Blair Collection > Celtic magazine > Volume 2

108 THE CELTIC MAGAZINE.
great sword unsheathed, crying at the height of his voice, " The man that
would not reckon with me, I would not be reckoning with him."* He
commenced on the enemy, and in a short time put them to flight, and
in their hurry they came to the aide of the river, and met a Avoman, of
whom they asked " where was the ford on tlie river, on Avhich they might
cross ? " " Oh ! beloved one," said the woman, " the river is all one ford
together — though it is black, it is not deep." The flight came so close
upon them, that they were going out on the river wherever it met them.
They were carried away by the stream in their hundreds, and there were
many bushes alongside of it, on which they were laying hold. " Suar-
achan" was seeing this, and every one whom he saw laying hold of a
bush, he was running to him, cutting the bush, and saying, " as I was
allowing you so much all day, I will let you have that also." The Earl
of Ross lost the day, and it was won by Hector Eoy.
When the peace came. Hector Roy and his men sat down to take
food, but they only had one bannock for each man, and they had none
for " Suarachan " ; but every man gave him a mouthful, and in that way
he got the largest share — seven score mouthfuls.
Now, when the Earl of Ross saw that he could not revenge himself
upon Hector Roy, he went to the King and got head-money put on
Hector Roy for his capture. Hector was obliged to take fliglit ; but
twelve men followed him, and where he would be to-day, he would not
be to-morrow. It was the law at that time, if one on whom head money
was, kept himself safe for seven years, that he would be free from (further)
pursuit.
At this time there was no superior on Caithness but the King him-
self, and it was MacCailean of Argyle, a relative of Hector Roy's, on his
mother's side, that the King was sending to lift the rents ; and Hector
Roy found out that the Caithness men agreed among themselves to kill
the Clan MacCailean (the Campbells) the next time they came to lift the
rents. When Hector Roy found out that this was the intention of the
Caithness men, he took Caithness on him with his twelve men.
He Avas in the hills of Caithness, and MacCailean came Avith his
guards ; they raised their tents to themselves, and they put past the night
there. They got up in the morning, MacCailean looked on, and the
Caithness men were gathering above him. He came in among his men,
and said unto them, " If you wiU not cut through the Caithness men,
they Avill put us out on the sea ; but I am seeing a big man above them,
and tAv^elve men Avith him, and he is putting more fear on me than the
Caithness men altogether."
* We think " Suaracliau " au J Hector Roy are Sir Walter Scott's originals for the
Smith and the Chief in the "Fair Maid of Perth." AVheu in the West Highlands,
Scott most likely would have heard the story. He informs us in a note that his
" Lament for the Last of the h-eaforths " is au imitation of a boat song he heard in Kin-
tail. The following looks very much like another iiuitation : — " After killing his man.
his powerful recruit (Smith) removed at a distance from the ranks, and showed little
disposition to join them. ' What ails thee man ? ' said the Chief, ' can so strong a body
have a mean and cowardly spirit? Come and make part in the combat.' 'You as good
as called me hireling just now,' replied Harry ; ' If I am such ' (pointing to the head-
less corpse) 'I have done enough for my day's wage.' 'He that serves me without
counting his hours,' replied the Chief, ' I reward him without reckoning wages.'
' Then,' said the Smith, ' I fi^ht aa a volunteer, and in the post which best likea me.' "