king beyond the water, were apt to fight
for their own hand. Dundee had known trouble, and had in his day
required more self-restraint than nature had given him, and if there
had been division among the chiefs that day, he would have fallen into
despair; but he had never seen such harmony. They were of one mind
that there could not be a ground more favorable than Killiecrankie,
and that they should offer battle to MacKay before the day closed.
They approved of the line of march which Dundee had laid out, and the
chiefs, wonderful to say, raised no objection to the arrangement of
the clans in the fighting line, even although the MacDonalds were
placed on the left, which was not a situation that proud clan greatly
fancied. The morning was still young when the Jacobite army left their
camping ground in the valley north of Blair Castle, and, climbing the
hillside, passed Lude, till they reached a ridge which ran down from
the high country on their left to the narrow pass through which the
Garry ran. Along this rising ground, with a plateau of open ground
before them, fringed with wood, Dundee drew up his army, while below
MacKay arranged his troops, whom he had hastily extricated from the
dangerous and helpless confinement of the pass. During the day they
faced one another, the Jacobites on their high ground, William's
troops on the level ground below--two characteristic armies of
Highlanders and Lowlanders, met to settle a quarrel older than James
and William, and which would last, under different conditions and
other names, centuries after the grass had grown on the battle-field
of Killiecrankie and Dundee been laid to his last rest in the ancient
kirkyard of Blair. Had Dundee considered only his own impetuous
feelings, and given effect to the fire that was burning him, he would
have instantly launched his force at MacKay. He was, however,
determined that day, keen though he was, to run no needless risks nor
to give any advantage to the enemy. The Highlanders were like hounds
held in the leash, and it was a question of time when they must be let
go. He would keep them if he could, till the sun had begun to set and
its light was behind them and on the face of MacKay's army.

During this period the messenger came back with an answer to the
despatch which Dundee had sent to MacKay the night before. He had
found William's general at Pitlochry, as he was approaching the pass
of Killiecrankie, and, not without difficulty and s