Page:Scott - Tales of my Landlord - 3rd series, vol. 4 - 1819.djvu/171

 fat burgesses who broke their wind in the flight, and thus died without stroke of sword.

The victors obtained possession of Perth, and obtained considerable sums of money, as well as ample supplies of arms and ammunition. But these advantages were to be balanced against an almost insurmountable inconvenience that uniformly attended a Highland army. The clans could be in no respect induced to consider themselves as regular soldiers, or to act as such. Even so late as the year 1745–6, when the Chevalier Charles Edward, by way of making an example, caused shoot a soldier for desertion, the Highlanders, who composed his army, were affected as much by indignation as by fear. They could not conceive any prin-