He asked nothing of them but what they should see
him do before them all. Those who fell would fall honourably like true
and brave soldiers: those who lived and conquered would have the reward
of a gracious King and the praise of all good men. Let them charge home
then, in the name of King James and the Church of Scotland. Mackay urged
the same honourable duty on his battalions; but he added one very
practical consideration which suggests that he was not so confident of
the issue as he afterwards professes to have been, and which was perhaps
not very wisely offered. They must fight, he said, for they could not
fly. The enemy was much quicker afoot than they, and there were the
Athole men waiting to pounce on all runaways. Such thoughts would hardly
furnish the best tonic to a doubtful spirit. Nevertheless the troops
answered cheerfully that they would stand by their general to the last;
which, adds the brave old fellow ruefully in his despatch, "most of them
belied shortly after."[102]
A dropping fire of musketry had for some time been maintained between
the two lines, and on the English left there had been some closer
skirmishing between Lauder's sharpshooters and the Macleans. Mackay was
anxious to engage before the sun set. He doubted how his raw troops
would stand a night-attack from a foe to whom night and day were one:
still more did he fear what might happen in the darkness during the
confusion of a retreat down that awful pass.
Pages:
233
234
235
236
237
238
239
240
241
242
243
244
245
246
247
248
249
250
251
252
253
254
255
256
257