186                 GENEALOGICAL COLLECTIONS [VOL. I

quam Cumminei ituri essent) jussit nonnullos de suis cum
armentis in hostium conspectû ad montes fugere, ut nihil
fraudis suspectum haberent. Interim, dum securè prope
Sylvam Cumminei tendunt, Milcolumbus summâ irâ, furore
et audaciâ, cum suis in inimicorum Primores ruit. Cumminei
rapidè et ex improvisò adorti terga vertere cogebantur, fugi-
entes et palantes, in quâ fugâ eorum multi fuerant prostrati;
Nam fugati sunt circiter sex mille passus, ut lapidum acervi
super occisos adhuc testantur.

[page 222.]

HOC evenit paulo antequam Jacobus Primus Rex ex Angliâ
liberatus est. Anno 1428 Jacobus Rex, Invernessam, ad jus
dicendum, latrociniaque comprimenda, venit, ubi quosdam
Latronum Duces in custodias misit, quorum nonnulli, datis
vadibus, liberi domos dimissi, alii in custodiis detenti, et quidam
supplicio affecti sunt. Interea cum, per vicinos prædicti Mil-
columbi Makintosh fidelitatem et potentiam disceret, arcem
Invernessæ illi custodiendam tradidit, quo officio ejus pro-
genitores per multos Annos potiti sunt.

EO tempore Alexander Insulanus Rossiæ Comes (propter
multa flagitiosè et crudeliter a se perpetrata) Invernessæ captus

pass) he ordered some of his men, with the cattle, to flee to the
hills in the sight of the enemy, that they might have no occasion
to suspect a snare. In the meantime, while the Cummins were
coming on securely near the wood, Malcolm and his men rushed
upon the leaders of the Cummins, with the utmost rage, fury, and
boldness. The Cummins, being thus suddenly and unexpectedly
attacked, were forced to turn their backs, fleeing and scattering,
and in their flight a great many of them were cut down; for they
were driven about six thousand paces, as a heap of stones over
the slain bears witness to this day.

This happened shortly before King James the First was liberated
from England. In the year 1428 King James came to Inverness
to administer justice and to repress robbery, when he put certain
of the robber chiefs in custody, some of whom, having given
pledges, were allowed to go free to their homes, others were
detained in ward, and some were executed. Meanwhile, having
learned from the neighbours the fidelity and power of the
aforesaid Malcolm Mackintosh, he delivered to him the custody of
the castle of Inverness, which office his progenitors had possessed
for many years.

At this time Alexander of the Isles, Earl of Ross (on account of
many deeds wickedly and cruelly perpetrated by him), was seized