ders," said the Major, "we have come to our native land
to preserve the protestant religion; and I am grieved that such brave
gentlemen, as ye appear to be, should be seen in the cause of a papist
tyrant and usurper."

"Ye lee," cried Houston, and fired his pistol at the Major, the like did
his men; but they were so well and quickly answered in the same
language, that they soon were obligated to flee like drift to the brow
of a hill, called Kilblain-brae, where they again showed face.

Those on board the ships seeing what was thus doing on the land, pointed
their great guns to the airt where the cavaliers had rallied, and fired
them with such effect, that the stoure and stones brattled about the
lugs of the heritors, which so terrified them all that they scampered
off; and, it is said, some drew not bridle till they were in Paisley
with whole skins, though at some cost of leather.

When these tyrant tools were thus discomfited, Sir John Cochrane came on
shore, and tried in vain to prevail on the inhabitants to join in
defence of religion and liberty. So he sent for the baron-bailie, who
was the ruling power of the town in the absence of their great Sir John,
and ordered him to provide forthwith two hundred bolls of meal for the
ships. But the bailie, a shrewd and gausie man, made so many
difficulties in the gathering of the meal, to waste time till help would
come, that the knight was glad to content himself with little more than
a fifth part of his demand.

Meanwhile I had made my errand known to Sir John Cochrane, and when he
went off with the meal-sacks to the ships I went with him, and we sailed
the same night to the castle of Allengreg, where Argyle himself then
was.

Whatever doubts and fears I had of the success of the expedition, were
all wofully confirmed, when I saw how things were about that unfortunate
nobleman. The controversies in our councils at the Pentland raid were
more than renewed among those who were around Argyle; and it was plain
to me that the sense of ruin was upon his spirit; for, after I had told
him the purport of my mission, he said to me in a mournful manner,--

"I can discern no party in this country that desire to be relieved;
there are some hidden ones, no doubt, but only my poor friends here in
Argyle seem willing to be free. God hath so ordered it, and it must be
for the best. I submit myself to His will."

I felt the truth of what he said, that the tyranny had indeed bred
dist