Blair Collection > Celtic magazine > Volume 3

THE CELTIC MAGAZINE. 133
THE DOOM OF DUKOLLZ.
By William Allan.
VII.
Macdougall's chieftain breast with anger burned,
And swiftly on the foe he fiercely turned,
But ere he could his sudden stroke bestow,
A readier sword met the descending blow.
'Twas nimble Hector's, on whose features played
A smile of triumph, as he quickly weighed
The issues of a fight with Lorn's dread lord,
Who now had raised his yet untarnished sword,
Then backward drew a pace, then scowlmg glared
Upon the half-clad youth who thus had dared
To thwart his onset, and to turn aside
The blade that had the Eoyal Bruce defied.*
With sudden bound he on the stripling dashed,
Whose quicker weapon like a sunbeam flashed,
And kissed with joy Macdougall's baffled steel.
Which now, for once, an equal match did feel.
His groaning clansmen roused his ireful heart,
Again on Hector did he fiercely dart,
To be repelled with skilful blow or guard.
And backward hurled upon the trampled sward.
Ill could he brook defiance thus disclosed,.
And with the youth in deadly conflict closed ;
Now rung their T)lows upon each guardian shield,
And rugged dents their angry might revealed.
With equal skill the contest Avildly raged.
Each knew a worthy foe he had engaged,
Tho' round them played the steely gleams of death,
They thrust and struck with unabated breath.
Each lightning eye was fixt, each sparkling gleamed,
Each marked the point where an advantage seemed,
And as each willing blade the opening sought.
The sudden guard made sudden efforts nought ;
And vict'ry, wav'ring 'tween such sons of fame,
Withheld the laurels that each well could claim ;
Till youthful Hector's imabated strength
Proclaimed him victor in the fight at length,
For fast Macdougall's furious ire decayed.
And feeble blows his waning pow'rs betrayed —
Pale grew his face, his watchful eyes grew dim.
Less swift to guard, he shook in every limb.
* The Macdougalls defeated Bruce in the battle of Dalree, at the head of Loch
Tay. One of the Macdougitlls seized the King by the plaid, which was fixed across his
breast by a large brooch. The King killed his assailant, but left the plaid and brooch in
the grasp of the clansman. His brooch was long kept iu the family of the Macdougalls.
I may here ask where is it now?