after one Carmichael, who had made himself particularly odious by his
activity in collecting the fines levied on the disaffected. But
Carmichael, who was out hunting on the hills, had got wind of their
design and made his way home by another route. As the party were about
to separate in sullen disappointment, a messenger came to tell them that
the Archbishop's coach was in sight on the road to Saint Andrews. The
opportunity was too good to be lost. Hackston was asked to take the
command, but declined, alleging his cause of quarrel with Sharp, which
would, he declared, "mar the glory of the action, for it would be
imputed to his particular revenge." But, he added, he would not leave
them, nor "hinder them from what God had called them to." Upon this,
Balfour said, "Gentlemen, follow me;" and the whole party, some nine or
ten in number, rode off after the carriage, which could be seen in the
distance labouring heavily over the rugged track that traversed the
lonely expanse of heath. How the butcher's work was done: how Sharp
crawled on his knees to Hackston, saying, "You are a gentleman--you will
protect me," and how Hackston answered, "Sir, I shall never lay a hand
on you": how Balfour and the rest then drew their swords and finished
what their pistols had begun; and how the daughter was herself wounded
in her efforts to cover the body of her father--these things are
familiar to all.

From May 6th to 29th no letters from Claverhouse have survived; but on
the latter date he sent a short despatch from Falkirk, announcing his
intention of joining his forces with Lord Ross to scatter a conventicle
of eighteen parishes which, he had just received news, were about (on
the following Sunday) to meet at Kilbryde Moor, four miles from Glasgow.
The following Sunday was June 1st, on which day Claverhouse was indeed
engaged with a conventicle; but in a fashion very different from any he
had anticipated.