But Douglas persuaded
them to remain two or three days, and to capture the castle, and not to
go off as if afraid of Percy's threats. So we waited all the next day;
and at night the Percys, with 600 spears and 8000 infantry, came up.
Our leaders had not been idle, for they had examined the ground
carefully, and arranged how the battle should be fought, if we were
attacked.
"Having heard nothing of the English, all day, we lay down to sleep,
not expecting to hear aught of them until the morning. It was a
moonlight night, and being in August, there was but a short darkness
between the twilights; and the English, arriving, at once made an
attack, falling first on the servants' huts, which they took for those
of the chiefs. This gave us time to form up in good order, as we had
lain down each in his proper position.
"A portion of the force went down to skirmish with the English in
front, but the greater portion marched along the mountain side, and
fell suddenly upon the English flank. At first there was great
confusion; but the English, being more numerous, soon recovered their
order and pushed us back, though not without much loss on both sides.
"Douglas shouted his battle cry, advanced his banner, fighting most
bravely; as did Sir Patrick Hepburn, but for whose bravery the Douglas
banner would have been taken, for the Percys, hearing the cry of 'a
Douglas! a Douglas!' pressed to that part of the field, and bore us
backwards.
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