He then said aloud, “Young man, your life is for the present safe, owing to the interference of your friends.”  So Morton was hurried down to the courtyard, where three other prisoners remained under an escort of dragoons; soon they were all pressing forward to overtake the main body, as it was supposed they would come in sight of the enemy in less than two hours.  It was obvious, when they did so that there were old soldiers with the rebels from the choice of the ground, and the order of battle in which they waited the assault.  Cornet Grahame was sent with a flag of truce to offer a free pardon to all but the murderers of the archbishop if they would disperse themselves.  On his persisting in addressing the people themselves in spite of the warning of their spokesman, Balfour of Burley, whom he recognised.  “Then the Lord grant grace to thy soul—­amen!” said Burley, and fired, and Cornet Grahame dropped from his horse, mortally wounded.

“What have you done?” said one of Balfour’s brother officers.

“My duty,” said Balfour firmly.  “Is it not written ’Thou shalt be zealous even to slaying?’ Let those who dare now venture to talk of truce or pardon!”

Claverhouse saw his nephew fall; with a glance of indescribable emotion he looked at Evandale.  “I will avenge him, or die,” exclaimed Evandale, and rode furiously down the hill, followed by his own troop, and that of the deceased cornet, each striving to be first in revenge.  They soon fell into confusion in the broken ground.  In vain Claverhouse shouted, “Halt! halt!  This rashness will undo us.”  The enemy set upon them with the utmost fury, crying, “Woe, woe to the uncircumcised Philistines!  Down with the Dagon and all his adherents!” Though the young nobleman fought like a lion, he was forced to retreat, and soon Claverhouse was compelled to follow his troops in their flight; as he passed Henry Morton and the other prisoners just released from their bonds, Evandale’s horse was shot, and Morton rushed forward just in time to prevent his being killed by Balfour himself in hot pursuit.

III.—­The Presbyterian Insurgents

John Balfour of Burley, a man of some fortune and good family, a soldier from his youth upwards, aspired to place himself at the head of the Presbyterian forces then in arms against the English government.  On this account he was particularly anxious to secure the accession of young Henry Morton to the cause of the insurgents, for the memory of Morton’s father was esteemed among the Presbyterians, and few persons of decent quality had so far joined the rising.

Morton, on his side, was willing to join in any insurrection which promised freedom to the country though he abhorred the murder of Sharpe, and the tenets of the wilder set of Cameronians, by whom the seeds of disunion were already thickly sown in the ill-fated party.

At the nomination of the council of the Presbyterian army Morton was sent with the main body to march against Glasgow, while Burley, with a chosen body of five hundred men, remained behind to blockade the castle of Tillietudlem.  A command to surrender had been scorned with indignation by Major Bellenden and Lord Evandale.