, does Mac-Cailein take
the risk of a battle in such an awkward corner? An old soldier like
Auchinbreac should advise him to follow the Kilcumin road and join
forces with Seaforth, who must be far down Glen Albyn by now."

As we were standing apart thus, up to us came Ian Lorn, shaking the
brogue-money he got from Grahame in his dirty loof. He was very bitter.

"I never earned an honester penny," he said, looking up almost
insolently in our faces, so that it was a temptation to give him a clout
on the cunning jowl.

"So Judas thought too, I daresay, when he fingered his filthy shekels,"
said I. "I thought no man from Keppoch would be skulking aside here when
his pipers blew the onset."

"Och!" said M'Iver, "what need ye be talking? Bardery and bravery don't
very often go together."

Ian Lorn scowled blackly at the taunt, but was equal to answer it.

"If the need arise," said he, "you'll see whether the bard is brave or
not There are plenty to fight; there's but one to make the song of the
fight, and that's John MacDonald, with your honours' leave."

We would, like enough, have been pestered with the scamp's presence and
garrulity a good deal longer; but Montrose came up at that moment and
took us aside with a friendly enough beckon of his head.

"Gentlemen," he said in English, "as cavaliers you can guess fairly well
already the issue of what's to happen below there, and as Cavaliers who,
clansmen or no clansmen of the Campbell chief, have done well for old
Scotland's name abroad, I think you deserve a little more consideration
at our hands at this juncture than common prisoners of war can lay claim
to. If you care you can quit here as soon as the onset begins, abiding
of course by your compact to use no arms against my friends. You have no
objection?" he added, turning about on his horse and crying to Alasdair.

The Major-General came up and looked at us. "I suppose they may go,"
said he,--"though, to tell my mind on the matter, I could devise a
simpler way of getting rid of them. We have other methods in Erin O, but
as your lordship has taken the fancy, they may go, I daresay. Only they
must not join their clan or take arms with them until this battle is
over. They must be on the Loch Linnhe road before we call the onset."

Montrose flushed at the ill-breeding of his officer, and waved us away
to the left on the road that led to Argile by Loch Linnhe side, and took
us clear of the coming encounter.

We wer