216 A SCOTTISH BLOOD-FEUD 



Lord Cassilis gave the word to his men to attack Bargany's 

 force in flank : his musketeers and mounted hackbut-men 

 dashed down the hill, lined the turf dykes, and opened 

 fire. Bargany rode foremost, with six other gentlemen, 

 but in crossing a stream Knockdaw's horse was shot under 

 him, the bridle was shot out of the hand of Bargany's 

 brother, Drummurchie, who fell, dislocating his shoulder. 

 Three other lairds and a page, Edward Irving, rode on 

 with Bargany, but the men of Ayr turned and fled. 



' Good God ! ' exclaimed Bargany, ' we are too few ' ; 

 and, drawing rein, these five turned and charged the 

 earl's cavalry, lances in rest, 'in sik sortt as the young 

 laird of Grinak [Gremmat] was strukin throw the chin, 

 and he and horse baith strukin to the eird [earth], 

 and Row Cuninghame, Pochquhairnis broder, was strukin 

 in at the knie with ane lanse and out at the buttok.' 

 Cassilis's major-domo was killed outright. 



Bargany was frightfully outnumbered. His page had 

 been killed, Auchendrayne lay grievously wounded in the 

 snow, two others of his five followers were unhorsed, yet 

 he fought on, crying 'Where is my lord himself? Let 

 him keep his promise and break a tree with me.' They 

 were his last words ; for while he was engaged with two 

 spearmen in front, a third, ' ane fellow callitt Johne Dik,' 

 thrust a lance into his throat, severing the windpipe. 



They carried this gallant young gentleman to a barn 

 hard by, to which the earl rode up intending, it is said, 

 to finish him ; but those with him persuaded him to let 

 him die of his wound, or, if he recovered, to put him 

 judicially to death, he (Cassilis) being Judge- Ordinary of 

 the County. Bargany lived some days: his wound was 

 so swelled with the frost that the true nature of it could 



