with great courage. But their extended files were pierced and broken in
many places by the close masses of the clans; and in the personal
struggle which ensued the nature of the Highlanders' weapons, and their
extraordinary fierceness and activity, gave them a decided superiority
over those who had been accustomed to trust much to their array and
discipline, and felt that the one was broken and the other useless.
Waverley, as he cast his eyes towards this scene of smoke and slaughter,
observed Colonel Gardiner, deserted by his own soldiers in spite of all
his attempts to rally them, yet spurring his horse through the field to
take the command of a small body of infantry, who, with their backs
arranged against the wall of his own park (for his house was close by the
field of battle), continued a desperate and unavailing resistance.
Waverley could perceive that he had already received many wounds, his
clothes and saddle being marked with blood. To save this good and brave
man became the instant object of his most anxious exertions. But he could
only witness his fall. Ere Edward could make his way among the
Highlanders, who, furious and eager for spoil, now thronged upon each
other, he saw his former commander brought from his horse by the blow of
a scythe, and beheld him receive, while on the ground, more wounds than
would have let out twenty lives. When Waverley came up, however,
perception had not entirely fled. The dying warrior seemed to recognize
Edward, for he fixed his eye upon him with an upbraiding, yet sorrowful,
look, and appeared to struggle, for utterance. But he felt that death was
dealing closely with him, and resigning his purpose, and folding his
hands as if in devotion, he gave up his soul to his Creator. The look
with which he regarded Waverley in his dying moments did not strike him
so deeply at that crisis of hurry and confusion as when it recurred to
his imagination at the distance of some time. [Footnote: See Note 33.]

Loud shouts of triumph now echoed over the whole field. The battle was
fought and won, and the whole baggage, artillery, and military stores of
the regular army remained in possession of the victors. Never was a
victory more complete. Scarce any escaped from the battle, excepting the
cavalry, who had left it at the very onset, and even these were broken
into different parties and scattered all over the country. So far as our
tale is concerned, we have only to relate the fate of