Harper's Round Table, November 17, 1896

by Various

Sir Humphrey went forward into the space between, and there met MacGregor, who likewise advanced alone, with an eagle's plume in his bonnet, and the two began to confer together. What passed is not exactly known, but the conversation lasted long, and then the chief was seen to turn away from Sir Humphrey, and go to his own men, who stood in their red dresses on the hill-side, and the listening crowds of Lowland citizens and Sir Humphrey's Lowland-clad band heard the chief's words to his men, as he said, "We will go home. There is to be no bloodshed in the mean time." The MacGregors turned and began their return march, but instead of going by the Highland way they took a short way through the glens which lay above Sron Glen Freon, and they thus avoided altogether passing the Colquhoun men who were lying in reserve behind the hill. Sir Humphrey and his friends now held a consultation quickly with each other, and gave orders to those men who were leisurely following the MacGregors' march. When these orders were delivered it was seen that the Lowlanders quickened their pace, and a shout went up from them, and Sir Humphrey's reserve of men rose and joined the advance and pursued the MacGregors, who fled. The Alt-Na-Chle burn, where they had left their supports, was nearly four miles away. The Highlanders ran on as fast as they could, anxious to reach their comrades some time before the pursuers could come up, so that they could have breath for the fight, and get into order to receive the attack, which they now saw was to be made upon them. This they accomplished. They got into order of battle, and were standing to their arms on the other side of the two fords a short time before the Colquhoun force arrived at the banks of the burn, which presented such difficulties to the pursuers that the disparity in numbers was well balanced by the nature of the position the chief had gained. So much was this the case that the reserve was told to remain in ambush until the fight should grow hot. The Colquhouns, pausing for a moment, got their men in a column, and attempted to rush the ford and bank beyond, but they could only advance a few at a time, the hill on the other side giving great advantage to the defence, and the first men who got over were all killed without a single one of the MacGregors being harmed. There were seven very brave men among the Colquhouns. These men were all brothers, and they volunteered to head the attack, that a breach might be made through the MacGregors' line, but the devoted brothers were all slain, and lay together in a heap by the side of the water of the burn, which gave to the pass in after-times the name of the Brothers Ford.

Now when many of the pursuers were already lying heaped together in the pass, the chief called to his brother and the hundred who were with him, still lying beyond the knoll. These men as they rose had but to spring forward a few steps to gain the top of the rock overhanging the Highland way, and when they thus crowned the green summit they saw under the rock wall below them a number of the Colquhouns at the base of the waterfall. They plied their bows sharply now, sending down their arrows on the pursuers, who, pent together, could not escape them. Every shaft told, and the Colquhouns, despairing of forcing the ascent, gave way and fled back, the MacGregors crossing over after them and keeping above them as they ran along the hill face, continuing their arrow fire and doing much hurt. The whole crowd of pursuers and pursued ran aslant the moor until they reached a little plain called Tom-Na-Folaich (or the Little Bush and of the Rank Grass), where the Colquhouns, turning, attacked the nearest of their enemies, who gave way in their turn, running over the hill to a place where there was a gap between two ridges of rock. There they faced round, filling up the gap. The Colquhouns hurried onward until they were nearly within sword-stroke of their enemies. Here again the skill of the Highland bowmen decided matters, for crossing the top of the rock on the left of the Lowlanders they killed a great number, while they could not be much harmed themselves. In the Gaelic speech that gap is still called the Chasm of Misfortune, and the rock is yet known as the Bowmen's Crag. The Lowlanders gave way. Meanwhile the remainder of them, under Sir Humphrey, had been fighting the rest of the Highlanders, and a like result had overtaken them. All the MacGregors were now in pursuit of the Colquhouns, running along the Highland way over the large brook, the Alt-Mor, at the smithy's ford, and when some distance beyond, an unfortunate minister, who was a teacher at the seminary of Dumbarton, was overtaken as he was fleeing with the people who had rashly come out as spectators, and was killed. The chief's brother happened to be pursuing a young man of the Clan-Na-Liondaig who had been with Sir Humphrey, and the young fellow turned on the chieftain, and cut him down near a great gray stone that was often pointed out as marking the Highland chieftain's death-place. At the head of Glen Freon the Colquhouns attempted to rally, by the persuasions of Sir Humphrey, but he could not get them into any order until they arrived at a large level field called Acha Haich. Here he managed to get them again into array, but the Highlanders, seeing them make a stand, halted to form their line, and quickly attacked. Hardly a minute passed before Sir Humphrey's men turned their backs, and all that can be said of what followed is that chase and flight went streaming down both sides of Glen Freon.

When the rout reached the middle of the glen the victors, who were slaying as they went, overtook the principal of the seminary, who with his students were showing every sign of terror. But the MacGregors took no heed of them. The principal hastened to the chief, and said to him, "These youths are unarmed and in great fear. Now that you have won the day, I intrust them to your forbearance." There was a barn near the place where they stood, and the chief ordered them into the barn, putting over them as guard a man named Black Hugh of the Dhu-Leitir, who came from his own Glen Streatha. It is said that this man was not a MacGregor, but a MacCalister, who had gone from the district where his youth was spent to the MacGregor country, taking their name on account of some crime that he had committed.

He heard his chief now say to him, "Hugh, here are thirty-seven youths. Stand at the door. I confide them to you. Take good care of them," and as he obeyed he saw his chief hurry on in the pursuit. Hugh began his sentry duty, and allowed none of the youths to leave the barn, believing that they should be treated as prisoners; but as the lads could speak no Gaelic, and Hugh no English, there was not much attempt at communication between them.

We will follow the pursuit from which Hugh was debarred by his duties as jailer. The MacGregors harassed the Colquhouns in their retreat persistently, sparing none whom they found with arms in their hands, and among these were many of the citizens of Dumbarton. Of the incidents of the pursuit, men remember that at Tigh-Na-Goaithe, or the House of the Winds, in the glen, one of the MacGregors took note of a gentleman among the Colquhouns who was on horseback. He rushed at the rider, who fled, yet the Highlander was so swift of foot that he kept up with the pace of the horse all the way between the place called the Hill of the Wind and the waterfall of the Finglass. The mounted officer missed a passage or ford which existed, and came to a place where it was difficult to cross the burn's ravine, called the "churn." It was about twenty feet in depth, and there was a pool below, the chasm being about ten feet broad above and sixteen feet below. The horse took the leap, and bad as was the take off, carried his rider across in safety. The pursuer could not take the leap, but shot an arrow, which missed the rider, who coolly dismounted, picked up the arrow, and shot it back from his own bow, killing the man who had first shot it.

At the lower part of the glen Sir Humphrey's people scattered widely, each trying to save his own life. Some went the way of Luss, others fled towards the Leven. But MacGregor did not care to see his men disperse themselves so widely, and stopped the pursuit. He called them to him, and told them it was now best to return the road they had come. They obeyed him, and the march home was commenced. When they were ascending the upper part of Blar-Na-Chietein (or the Plain of April) the piper struck up, playing an extemporized tune, which was known afterwards as the "Bout of Spoils on Colquhoun." They went along rejoicing, but they soon had cause for grief.

MacGregor now observed Black Hugh among his followers, and inquired of him, "What have you done with the young lads whom I intrusted to you?"

Hugh replied by drawing a dirk from his belt, and shaking it above his head, said, "Ask that dirk and God's mercy what has become of them!"

"May God look on us!" said MacGregor. "If you have killed the lads, no mention shall be made of a MacGregor henceforth." He hurried to the barn, and there were all the youths lying where they had been butchered, cold in their blood! The chief turned angrily and called up Black Hugh. "Why have you done this?"

And Hugh answered: "After the youths had been for a time in the barn they became turbulent, I do not know why; but they spoke a great deal of English, and I could not understand a word of what they said, but I shook the dirk at them and told them to keep quiet in Gaelic, which they should have understood, and I asked, and I asked, and I asked them to keep quiet, but they would not, and attempted to get out in spite of me. It seemed to me that I might just as well lose my own life as let a prisoner escape; and as they came forward one by one to get out I killed them as quickly as they got within reach. I do not know what it means, but every one as he was pierced with the dirk seemed to me to cry out a sound like 'God's mercy.'"