History of the Clan MacLean from its first settlement at Duard Castle, in the Isle of Mull, to the present period

130 History of the Clan MacLean.
prepared to chastise the insolent tone assumed by him, and enraged at his
arrogance, he instantly summoned his friends around him, and finding them
all eager to encounter the MacDonalds, the brave Sir Lachlan Mor drew his
trusty claymore from its scabbard, and stretching it out in his firm grasp,
cried, " He who sees the setting sun can tell his son this steel had done its
duty ;'' and then, with a smile upon his countenance, and pointing to the hill
occupied by the MacDonalds, he added, "Follow me; let us salute my nephew
in his exalted station with due respect." The MacLeans rushed forward, and
swept the foremost of the foe from oif tlie hill. The MacDonalds with a re-
enforcement returned to the attack and again were driven from off the field
before the impetuous attack of Sir Lachlan and his clansmen. The MacLeans
now found opportunity to take a good position on the- hill, from which it now
became the object of Sir James to dislodge them ; with this object in view, he
ordered a retreat in the direction of a neighboring eminence, in the rear of
which he had placed a strong force of the Kintyre men, in the hope to entice
the MacLeans from the advantageous position gained by them. In this
maneuver, however, the military experience of his uncle proved too much for
him. Having gained a position which promised every advantage in case of
attack, and in which he hoped to be able to maintain himself against his ene-
mies until the state of the tide enabled his friends from the islands to join
him, Sir Lachlan suffered the MacDonalds to practice their stratagem unmo-
lested. Sir James finding that his foes were not to be beaten by stratagem,
and knowing that delay might prove as dangerous to him as it was of import-
ance to the MacLeans, determined on attacking them at once with a force which
he hoped would be irresistible ; so, placing himself at the head of nine liun-
dred of his followers, he made a furious attack upon the position held by the
MacLeans. Here the veteran warriors of Glenlivat and other well-fought
battles, formed by the skillful management of their intrepid leader into an
impregnable phalanx, bid defiance to their assailants, until the presumptuous
daring of Sir James, who, surrounded by his personal friends, advanced within
a hundred yards of the spot whereon his uncle stood, so roused the indigna-
tion of the latter, that he rushed forward, observing to those around him that
he would "pluck a feather out of that eaglet's plume or perish in the attempt,"
and, followed by his devoted band with the rapidit}' of a mountain torrent,
he hewed a path through the MacDonalds to within a sword's length of their
chief; and for a moment beholding his nephew with a look of furious in-
dignation, mingled with affection, this cool and collected warrior and greatly
accomplished soldier merely observed, '•'•A Shemish! a Shemish ! a mJiie 7110