their own safety, and with their clubbed muskets delivered such strokes as would have brought their enemies to the ground, if they had been aimed with as much discretion as they were forcibly applied. But this served only to hasten their destruction, for, exerting all their strength in giving these ineffectual blows, the sway of their heavy muskets, which generally struck the ground, rendered them unable to recover themselves. The Highlanders made use of the advantage and stabbed them with their dirks or poniards while they were thus bent and defenceless, whereby they quickly diminished their numbers, and forced them. again to flce as best they could.

Being thus broken and dispersed, "they fled as fear or chance directed them. The Highlanders pursued with as little judgment. In one place you might have seen five Highlanders engaged with double that number of Englishmen ; and in another, two or three Englishmen defending themselves against twice as many of their enemies." But the greater number made to the shore, where we shall leave them for a moment and follow the young Chief, who in the meantime had a most curious adventure.

He followed a few that fled into the wood, where he killed two or three with his own hand, no one having pursued in that direction but himself. The officer who commanded the invaders also fled in the same direction; but, concealing himself in a bush, Lochiel did not notice him, and, observing that he was alone, started suddenly out of his lurking-place, attacked Lochiel on his return, and threatening, as he rushed furiously upon him, sword in hand, to revenge the slaughter of his countrymen by the Chief's death. Lochiel, who also had his sword in his hand, received him with equal resolution. "The combat was long and doubtful; both fought for their lives, and as they were both animated by the same fury and courage, so they seemed to manage their swords with the same dexterity. The English gentleman had by far the advantage in strength and size; but Lochiel, exceeding him in nimbleness and agility, in the end tripped the sword out of his hand. But he was not allowed to make use of this advantage, for his antagonist, flying upon him with incredible quickness, they closed and wrestled till both fell to the ground in each other's arms. In this posture they struggled and tumbled up and down till they fixed in the channel of a brook, between two straight steep banks, which then, by the drought of summer,

happened to be dry. Here Lochiel was in a most desperate situation, for, being undermost, he was not only crushed under the weight of his antagonist (who was a very big man), but also badly hurt and bruised by the sharp stones in the bed of the rivulet. Their strength was so far spent that neither of them could stir a limb;" but the Englishman, being uppermost, at last recovered the use of his right hand, seized a dagger that hung at his belt, and made several attempts to stab his adversary, who all the time held him fast; but the narrowness of the place where they were, and the posture they were in, rendered the execution very difficult and almost impracticable while he was so closely embraced. He, however, made a most violent effort to disengage himself, and in that act he raised his head and stretched his neck, when Lochiel,-who by this time had his hands at liberty-with his left suddenly seized his opponent by the right, and with the other by the collar, and, jumping at his extended throat, which he used to say God put in his mouth, he bit it quite through, and kept such hold of it that he brought away his mouthful! "This," he said, "was the sweetest bite he ever had in his life!" The reader may imagine in what a state he would be after receiving such a gush of warm blood in the face as naturally flowed from such a wound. However, he soon had an opportunity of washing himself, for, hastening to the shore, he found his men chindeep in the sea, endeavouring to destroy the remainder of the enemy, who still attempted to recover their vessel, at anchor near the shore; and, wishing to save the few remaining of the foc after such a victory, he, with great difficulty, staid the fury of his men, and offered quarters, when all, being about thirty-five in number, submitted. The first that delivered his arms was an Irishman, who, having briskly offered his hand to Lochiel, bade him adieu, and ran away with such speed that, though he was hotly pursued, he managed to effect his escape to Inverlochy, three long miles from the village where they first engaged, while he had also the river Lochy to cross before he was in complete safety. It is said of this fellow that, when saying his prayers, "which every soldier in those religious times was obliged to do," remembering the danger from which he had escaped, always put up the petition-"That God, in his mercy, would be pleased to keep him out of the hands of Lochiel and his bloody crew!"

Before the others gave up their arms one of them attempted to shoot Lochiel, who, having by good fortune, observed him while he had his gun to his eye, plunged himself into the sea at the moment when the ungrateful rascal drew the trigger. This the Chief the more easily effected, as he was already chindeep in the water; but even then his escape was so narrow that a part of the hair from the back of his head was shot away, and the skin a little ruffled by the ball.

After this the Camerons showed no further mercy. They flew upon the enemy like tigers, cutting them to pieces wherever they came at them. In vain did Lochiel interpose his authority; they were deaf to everything but the dictates of fury and revenge. Nor, indeed, did the English, after so manifest a violation of the laws of war, seem to expect anything else, for one of them, whom the Camerons supposed from his dress to be an officer, having got on board the ship, resolved to accomplish what the other had failed in, and that he might take surer aim, he rested his gun upon the side of the vessel. Lochiel noticed him, and, judging that he had no chance of escape "but by ducking, as he did before, kept his eye fixed upon the finger that he had at the trigger. But his foster-brother, who was close by, happening at the same time to take notice of the danger his Chief was in, and preferring his safety to his own, immediately threw himself before him, and received the shot in his mouth and breast. This is perhaps one of the most astonishing instances of affection and love. that any age can produce. If fortitude and courage are qualities of so heroic and sublime a nature, what name shall we invent for a noble contempt of life, generously thrown away in preservation of one of a much greater value?" Lochiel immediately revenged the death of this brave youth with his own hand, and, after the utter destruction of the whole party, excepting the Irishman and another man, whom we shall have occasion to mention hereafter, he carried his body three miles on his back, and interred him in the burial-place of his own family, in the most honourable manner he could, in the circumstances, contrive. Lochiel only lost four men, and his devoted foster-brother, who sacrificed his own life to save that of his Chief, during the whole of this remarkable engagement. A few more interesting details connected with it must be left over until our next.

(To be continued.)

A LEGEND OF GIRNIGO E.

TOWARDS the middle of the 17th century the family of Sinclair, who were Earls of Caithness, lived in a castle about two miles from the spot where the town of Wick now stands. This castle, which took its name from the family to whom it belonged, was, from the effects of time, tempest, and siege, rapidly falling into decay, and it was quite evident that it would not be habitable much longer. The inmates of Castle Sinclair, at the time of our tale, were the Earl and Countess of Caithness, a son about five years of age, several domestics, and about two score men-at

arms.

The Countess of Caithness was the daughter of Sir Hugh Oliphant of Oldwick Castle, and had been wedded to the Earl at the early age of eighteen, but not early enough to prevent her from giving her heart to another. Whilst in her father's castle, Sir Dudley Merton, a young English Knight, was cast ashore by a storm upon the coast of Caithness, and was hospitably entertained by Sir Hugh. An intimacy was formed between Sir Dudley and the daughter of his host, which soon ripened into love, but Sir Hugh, though hospitable, was ambitious, and wished to see his daughter some day Countess of Caithness, so that when Sir Dudley asked the hand of the Lady Norna from her father, he was met with a scornful refusal, and ordered at once to leave the castle. The disappointed lover said a sorrowful farewell to the lady, and departed southwards. Soon after, the Earl of Caithness, a stern, morose man, about fifty years of age, sought the Lady Norna's hand in marriage, and much against her will she was wedded to the Earl, and her father's ambitious hopes were fulfilled.

Transported to the Earl's dark and gloomy residence she pined for her first and only love, the young Southron, and until the birth of her son, which took place about a year after her marriage, she lived a melancholy and lonely life. The Earl cared little for his young wife, whom he had married merely to strengthen his power with the family of Oliphant, and her days were spent in a chamber assigned to her, with no company save

that of her little son, William, whom she idolised, and an old man-servant, named Rory Gunn, whom she had brought with her from Oldwick Castle, and who was devotedly attached to his young mistress. The Earl spent most of his time in making forays upon the neighbouring coasts in a large galley which he possessed.

On one occasion he had been absent upon an excursion of this sort for several days, and the Countess was seated at her window in a turret of the castle, watching the sun as it sunk down towards the horizon, when the door of her chamber opened, and gave admission to a young stranger. He was encased in a complete suit of chain armour, which showed off his lithe and sinewy figure to perfection. His head was protected by a steel casque, the vizor of which was raised, exposing a countenance at once manly and good-humoured. The Countess in her preoccupation had not heard him enter, but on the word "Norna" being pronounced by the stranger, she turned round quickly, and ejaculating "Dudley," fell senseless to the floor. Her little son, who was playing on the floor when Sir Dudley entered, now ran to the aid of his mother, and she soon came to herself, and entreated Sir Dudley to depart from the castle at once, ere the Earl should return. The Knight disregarded her entreaties, and related how he had travelled there alone that he might claim his Norna, and take her to his English home as Lady Merton.

"Sir Dudley," said the Countess, "I am the wedded wife of another man, and nothing more must pass between us. Leave the castle, I beseech you, or the consequences will be terrible."

In the excited state she was in the Countess had not heard the scraping of the galley upon the shingle outside, as it was drawn up on dry land, nor the voices of the rowers as they put away their oars and lowered the mast of the galley. Sir Dudley, moved by her entreaties, was saying farewell to the Countess, and was on his bended knee before her, in the act of kissing her hand, when a heavy step came up the stairs, the door of the chamber flew open, and the Earl entered.

"Ha!" he cried, "so this is the way you take advantage of my absence! By Saint Andrew, you shall not do so again. What, ho! men-at-arms!"

At these words several armed men poured into the chamber,