Not one of the family
of Raasay was left alive, except a boy nine years of age, who was
being fostered from home, and who had been sent privately by his
foster-father, when the news of the massacre became known, to the
laird of Calder, who kept him in safety during his minority. He
afterwards obtained possession of Raasay, and became known as
Gillecallum Garbh MacGillechallum. Macleod of Gairloch's sons, by
Hector Roy's sister, were all murdered. Roderick took his own
nephew to the room where, walking with his brutal relative, he
heard one of his half-brothers cry on being stabbed by the
assassin's dirk, and saying "Yon's my brother's cry." "Hold your
peace," Rory replied, "yonder cry is to make you laird of Gairloch;
he is the son of one of Mackenzie's daughters." The boy, fearing
that his own life might be sacrificed, held his tongue, "but
afterwards he did what in him lay in revenging the cruel death of
his brothers and kinsmen on the murtherers." [Ancient MS.]
In acknowledgment of the King's favour, Hector gathered his followers
in the west, joined his nephew, John of Killin, with his vassals,
and fought, in command of the clan, at the disastrous battle
of Flodden, from which both narrowly escaped but most of their
followers were slain.
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