nor Lord Ross to take the field. Some feeling of
compunction may have kept the latter from drawing his sword against an
old comrade in arms; but Lord Annandale had always been fonder of
wrangling than fighting. Mackay makes no mention of any artillery; but
it appears that he had a few small field-pieces of the kind known as
Sandy's Stoups from the name of their inventor.[96]

It is only possible to guess at Dundee's numbers. When he broke up his
army early in June he seems to have had about three thousand claymores
under him. The second muster was, we know, much smaller than the first;
and though it was slightly increased on the march, and while he waited
at Blair, the whole force he led at Killiecrankie cannot have much
exceeded two thousand men. Over and above the claymores he had not four
hundred. The Irish were three hundred, and his cavalry mustered about
fifty sabres. Highland tradition puts the claymores at nineteen hundred;
and this is probably much about the truth. Artillery, of course, he had
none.

As soon as it was known that Mackay was at the mouth of the pass, Dundee
called a council of war. Three courses, he told his officers, were
before them: to harass Mackay's advance with frequent skirmishes,
avoiding a general engagement till the reinforcements a few days would
certainly bring had made the numbers more equal: to attack him in the
pass; or to wait till he had reached the level ground above it. His own
officers, and the Lowland gentlemen generally, were in favour of the
first plan. Some of the chiefs were in favour of the second. Dundee
listened courteously to all, and then turned to the old chief of the
Camerons who had not yet spoken. What, he asked, did Lochiel advise?
Lochiel had no doubt. They must fight and fight at once, were the enemy
three to one. Their men were in heart: they would have all the advantage
of the ground: let Mackay get fairly through the pass that the
Highlanders might see their foes, and then charge home. He had no fear
for the result; but he would answer for nothing were the claymores to be
kept back now the Saxons were fairly at their feet.

Those who watched Dundee saw his eye brighten. He answered that he
agreed with every word Lochiel had spoken. Delay would bring
reinforcements to Mackay as well as to them, and Mackay's reinforcements
would almost certainly include more cavalry. To fight them in the pass
was useless. In that narrow way the weight of the Highland onset