mackay’s men: he was very confident. ‘I
was not born to be forgotten,’ he said smiling.
“There was a spy-glass on his table, a wonderful thing; as we left I
asked leave to look at it and he showed me how it worked, most patient
and most courteously.
“With the first daylight we were in our ranks; the mist hung over the
pass like the standard o’ the Highlands; we could see no further than
each other, but we could hear the rattle o’ the Lowland guns as they
dragged them up the pass. They fired, and hideous was the sound of it.
I saw a Cameron drop, close to Lochiel, and Glengarry wince from his
place. We were new to the muskets, but we did what we might; the mist
rose, but up the glen the cannon smoke rolled thick and white, we could
not see. Once I looked up and saw the sky overhead was clear and blue;
it seemed a strange thing and turned me giddy. The sun began to glitter
down our muskets. Dundee came up at the head of his Lowland horse; he
spoke to Lochiel and I saw him strain forward and look down the pass;
then he gave the word. We threw down our plaids and Lochiel tossed his
shoes aside; we gave the war-cry in a great shout. Up from the smoking
glen came a shaking cheer in answer, and Lochiel laughed up at Dundee.
‘The thing is done, my lord. Do men who are going to win shout so?’
“‘Charge!’ cried Dundee; there was a great flush on his face.
“We flung aside the muskets and were out with the dirks. I would have
charged into the cannon’s mouth for I felt immortal, but as I rushed I
fell and the flying feet of the Macdonalds bruised me to the earth. I
could not rise. I saw Dundee motion to his men, but they hesitated—the
Lowland cowards hesitated.
“Dundee rose in the saddle; he lifted his hat and the sun glittered,
very brightly, on his hair; from where I lay I shouted at the cowards
behind him, then a cloud of smoke hid him. I struggled to my feet; the
air was full of confusion and cries of victory; the Lowlanders were
running like sheep. I saw the gunners struggling in the press, the
standard o’ Lochiel flying through the smoke, and, midst it all,
Dundee’s black horse dash riderless down the glen!”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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