24 A HUNDEED YEARS 



scorn to be your prisoner !" One of Raasay's followers, 

 seeing his young chief treated thus, stabbed Murdoch 

 through the body with his dirk. Mackenzie, finding 

 himself wounded, stepped back to draw his sword, and 

 his foot coming against some obstruction he stumbled 

 over it and fell into the sea. Those on shore, observing 

 the row, came out in their small boats, and seeing 

 Mackenzie, who was a dexterous swimmer, manfully 

 making for Sconsar on the opposite shore in Skye, 

 they pelted him with stones, smashed in his head, 

 and drowned him. The few of his men who kept sober, 

 seeing their leader thus perish, resolved to sell their 

 lives dearly, and, fighting like heroes, they killed the 

 young laird of Raasay, along with MacGillechallum 

 Mor, author of all the mischief, and his two sons. 

 Young Bayne of Tulloch and his six inebriated 

 attendants, who had followed him down below, 

 hearing the uproar overhead, attempted to come on 

 deck, but they were killed by the Macleods as they 

 presented themselves through the hole. But not a 

 soul of the Raasay men escaped alive from the swords of 

 the sober four, who were ably assisted by the ship's crew. 

 Eventually matters became a little more peaceful, 

 and we Mackenzies got Gairloch, which has never yet 

 been bought or sold ! I have occasion very frequently 

 to pass the little island in Loch Tollie and the spot 

 where Hector Roy slew the Macleods. And though I 

 have been passing there now for over seventy years, I 

 never do so without realising that but for the tragedy 

 of the island in Loch Tollie, we should never have been 

 Mackenzies of Gairloch, my nephew would not be Sir 



