So he and a few armed men and the
minister, seeing this, took a hill above Fintry beside the craigs of
Ball-glass. So the enemy came forward. This little handful drew up in
the best posture the time and circumstances would allow; and sung a
psalm, at which the soldiers were so affrighted, that they told
afterward, that the very matches had almost fallen out of their hands.
At last a trooper coming up, commanded them to dismiss: but they
refused. This was repeated several times, till the captain of the foot
came forward, and gave them the same charge; which they also refused.
Upon this, he commanded a party of his men to advance and fire upon
them: which they did once or twice: which was by this little company
returned with much courage and agility, until the whole party and the
commanding officer (consisting of 48 men and 16 horsemen) fired upon
this little handful, which he thinks amounted to not above 18 that had
arms, with a few women. After several fires were returned on both sides,
one of the sufferers stepped forward, and shot one side of the captain's
periwig off, at which the foot fled; but the horsemen, taking the
advantage of the rising ground, surrounded this small party. They then
fired on a young man, but missed him. However, they took him and some
others prisoners. The rest fled off. Robert Garnock was hindermost,
being the last on the place of action, and says, he intended not to have
been taken, but rather killed. At last one of the enemy came after him,
on which he resolved either to kill or be killed before he
surrendered,--catching a pistol from one for that purpose. But another
coming in for assistance, the trooper fled off, and so they escaped unto
the other side of a precipice, where they staid until the enemy were
gone, who marched directly with their prisoners to Stirling[197].

After the fray was over, Robert staid till evening, and spoke with some
friends and the minister, who dissuaded him all they could from going
into Stirling. But being now approaching toward the eve of his
pilgrimage state, with Paul, in another case, when going up to
Jerusalem, he could not be prevailed upon; and so went to town: and
entering the town about One in the morning, he got into a house at the
foot of the castle-hill, and there got his arms left with much
difficulty: but, as he was near the head of the castle-hill, he was by
two soldiers (who were lying in wait for those who had been at that
meeting) apprehended