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THE CELTIC MAGAZINE. 823unawares. The latter defended tliemselves with great intrepidity, until,according to some accounts, the whole of them were slain, and by others,that the chief and seven of liis friends fell victims to this treachery.Another traditionary account, and from many circumstances the morelikely, is that the two chiefs solennily agreed to decide their quarrel bycombat bL'twcen twelve sons or relatives of each chieftain. Tins compactwas concluded by mutual voays and religious rites within the Chapel, andthe meeting was appointed to take place in a solitary spot known to both,and to which the armed escort of each chief should be t-\velve armedlujrsemen. The Crowner had been twice married and had a numerousfamily of sons, but some of them resided in Sutherland, and it was alsoagreed that he should form his party there and proceed by the Strathmoreroute into Caithness, while the Keiths should move on the appointed dayin the same direction and meet in a locality so retired as to afford littlechance of interruption. The chiefs each followed by twelve horses andtheir riders came within sight of each other on the apjwinted route at thebarn of Aultnagown between the gut of Strathmore. When the Crownerand the leader of the Keiths approached each other in full armour it wassoon discovered by the Gunns that the horses of the Keiths carried twohorsemen instead of one as agreed upon, and so opposed twenty-four mento the twelve followers of the Crowner. They scorned, however, to takeadvantage of the great odds against them or to complain of this stratageml)lanned for their destruction, and both parties dismounting they attackedeach other with all the madness and rage of clan warfare excited bydeceit.The Crunns fought desperately but could not withstand tlie great oddsbrought against them. After a long continued struggle both parties wereso exhausted that the combat was dropped. The Keiths beuig so farvictorious that they left the battlefield with their banner displayed andcarrying their slain and wounded clansmen, while in the ranks of theGunns the Crowner and seven of his party were kUled, and of the remaininglive all were severely Avounded. These five were all sons of theCroAmer, and they retired, but taiiied at another stream, since tlien calledAltdo from TorquU Gunn, one of the sons of the Crowner, who theredressed the wounds of his brethren. When they had rested for sometime, and toAvards evening Henry Beg, the youngest of the survivingbrothers, Gunn proposed that they should foUoAV the Keiths and endeavourto obtain revenge, even by stratagem, such as the Keiths hadresource to ; but his brethren considered such a step as likely to lead toutter destruction. Henry, hoAvever, coidd not be restrained, but sAvorethat he Avould never rest from his purpose until he should kill a Keith orrecover his father's sAvord, helmet, sliirt of mail, and the badge of hisoffice, the brooch, Avhich they had stripped from off his dead body. Tavoof the brothers Avere so severely Avounded that they could do notliiu"-, oreven move to a great distance. The otlicr tAvo, hoAvever, accompaniedHenry to Dalrid Castle, then inhabited by »Sutherland of Dahid, and toAvhich the Keiths had proceeded. There the Gunns arrived shortly afternightfall. On approaching the Castle it Avas found tliat tJie Avooden^viIldoAv shutters were all open, and that in the lowest department a lar-^e