Jacobites began to engage the attention of the Highland
chiefs.

The career of Ewan Dhu Cameron had been one of singular prosperity. At
the age of eighteen, he had broken loose from the trammels of Argyle's
control, and joined the standard of the Marquis of Montrose. He had
contrived to keep his estate clear, even after the event of that
unsuccessful cause, from Cromwell's troops. He next repaired to the
royal standard raised in the Highlands by the Earl of Glencairne, and
won the applause of Charles the Second, then in exile at Chantilly, for
his courage and success. The middle period of his life was consumed in
efforts, not only to abet the cause of Charles the Second, but to
restore peace to his impoverished and harassed country. Yet he long
resisted persuasions to submit and swear allegiance to Cromwell, and at
length boldly avowed, that rather than take the oath for an usurper, he
would live as an outlaw. His generous and humane conduct to the English
prisoners whom he had captured during the various skirmishes had,
however, procured him friends in the English army. "No oath," wrote
General Monk, "shall be required of Lochiel to Cromwell, but his word to
live in peace." His word was given, and, until after the restoration,
Lochiel and his followers, bearing their arms as before, remained in
repose.

At Killicrankie, however, the warrior appeared again on the field,
fighting, under the unfortunate Viscount Dundee, for James the Second.
As the battle began, the enemy in General Mackay's regiment raised a
shout. "Gentlemen," cried the shrewd Lochiel, addressing the
Highlanders, "the day is our own. I am the oldest commander in the army,
and I have always observed that so dull and heavy a noise as that which
you have heard is an evil omen." The words ran throughout the
Highlanders; elated by the prediction, they rushed on the foe, fighting
like furies, and in half an hour the battle was ended.

Although Sir Ewan Dhu was thus engaged on the side of James, his second
son was a captain in the Scottish fusileers, and served under Mackay in
the ranks of Government. As General Mackay observed the Highland army
drawn up on the face of a hill, west of the Pass, he turned to young
Cameron and said, "There is your father and his wild savages; how would
you like to be with him?" "It signifies little," replied the Cameron,
"what I would like; but I would have you be prepared, or perhaps my
father and his wild savages may be ne