when I have not a horse left to ride upon." [In German, as in
Latin, the original meaning of the word Ritter, corresponding to

Eques, is merely a horseman.]
"That shall not be said," answered Montrose, dismounting; "I make

you a present of my own, which has been thought a good one; only,
I pray you, resume the duty you charge" target="_blank" title="vt.&n.卸货；释放；解雇">discharge so well."

With many acknowledgments, Sir Dugald mounted the steed so
liberally bestowed upon him; and only beseeching his Excellency

to remember that MacEagh was under his safe-conduct, immediately
began to execute the orders assigned to him, with great zeal and

alacrity.
"And you, Allan M'Aulay," said Montrose, addressing the

Highlander, who, leaning his sword-point on the ground, had
regarded the ceremony of his antagonist's knighthood" target="_blank" title="n.骑士的地位(资格)">knighthood with a sneer

of sullen scorn,--"you, who are superior to the ordinary men led
by the paltry motives of plunder, and pay, and personal

distinction,--you, whose deep knowledge renders you so valuable a
counsellor,--is it YOU whom I find striving with a man like

Dalgetty, for the privilege of trampling the remains of life out
of so contemptible an enemy as lies there? Come, my friend, I

have other work for you. This victory, skilfully improved, shall
win Seaforth to our party. It is not disloyalty, but despair of

the good cause, that has induced him to take arms against us.
These arms, in this moment of better augury, he may be brought to

unite with ours. I shall send my gallant friend, Colonel Hay, to
him, from this very field of battle, but he must be united in

commission with a Highland gentleman of rank, befitting that of
Seaforth, and of talents and of influence such as may make an

impression upon him. You are not only in every respect the
fittest for this most important mission, but, having no immediate

command, your presence may be more easily spared than that of a
Chief whose following is in the field. You know every pass and

glen in the Highlands, as well as the manners and customs of
every tribe. Go therefore to Hay, on the right wing; he has

instructions, and expects you. You will find him with
Glenmorrison's men; be his guide, his interpreter, and his

colleague."
Allan M'Aulay bent on the Marquis a dark and penetrating glance,

as if to ascertain whether this sudden mission was not conferred
for some latent and unexplained purpose. But Montrose, skilful

in searching the motives of others, was an equal adept in
concealing his own. He considered it as of the last consequence,

in this moment of enthusiasm and exalted passion, to remove Allan
from the camp for a few days, that he might provide, as his

honour required, for the safety of those who had acted as his
guides, when he trusted the Seer's quarrel with Dalgetty might be

easily made up. Allan, at parting, only recommended to the
Marquis the care of Sir Duncan Campbell, whom Montrose instantly

directed to be conveyed to a place of safety. He took the same
precaution for MacEagh, committing the latter, however, to a

party of the Irish, with directions that he should be taken care
of, but that no Highlander, of any clan, should have access to

him.
The Marquis then mounted a led horse, which was held by one of

his attendants, and rode on to view the scene of his victory,
which was more decisive than even his ardent hopes had

anticipated. Of Argyle's gallant army of three thousand men,
fully one-half fell in the battle, or in the flight. They had

been chieflydriven back upon that part of the plain where the
river forms an angle with the lake, so that there was no free

opening either for retreat or escape. Several hundreds were
forced into the lake and drowned. Of the survivors, about one-

half escaped by swimming the river, or by an early flight along
the left bank of the lake. The remainder threw themselves into

the old Castle of Inverlochy; but being without either provisions
or hopes of relief, they were obliged to surrender, on condition

of being suffered to return to their homes in peace. Arms,
ammunition, standards, and baggage, all became the prey of the

conquerors.
This was the greatest disaster that ever befell the race of

Diarmid, as the Campbells were called in the Highlands; it being
generally remarked that they were as fortunate in the issue of

their undertakings, as they were sagacious in planning, and
courageous in executing them. Of the number slain, nearly five

hundred were dunniwassels, or gentlemen claiming descent from
known and respected houses. And, in the opinion of many of the

clan, even this heavy loss was exceeded by the disgrace arising
from the inglorious conduct of their Chief, whose galley weighed

anchor when the day was lost, and sailed down the lake with all
the speed to which sails and oars could impel her.

CHAPTER XX.
Faint the din of battle bray'd,

Distant down the hollow wind;
War and terror fled before,

Wounds and death remain'd behind. PENROSE.
Montrose's splendid success over his powerful rival was not

attained without some loss, though not amounting to the tenth of
what he inflicted. The obstinatevalour of the Campbells cost

the lives of many brave men of the opposite party; and more were
wounded, the Chief of whom was the brave young Earl of Menteith,

who had commanded the centre. He was but slightly touched,
however, and made rather a graceful than a terrible appearance

when he presented to his general the standard of Argyle, which he
had taken from the standard-bearer with his own hand, and slain

him in single combat. Montrose dearly loved his noble kinsman,
in whom there was conspicuous a flash of the generous, romantic,

disinterested chivalry of the old heroic times, entirely
different from the sordid, calculating, and selfishcharacter,

which the practice of entertaining mercenary troops had
introduced into most parts of Europe, and of which degeneracy

Scotland, which furnished soldiers of fortune for the service of
almost every nation, had been contaminated with a more than usual

share. Montrose, whose native spirit was congenial, although
experience had taught him how to avail himself of the motives of

others, used to Menteith neither the language of praise nor of
promise, but clasped him to his bosom as he exclaimed, "My

gallant kinsman!" And by this burst of heartfelt applause was
Menteith thrilled with a warmer glow of delight, than if his

praises had been recorded in a report of the action sent directly
to the throne of his sovereign.

"Nothing," he said, "my lord, now seems to remain in which I can
render any assistance" target="_blank" title="n.协作；援助；帮助">assistance; permit me to look after a duty of

humanity--the Knight of Ardenvohr, as I am told, is our prisoner,
and severely wounded."

"And well he deserves to be so," said Sir Dugald Dalgetty, who
came up to them at that moment with a prodigiousaddition of

acquired importance, "since he shot my good horse at the time
that I was offering him honourable quarter, which, I must needs

say, was done more like an ignorant Highland cateran, who has not
sense enough to erect a sconce for the protection of his old

hurley-house of a castle, than like a soldier of worth and
quality."

"Are we to condole with you then," said Lord Menteith, "upon the
loss of the famed Gustavus?"

"Even so, my lord," answered the soldier, with a deep sigh, "DIEM
CLAUSIT SUPREMUM, as we said at the Mareschal-College of

Aberdeen. Better so than be smothered like a cadger's pony in
some flow-moss, or snow-wreath, which was like to be his fate if

this winter campaign lasted longer. But it has pleased his
Excellency" (making an inclination to Montrose) "to supply his

place by the gift of a noble steed, whom I have taken the freedom
to name 'LOYALTY'S REWARD,' in memory of this celebrated

occasion."
"I hope," said the Marquis, "you'll find Loyalty's Reward, since

you call him so, practised in all the duties of the field, --but
I must just hint to you, that at this time, in Scotland, loyalty