ned to
their position. It was easy to see that there were a few roundheaded
troopers amongst them, the true spawn of the old Covenant. We must manage
this matter warily as well as boldly. Evandale, let the officers come to
this knoll."

He moved to a small moss-grown cairn, probably the resting-place of some
Celtic chief of other times, and the call of "Officers to the front,"
soon brought them around their commander.

"I do not call you around me, gentlemen," said Claverhouse, "in the
formal capacity of a council of war, for I will never turn over on others
the responsibility which my rank imposes on myself. I only want the
benefit of your opinions, reserving to myself, as most men do when they
ask advice, the liberty of following my own.--What say you, Cornet
Grahame? Shall we attack these fellows who are bellowing younder? You are
youngest and hottest, and therefore will speak first whether I will or
no."

"Then," said Cornet Grahame, "while I have the honour to carry the
standard of the Life-Guards, it shall never, with my will, retreat before
rebels. I say, charge, in God's name and the King's!"

"And what say you, Allan?" continued Claverhouse, "for Evandale is so
modest, we shall never get him to speak till you have said what you have
to say."

"These fellows," said Major Allan, an old cavalier officer of experience,
"are three or four to one--I should not mind that much upon a fair field,
but they are posted in a very formidable strength, and show no
inclination to quit it. I therefore think, with deference to Cornet
Grahame's opinion, that we should draw back to Tillietudlem, occupy the
pass between the hills and the open country, and send for reinforcements
to my Lord Ross, who is lying at Glasgow with a regiment of infantry. In
this way we should cut them off from the Strath of Clyde, and either
compel them to come out of their stronghold, and give us battle on fair
terms, or, if they remain here, we will attack them so soon as our
infantry has joined us, and enabled us to act with effect among these
ditches, bogs, and quagmires."

"Pshaw!" said the young Cornet, "what signifies strong ground, when it is
only held by a crew of canting, psalm-singing old women?"

"A man may fight never the worse," retorted Major Allan, "for honouring
both his Bible and Psalter. These fellows will prove as stubborn as
steel; I know them of old."

"Their nasal psalmody," said the Cornet, "reminds our Major of the race