These arms,in this moment of better augury,he may be brought to unite with ours.I shall send my gallant friend,Colonel Hay,to him,from this very field of battle,but he must be united in commission with a Highland gentleman of rank,befitting that of Seaforth,and of talents and of influence such as may make an impression upon him.You are not only in every respect the fittest for this most important mission,but,having no immediate command,your presence may be more easily spared than that of a Chief whose following is in the field.You know every pass and glen in the Highlands,as well as the manners and customs of every tribe.Go therefore to Hay,on the right wing;he has instructions,and expects you.You will find him with Glenmorrison's men;be his guide,his interpreter,and his colleague."
Allan M'Aulay bent on the Marquis a dark and penetrating glance,as if to ascertain whether this sudden mission was not conferred for some latent and unexplained purpose.But Montrose,skilful in searching the motives of others,was an equal adept in concealing his own.He considered it as of the last consequence,in this moment of enthusiasm and exalted passion,to remove Allan from the camp for a few days,that he might provide,as his honour required,for the safety of those who had acted as his guides,when he trusted the Seer's quarrel with Dalgetty might be easily made up.Allan,at parting,only recommended to the Marquis the care of Sir Duncan Campbell,whom Montrose instantly directed to be conveyed to a place of safety.He took the same precaution for MacEagh,committing the latter,however,to a party of the Irish,with directions that he should be taken care of,but that no Highlander,of any clan,should have access to him.
The Marquis then mounted a led horse,which was held by one of his attendants,and rode on to view the scene of his victory,which was more decisive than even his ardent hopes had anticipated.Of Argyle's gallant army of three thousand men,fully one-half fell in the battle,or in the flight.They had been chiefly driven back upon that part of the plain where the river forms an angle with the lake,so that there was no free opening either for retreat or escape.Several hundreds were forced into the lake and drowned.Of the survivors,about one-half escaped by swimming the river,or by an early flight along the left bank of the lake.The remainder threw themselves into the old Castle of Inverlochy;but being without either provisions or hopes of relief,they were obliged to surrender,on condition of being suffered to return to their homes in peace.Arms,ammunition,standards,and baggage,all became the prey of the conquerors.
This was the greatest disaster that ever befell the race of Diarmid,as the Campbells were called in the Highlands;it being generally remarked that they were as fortunate in the issue of their undertakings,as they were sagacious in planning,and courageous in executing them.Of the number slain,nearly five hundred were dunniwassels,or gentlemen claiming descent from known and respected houses.And,in the opinion of many of the clan,even this heavy loss was exceeded by the disgrace arising from the inglorious conduct of their Chief,whose galley weighed anchor when the day was lost,and sailed down the lake with all the speed to which sails and oars could impel her.
CHAPTER XX.
Faint the din of battle bray'd,Distant down the hollow wind;
War and terror fled before,Wounds and death remain'd behind.PENROSE.
Montrose's splendid success over his powerful rival was not attained without some loss,though not amounting to the tenth of what he inflicted.The obstinate valour of the Campbells cost the lives of many brave men of the opposite party;and more were wounded,the Chief of whom was the brave young Earl of Menteith,who had commanded the centre.He was but slightly touched,however,and made rather a graceful than a terrible appearance when he presented to his general the standard of Argyle,which he had taken from the standard-bearer with his own hand,and slain him in single combat.Montrose dearly loved his noble kinsman,in whom there was conspicuous a flash of the generous,romantic,disinterested chivalry of the old heroic times,entirely different from the sordid,calculating,and selfish character,which the practice of entertaining mercenary troops had introduced into most parts of Europe,and of which degeneracy Scotland,which furnished soldiers of fortune for the service of almost every nation,had been contaminated with a more than usual share.Montrose,whose native spirit was congenial,although experience had taught him how to avail himself of the motives of others,used to Menteith neither the language of praise nor of promise,but clasped him to his bosom as he exclaimed,"My gallant kinsman!"And by this burst of heartfelt applause was Menteith thrilled with a warmer glow of delight,than if his praises had been recorded in a report of the action sent directly to the throne of his sovereign.
"Nothing,"he said,"my lord,now seems to remain in which I can render any assistance;permit me to look after a duty of humanity--the Knight of Ardenvohr,as I am told,is our prisoner,and severely wounded."
"And well he deserves to be so,"said Sir Dugald Dalgetty,who came up to them at that moment with a prodigious addition of acquired importance,"since he shot my good horse at the time that I was offering him honourable quarter,which,I must needs say,was done more like an ignorant Highland cateran,who has not sense enough to erect a sconce for the protection of his old hurley-house of a castle,than like a soldier of worth and quality."
"Are we to condole with you then,"said Lord Menteith,"upon the loss of the famed Gustavus?"
