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Lowlanders prepared to receive the shook; but this was then along and awkward process; and the soldiers were still fumbling ■with the muzzles of their guns and the handles of their bayonetswhen the whole flood of Macleans, Macdonalds, and Cameronscame down. In two minutes the battle was lost and won. Theranks of Balfour’s regiment broke. He was cloven down whilestruggling in the press. Ramsay’s men turned their backs anddropped their arms. Mackay’s own foot were swept away bythe furious onset of the Camerons. His brother and nephewexerted themselves in vain to rally the men. The former waslaid dead on the ground by a stroke from a claymore. Thelatter, with eight wounds on his body, made his w'ay throughthe tumult and carnage to his uncle’s side. Even in that extre-mity Mackay retained all his selfpossession. He had still onehope. A charge of horse might recover the day; for of horsethe bravest Highlanders were supposed to stand in awe. Buthe called on the horse in vain. Belhaven indeed behaved like agallant gentleman: but his troopers, appalled by the rout of theinfantry, galloped off in disorder: Annandale’s men followed:all was over; and the mingled torrent of redcoats and tartanswent raving down the valley to the gorge of Killiecrankie.

Mackay, accompanied by one trusty servant, spurred bravelythrough the thickest of the claymores and targets, and reacheda point from which he had a view of the field. His whole armyhad disappeared, with the exception of some Borderers whomLeven had kept together, and of Hastings’s regiment, whichhad poured a murderous fire into the Celtic ranks, and whichstill kept unbroken order. All the men that could be collectedwere only a few hundreds. The general made haste to leadthem across the Garry, and, having put that river betweenthem and the enemy, paused for a moment to meditate on hissituation.

He could hardly understand how the conquerors could be so

cnAP

XIII.

1689 .