The weapon turned upon the strong armour that he wore, and,
unhurt, he caught her by the wrist, raising his sword.
Now Elspeth had spoken in the Danish, and the chieftain, remembering her
words of prophecy, and, it may be, thinking that she was of the Norse
folk, lowered his weapon and flung the old woman away from him. Then
seeing Lulach limping away, and taking him to be a Scot, he ran after
the lad, eager that the first blood should be that of one born in Bute.
Catching Lulach by the long hair he speedily slew him.
"'Tis done!" said Rudri when he saw that the lad was dead. "And now have
we forestalled our enemies and assured to ourselves the victory.
"On, on, my men!" he cried, turning to his followers. "The first blood
of our enemies hath been spilled! On! on! the victory is sure!"
One by one the ships dropped anchor in the bay, and from each there
poured a vast number of warriors carrying bows and battle-axes, swords
and spears. Behind their leaders, the terrible Rudri and the king of
Man, they marched upward to the castle of Kilmory.
"Spare not!" cried Rudri, flourishing his sword.
"Death to the traitor of Bute, the slayer of our children!" cried Sweyn
of Colonsay.
"On, on, men of Jura!" croaked Erland the Old.
"Down with the Scots!" thundered Magnus of Man.
From the topmost towers of his castle Sir Oscar Redmain watched the
hosts advance.
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