the inhabitants of the town which had given this terrible
Claverhouse his title saw to their amazement the crest of the high
ground to the north glittering with steel-clad riders. At the same time
Lord Rollo, who was camped outside the walls with some new levies of
horse, came flying through the gates with the news that Dundee was upon
them. The drums beat to arms: the gates were closed; and barricades
hastily thrown up in the principal streets, while the citizens crowded
on the walls to stare at the audacious foe.

It is possible that Dundee, who was ignorant of Creichton's departure,
thought that his appearance might bring the dragoons over to his side at
once. But the officer who was then in command kept his troops quiet; and
after manoeuvring his men up to the very walls of the town Dundee drew
off as night fell to Glen Ogilvy.[83] It is impossible that even he can
have conceived the idea of a serious attack on the place; and the story
of his actually entering and plundering the town is certainly
apocryphal, though his men very probably made free with Rollo's camp.

Meanwhile Mackay at Inverness was busy in his turn among the clans.
Lochiel had only sent the cross round among those chiefs who, like him,
hated the Campbells. Dundee had gone further afield, but had not been
successful. The gratitude of the Mackintoshes was not enough to do more
than keep them neutral,--which was perhaps fortunate, for had they
joined the muster at Lochaber they would inevitably have been at blows
with the Macdonalds before a day had passed. The Macphersons also kept
aloof, and the Macleods. Mackay's invitations were received with the
same indifference. Some of the Grants, whose chief had suffered under
the late Government for his allegiance to Argyle, joined him; and from
the northern shires of Ross and Sutherland a few Mackays came to fight
for a captain of their own blood. But the two sources on which the
Government had mainly relied for help were both found wanting. The
Campbells had suffered so severely from the invasion of Athole in the
previous year that Argyle found it impossible to rally them in time to
be of service in the present campaign. The Covenanters, though hailing
the rule of William as a deliverance from the rule of James, were
persuaded by their ministers that it was a sin to take military service,
even against the abhorred Dundee, with men whose orthodoxy was, to say
the least, not above suspicion. Seaforth, Lovat