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but
'in fact still in my service. To remain at Strathbogie and seek to
play upon his young lord on our behalf. Never forget as I do not,
that north of Tay only Gordon can provide the King with the cavalry
we require. The numbers necessary. Nat, a Gordon himself, believes
that he can work on George Gordon, in his father's absence, to alter
his stand. And on Straloch, the chamberlain, his own near kinsman,
who has great weight with the young lord. Better that he should be so
employed in these winter days than traipsing the Highland hills with
us, and no cavalry to command - for that is his worth.'

The
Earl shrugged. 'As you will, James. But these others -Drummond, Hay,
even Sibbald. If these are not traitors they are cravens at least.'

'Even
that I will not allow, my lord. All have shown themselves brave
men. Steel, mark you, is not all of the same strength and spring.
Some swords will snap before others, if bent too far. As we, my
friends, all have been bent those past months. I but thank God for
you that remain to me. And pray that I keep you by me, even so, unul
better days. Colonel Sibbald I grieve over. He fought with me at
Morpeth, and rode with Rollo and myself from Carlisle, secretly into
Scotland. A good soldier. But...'

'But
tested, and found wanting!' Sir Thomas Ogilvy put in, shortly.

'Perhaps
the testing was too stern? Who am I to judge? Even you, Sir Thomas?
Or your brother? Or your noble father, here. I shall not judge
you
if
even you arc tested too hard.'

'What
do you mean, my lord Marquis?' the quiet Sir David asked.

'I
mean, my friends, that I have ill news for you. The same courier who
brought me news of Argyll's seducing of our friends, brought me other
news also. I have scarce known how to tell you. Your brother - and
your elder son, my lord - who is my friend and comrade-in-arms, the
Lord Ogilvy, we all know was captured in England on his way to Oxford
soon after I left Carlisle. Now he has been bought -
bought,
mark
you - for gold! For
£1000
sterling.
By the Campbell. To be
his
prisoner.
So hot is his fire. Brought to Edinburgh. Confined in the Thieves'
Hole of the Tolbooth, like the foulest felon
1'
The
Graham's voice quivered. 'That any man calling himself Christian, and
fighting in the name of religion, should so act... !'

Sir
Thomas had half-raised himself from his seat. But at a gesture from
his father he sat again, tense-featured.

'Nothing
is beyond the Campbell',' the older man said, carefully. 'I have
learned that lesson, ere this. And he hates my house. But . . .
Ogilvy will fight him from a pit in Edinburgh's Tolbooth as Ogilvy
does from these Highland hills! My Jamie will give
MacCailean
Mor
no
satisfaction, there or anywhere.'

'It
will not be all black hatred, my lord. He will seek to use your son
to bring
you
to
his heel.'

'Then
he is a fool as well as a dastard and a rogue!' Airlie growled.
'Jamie will not yield him a word, much less a whimper. And nor will
I!'

Montrose
spread his hands. 'What can I say, in face of such steadfast
constancy? Save to salute the house of Ogilvy. The King's Grace is
fortunate in
some
of
his friends, at least!'

'My
lord Marquis,' Sir David said, 'we but take yourself as model.'

'Aye,
and do not tell us that the Campbell reserves all his spleen for
Ogilvy,' the Earl added. 'Since he hates you still more than he does
me.'

The
other nodded, his handsome face composed, his voice almost
expressionless. ‘You are right, my lord. Archibald Campbell has
not forgotten Graham. I leam that he has ordered the imprisonment of
most of my kin and friends. Innumerable of the house of Graham, in
the South. My good-brother, the Lord Napier, and his son. Aye, and
their womenfolk. Stirling of Keir, and his. John Fleming. And many
more. My castle of Mugdock is sacked and despoiled, and much of my
other lands harried. Southesk, my good-sire, is to ensure that there
is no traffic between my wife and children and myself - on pain of
excommunication ! And has so agreed. Here is how King Campbell makes
war - in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and no quarter!' With an
obvious effort, James Graham controlled the voice which had risen and
harshened. 'Forgive me, gentlemen. All this is scarce to the point.
Save to sharpen our resolve. What
is
to
the point is that I have sure information that Argyll is not now
following us, but has turned back. Is making his way down Strathmore
for the South...'

'Dia!
We
gave him his bellyful at Fyvie, then?' O'Cahan cried.

'I
think rather that he, at least, has no stomach for a winter campaign
in the mountains.'

'In
that, on my soul, he shows good sense!' John, Master of Madderty
averred.

‘
You
think so? I do not, John. It is a backward step. He has a great army
- but has won no battle. He will garner no credit with this - and a
general must have credit, as I know to my cost! Covenant Scotland and
the Committee of the Estates will only accept his retiral, and a
winter's inaction, if / do no more. If we are equally inactive. And I
do not intend to be!'

'Ha!
What means that, my lord?' Graham of Gorthie demanded.

'I
mean that we should surely use what we have. However small. Now only
500
men,
yes — and no cavalry. But
500
toughened,
fast-moving, light of foot, unburdened by gear. Five hundred who can
climb mountains, cross bogs, swim rivers, live off the land. You,
Colonel O'Cahan - tell us what such a force may achieve, even in
winter mountains. You, who have led the like.'

'Anything,
my lord Marquis - anything, by the Powers! So be it that
you
lead
it!'

'Thank
you, my friend. Would that I could be worthy of your so great trust.
But at least we can achieve much, where others could not. Or
would
not.
And so will not think to look for us. I propose to march through the
great hills, up Spey, into Badenoch again. It is Huntly's country,
but less under his hand than this. We may gain men there. And from
Badenoch slip down through the passes to Atholl, once more. The back
door to the country where most of us come from. Drawing men from
there into our ranks. And then, gentlemen - strike west!'

'West...
? To Colkitto?'

'Partly.
But mainly, my friends, to Argyll itself. Inveraray. The Campbell's
homeland. Teach
MacCailean
Mor
what
it means to take up arms against his liege lord. On his own secure
doorstep. Without cavalry we cannot fight a Lowland campaign. But we
can attempt a Highland one. And the Campbell homeland deserves a
taste of war, perhaps . . .'

He
knew, of course, that he would have them, with that programme. He
could not go on, for the noise, the stamping of booted feet, the
banging on the table, the cries of acclaim. Even old Sir Robert
Innes, their host, who was scarcely concerned though a loyal King's
man, applauded with the rest.

Only
Madderty doubted. He declared that they would never get volunteers
such as they needed, for a winter's campaign, especially horse,
which was the prior requirement. Now that the pressure from Argyll
had relaxed, he believed more than ever that they should take a
much-needed rest, to regain their strength; and spend the winter
months secretly visiting their friends and possible supporters,
seeking enlistments rather than actually campaigning.

Montrose
acknowledged that there was some sense in this. But he held that
there were dangers too. Lose impetus and it might be exceedingly
difficult to restart hostilities. Better to keep going - especially
when the other side was flagging. Moreover, word of the King's cause
in England was not good, and Charles badly required encouraging news
from Scotland. It was their duty to give him it, if they could.

He
had his way, of course. They would move up Spey, for Badenoch, next
day.

It
was ten days later that a courier reached them in the Dalwhinnie
area, some way north of the grim Pass of Drumochter which linked
Badenoch and Atholl, in their camp by the rushing Truim amongst the
snow-covered mountains. He was an Atholl Stewart, brother of one of
the men with Montrose - and his news was startling. Argyll
himself, with a large part of his foot, was less than thirty miles
away. He had billeted his men at Dunkeld, on the very verge of
Atholl, but was himself now at Blair Castle, pressing the young Earl
of Atholl to change his allegiance. He seemed to be settling in for
the winter in that area, and was attempting to seduce the loyalties
of the lairds round about, with a mixture of threats, promises and
money. All his cavalry were dismissed to winter quarters in Perth,
Fife and the south.

It
was dusk when the Stewart arrived, but despite this, and the windy
dark, within an hour the camp was struck, and all were ready to move.
Before they set off, James Graham spoke to the assembled company, by
the flickering light of the last camp-fires.