Munro, greatly offended at this message, determined to accept the
bold challenge conveyed in it, and promptly collected his vassals,
including the Dingwalls and the MacCullochs, who were then his
dependants, to the number of nine hundred, and with this force
started for Kinellan, where he arrived much sooner than Hector,
who hurriedly collected all the men he could in the neighbourhood,
anticipated. Hector had no time to advise his Kintail men nor those
at a distance from Kinellan, and was consequently unable to bring
together more than one hundred and forty men. With this small
force he wisely deemed it imprudent to venture on a regular battle,
but decided upon a stratagem which if it proved successful, as he
anticipated, would give him an advantage that would more than
counterbalance the enemy's superiority of numbers. Having supplied
his small but resolute band with provisions for twenty-four
hours, Hector led them secretly, during the night, to the top of
Knock-farrel, a place so situated that Munro must needs pass near
its north or south side in his march to and from Kinellan. Early
next morning Fowlis marched past on his way to Kinellan, quite
ignorant of Hector's position, and expecting him to have remained
at home to implement the purport of his message.
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