Elspeth in that moment snatched a dagger from her girdle, and
gathering her strength she made a lunge with it at the man's broad
chest. The weapon turned upon the strong armour that he wore, and,
unhurt, he caught her by the wrist, raising his sword.

Now Elspeth had spoken in the Danish, and the chieftain, remembering her
words of prophecy, and, it may be, thinking that she was of the Norse
folk, lowered his weapon and flung the old woman away from him. Then
seeing Lulach limping away, and taking him to be a Scot, he ran after
the lad, eager that the first blood should be that of one born in Bute.
Catching Lulach by the long hair he speedily slew him.

"'Tis done!" said Rudri when he saw that the lad was dead. "And now have
we forestalled our enemies and assured to ourselves the victory.

"On, on, my men!" he cried, turning to his followers. "The first blood
of our enemies hath been spilled! On! on! the victory is sure!"

One by one the ships dropped anchor in the bay, and from each there
poured a vast number of warriors carrying bows and battle-axes, swords
and spears. Behind their leaders, the terrible Rudri and the king of
Man, they marched upward to the castle of Kilmory.

"Spare not!" cried Rudri, flourishing his sword.

"Death to the traitor of Bute, the slayer of our children!" cried Sweyn
of Colonsay.

"On, on, men of Jura!" croaked Erland the Old.

"Down with the Scots!" thundered Magnus of Man.

From the topmost towers of his castle Sir Oscar Redmain watched the
hosts advance. Nearer and yet nearer they came.

"Steady, my lads, and take good aim," he said coolly as he fixed an
arrow to his bowstring. "Now!" he cried, and as the enemy came within
bow shot a shower of well-aimed arrows met them, and many men fell. The
shields of their companions bristled with the arrows whose flight they
had stopped. But the long-haired warriors pressed on to the castle
gates, behind which stood Allan Redmain with half the garrison at his back.

From the hilltop of Barone, Aasta the Fair had watched the ships
approaching from afar, and at the moment of first seeing them she
clashed a flint and steel and promptly lighted a bundle of dry twigs and
straw. The signal fire was seen from Rothesay, and at once Earl Kenric,
at the head of five score of men, marched across the island towards
Kilmory. But so quickly had the invaders landed, so speedily had they
stormed the stronghold, that ere Kenric and his followers appeare