lunge with his weapon, but, instead of entering Duncan's body, it
got fixed in the opposite bank of the ditch. In withdrawing it,
he bent his head forward, when the helmet, rising, exposed the
back of his neck, upon which Duncan's battle-axe descended with
the velocity of lightning, and with such terrific force as to sever
Maclean's head from his body. This, it is said, was the turning-point
of the struggle, for the Macdonalds, seeing the brave leader of
their van falling, at once retreated, and gave up all for lost.
The hero was ever afterwards known as "Donnchadh Mor na Tuaighe,"
or Big Duncan of the Axe, and many a story is told in Kintail and
Gairloch of the many other prodigies of valour which he performed
in the after contests of the Mackenzies and the Macraes against
their common enemies. "Such of Macdonald's men as escaped the
battle fled together, and as they were going homeward began to
spulzie Strathconan, which Mackenzie hearing, followed them with
a party, overtakes them at Invercorran, kills shoals of them and
the rest fled divers ways."

That night, as Mackenzie sat at supper, he missed Duncan Mor, and
said to the company - "I am more vexed for the want of my scallag
mar (big servant) this night than any satisfaction I had of this
day." One of those present said, "I thought, (as the people fled)
I perceived him following four or five men that ran up the burn."
He had not well spoken the word when Duncan Mor came in with
four heads "bound on a woody" and threw them before his master,
saying - "Tell me now if I have not deserved my supper," to which,
it is said of him, he fell with great gusto.

This reminds me, continues the chronicler, "of a cheat he once
played on an Irishman, being a traveller, withal a strong, lusty