kston of Rathillet; John Balfour of Burley;
Turnbull of Bewlie; with Major Learmont and Captain John Paton of
Meadowhead--two veterans who had led the Westland Covenanters in their
first battle at the Pentland Hills--such men were well able to have led
a band of even half-disciplined men to victory if united under a capable
general. But such was not to be. The laws of God, whether relating to
physics or morals, are inexorable. A divided army cannot conquer. They
had assembled to fight; instead of fighting they disputed, and that so
fiercely that two opposing parties were formed in the camp, and their
councils of war became arenas of strife. The drilling of men had been
neglected, officers were not appointed, stores of ammunition and other
supplies were not provided, and no plan of battle was concerted. All
this, with incapacity at the helm, resulted in overwhelming disaster and
the sacrifice of a body of brave, devoted men. It afterwards
intensified persecution, and postponed constitutional liberty for many
years.

In this state of disorganisation the Covenanters were found by the royal
troops. The latter were allowed quietly to plant their guns and make
arrangements for the attack.

But they were not suffered to cross Bothwell Bridge with impunity. Some
of the bolder spirits, leaving the disputants to fight with tongue and
eye, drew their swords and advanced to confront the foe.

"It's every man for himsel' here," remarked Andrew Black indignantly,
wiping his mouth with his cuff, as he rose from the meal which he was
well aware might be his last. "The Lord hae mercy on the puir
Covenanters, for they're in sair straits this day. Come awa', Wull
Wallace--lead us on to battle."

Our hero, who was busily forming up his men, needed no such exhortation.
Seeing that there was no one in authority to direct his movements, he
resolved to act "for his own hand." He gave the word to march, and set
off at a quick step for the river, where the fight had already begun.
Soon he and his small band were among those who held the bridge. Here
they found Hackston, Hall, Turnbull, and the lion-like John Nisbet, each
with a small band of devoted followers sternly and steadily defending
what they knew to be the key to their position. Distributing his men in
such a way among the coppices on the river's bank that they could assail
the foe to the greatest advantage without unnecessarily exposing
themselves, Wallace commenced a