Kings of Carrick

THE SIEGE OF NEWARK. 125
fallen before the leaden hail of Newark, on the sterile slopes
of Carrick, were borne home, cold and lifeless, from the spot
whence their souls had ascended, amid the din of battle,
through the mirky air of the chill December.
The Earl of Cassillis had not himself joined in the fray.
He saw his followers depart from underneath the shadow of
his keep; and then retired to the house to wait, and to
weary, and to reproach himself. "Why had he not gone
himself ?" he asked twenty times as the day wore on. Why
were his men assaulting the House of Newark ; struggling,
perhaps dying, while he remained in the tents of peace ?"
He had never doubted the result. Had he entertained one
qualm of distrust as to the upshot of the attack, he had not
stayed behind ; for the Earl was bold and skilful in fray.
Sharp the contest might be, and bloody ; but what were the
defences of Newark to the sustained onslaught of so powerful a
band of Kennedys ? Naturally, however, as the day wore on,
he became more restless. He could do nothing but repair to
the summit of the castle and look out over the Doon, and
over the trees and the fields, towards Newark on the side of
Carrick. The house itself he could not see ; but occasionally
he fancied he heard the noise of the combat, and pictured to
himself his gallant retainers driving in the iron-studded gate
and measuring their prowess in combat, resulting in victory,
with the followers of Auchendrane. As he thought of the
stern old feudalist by whom he was opposed his brow
darkened ; and a more revengeful set of feelings crept into
his heart than those inspired by honest combat.
Thus he moved about, now in the house, now out of it, and
now on top of it ; and thus still he was engaged when the
sun set behind Carrick and left the winter darkness to brood
o'er the scene. What was it to evolve ? What could it
evolve save victory ? We know what it did evolve — that it
brought back the Kennedys broken and discomfited; dead
men slung across wounded horses; warriors wounded, be-
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