His landing being now possible, owing to the retreat of the defenders,
Kenric ordered two score of men from each of his ships to take their
arms and follow him ashore. With two hundred and forty men-at-arms he
then landed. His own retainers of Bute formed in a compact body upon the
strand, and led by himself and Duncan Graham they at once marched
towards the castle. But John Dornoch's men of Galloway waited not to
give order to their ranks, neither stayed they for the word of command
from Kenric, but rushed in hot pursuit of the islanders through the
little street of their village.
Now the wild Scots of Galloway, whom Alexander had sent as a
contribution to the forces, were as yet little known to Kenric, and he
was not long in discovering that he might have done far better without
them. They had joined the expedition with minds bent upon pillage and
slaughter. They were by nature a people of wild and ferocious habits, a
fierce and ungovernable set of men who fought half naked, and were wont
to commit acts of untold cruelty upon the inhabitants of the countries
they invaded. Also, as both Sir Piers de Currie and Kenric discovered to
their cost, they were never content but in leading the van in battle.
Ere Kenric and his well-ordered men arrived at the castle the
Gallwegians had already assailed the gate, and in despite of many arrows
that fell about them from the towers and loopholes, they hammered with
great clubs and iron battering bars, clamouring for blood.
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