Macbeth the King (50 page)

As the reduced force pushed on thereafter across the low hills of east Lennox and into Strathearn, the King racked his brains for a strategy to meet this desperate situation. Somehow he had to use surprise, and the land itself, to fight for him since of men he had so few available. Siward would not
expect
to see the King of Scots on his flank, at this stage. If Glamis and Neil managed to hold the north shore of Tay against major landings—and the Carse of Gowrie had a shallow, marshy, muddy coast, difficult to land on for many miles—then Siward's shipped army would be held up on the north-west Fife shore, presumably as high up-estuary as he could get. The chances were that he would be concentrated in the Lindores-Rhind area, for immediately above that the Tay narrowed abruptly to river instead of estuary, and it would be strange indeed if the Torfness fleet was not packed tightly in there, denying further access. If that was all so, there was one major feature which might be used against the enemy—the mouth of the River Earn, which here joined Tay amongst marshy tidelands. There were tactical possibilities in that. And MacBeth could think of no other, in his present state of mind.

So, reaching the wide Earn valley in the Tullibardine vicinity, they crossed the Kinkell ford and turned eastwards along the north bank—country the King knew well, for his palace of Forteviot, Lulach's new home, lay just across the river here. It was late evening, and although the weather had improved, the Earn was running high for summer—which might well prove to be in their favour. He was pushing on towards Moncrieffe Hill, a long, isolated escarpment reaching to some 700 feet above the flats, which thrust out to within a mile or so of the Earn's mouth, on this north side.

Despite the rain stopping, it was still cloudy and the light was much poorer than usual for late July by the time they reached the west end of Moncrieffe Hill. Leaving his exhausted people in woodland there, MacBeth pressed on, with only Farquhar as companion, for another two miles, to near the steep eastern point of the scarp. And considerably before they reached their viewpoint, he knew the answer to at least one of his questions—the ruddy glow in the slate-grey sky ahead told eloquently of the large numbers of camp-fires of a great host. Siward's army was indeed still south of Tay.

At the extreme tip of the hill's edge, the leaden-eyed King and his yawning son drew rein, gazing out into the dim half-light eastwards, seawards. Details were impossible to distinguish but the pin-points of red, which were the fires, were sufficiently clear and numerous to establish the situation. The great mass of them were concentrated on the south side, most of all in the middle distance, possibly as much as four miles off, presumably around Lindores—the cashel and abbey of which no doubt Siward had appropriated as his headquarters. But there were fires along the north shore also, a thin but very long line of them, stretching away along the Carse; clearly the Scots defenders still holding their ground, however attenuated. There were no fires immediately below, this side of the Earn's mouth.

Satisfied he returned to his own camp. They could sleep now. But before MacBeth permitted himself that indulgence, he sent off two very reluctant messengers; one to cross Tay by the Elcho ford to find Neil Nathrach and Glamis and tell them of his whereabouts and the manpower situation; the other to make for Malpender of Strathearn's house at Auchterarder, commanding the mormaor to send every man fit to bear arms to Moncrieffe Hill at the earliest possible moment.

The morning saw them rejoined by Colin of the Mearns and some 300 men. The total 700 was all too few to risk in confrontation with Siward's thousands, even across a river, but MacBeth could not afford to wait. He could not hide these numbers, either, and the enemy was bound to learn of their presence quickly. The entire advantage of the Earn-mouth situation would be lost if Siward came across at them before they were in position to hold it. So the Scots moved off early, eastwards, along the slopes of the hill.

They had not gone a couple of miles before their scouts ahead hurried back with news that transformed the situation meantime. A force of the enemy was already across Earn, apparently foraging, in the low ground of Kinmonth and Rhynd. Cursing, MacBeth spurred ahead, in the cover of the scrub woodland, to investigate.

From a viewpoint he surveyed the scene—and was relieved at what he saw. It was not a large party, 200 or 300 only apparently, driving rounded-up cattle back towards the river-mouth. Awaiting them at the Earn was a collection of small boats. No doubt they had crossed in these, purloined from Tayside fishermen, and had not used the ford of Rhynd, a couple of miles higher. They would be going to swim the cattle across the hundred-yard-wide stream. But, in fact, it was not this immediate foreground situation which held the King's attention so much as the middle-distance and background. In daylight, the great enemy host could be seen in all its might, and clearly forming up in distinct divisions at four different points along the south shore of Tay, each perhaps half-a-mile apart. And at these points the English galleys, scores of them, were being marshalled side-by-side across the narrowing estuary, to form floating bridges. The Tay hereabouts was about one-third of a mile wide, but there were major sandbanks, almost islands, in the centre, which were being utilised much to narrow the span. At low tide men would be able to pour across these pontoon-bridges to the north shore.

It was time that the King of Scots demonstrated his presence, however inadequate his strength.

Back at his people he divided the force. About a third of the total was to ride down, and with all speed, across the low ground to the riverside, under Mormaor Colin, then to turn along it to get between these cattle-stealers and their boats. They would be seen, but so long as they reached the boats first this would not matter. The remainder would advance along the escarpment to its end and then throw themselves down upon the foragers, who would be caught between the two and much outnumbered. It should be the simplest of attacks.

So it proved indeed. Colin's men, although they must have come in sight of the main enemy army across Earn fairly early in their dash, remained screened from the forage-party until they were practically at the boats. When they were observed, there was uproar and hasty reforming, which changed to complete chaos when the King's larger company, hidden by trees and the curve of the hill, hurled themselves down the steep against them. There was no real fighting, although individual Northumbrians struggled bravely enough before being cut down. It was mere slaughter, swift and complete. In a few minutes the enemy was wiped out almost to a man, no prisoners being wanted—although a few fugitives, more nimble than the rest, may have managed to reach the river and tried to swim across. The alarmed cattle streamed away westwards again, free.

MacBeth now sent a party to sink the boats, while he marshalled his force in such a way as to perhaps make it look larger than it was from a distance, spread out, groups hurrying hither and thither, to give the impression of much activity. There was reaction across the Earn, of course, with presently quite large numbers being sent to the river, to face across to the Scots.

The King made much play with his royal standard and other banners; but nothing would disguise the fact that there were no very large numbers with him.

After some time an impressive leadership group came riding to the river, mounted on presumably stolen Fife horses—although, gazing across, heedfully just out of bowshot, MacBeth recognised the thick-set and bull-necked figure of MacDuff of Fife himself. The King had never actually seen Siward the Strong, but the huge gaunt personage, buH's-horn-helmeted and grey-bearded, beside MacDuff, could surely be none other. A young man on the other side of the elderly giant, even at this distance could be seen to have a notably large head for his body and shoulders—Malcolm mac Duncan Canmore undoubtedly, grown to man's estate.

Fortunately, at this rather inactive and awkward juncture, a small but hard-riding group arrived from the west, and proved to be Neil Nathrach himself, with Martacus of Mar, come from Saint John's Town of Perth.

"Praises be, Son of Life!" Neil panted, coming to embrace his brother. "God be thanked that you are come! But—where is all your host?"

"Coming straggling across Scotland, man. What do you think? It is 150 grievous miles from Galloway. And Lachlan of Buchan has some at Stirling, seeking to hold the Forth."

"Yes. Yes—but will these others be here soon? What of the Normans?"

"They are on their way. God knows when they will arrive. Their animals are worn out with marching. Siward yonder has been cunning, More clever than I."

"Aye, I see him. Damn him to deepest hell! And the traitors I see with him!"

"It had to come one day, brother. But you? And you, Martacus lad? What is
your
state?"

"None so good. We have some 5000 men, all told, yes. But we are stretched thin as any rope! With all the Tay to line. From Saint John's Town to Clashbenny in the Carse. Ten miles at least."

"You can leave that reach of Tay. Either Siward will cross by his bridges of galleys yonder—in which case Glamis will require all
your
strength to meet them there. Or he will choose to assail me here, across Earn. Or both. He cannot attack higher up Tay until he has conquered here, whilst your ships block the upper river."

"What, then? Shall I move my people to join you here? Or join Glamis?"

"It is difficult to know what Siward will do. He may decide to go for
me.
Think that if he can bring down the King of Scots, the rest will fall to him anyway. If I was Siward, I would choose to attack here. The Earn a lesser barrier than the Tay..."

He paused as Siward and his group of leaders was seen to make a move—not back to his main force but south-westwards along Earn-side, at a fast trot. Inevitably he had to keep some way back from its soft, mud-lined and creek-eaten bank.

"Aye—there he goes to view the scene for possible crossings.

He will find nothing until the Rhynd ford, two miles up. I have hawked geese and heron here. There is no way across, save by boats."

"How wide? The ford. Could he put over many men at once?"

"Wide, yes. He could cross in fair strength there. But, see you, the Earn makes a great loop there, forming a narrow tongue of land between. This side. So once he is across, he is still awkwardly placed."

"And other fords higher? I do not know this country."

"Not another for a further mile. Less good. There is a small sandbank in mid-river, below Kinmonth. The Earn shoals there, and can be crossed."

"Then if the English attack here, they must use these two crossings. One or both. At the Rhind ford, or at Kinmonth. A mile apart. With level cornland between..."

"Yes. On which we could use my cavalry—if they come! It is the best that I can do, I think."

"Aye, brother. I will go back, then. Set my people moving. Here. And hope that you have judged aright! It will take some time..."

"Hasten, Neil. And leave a small company to guard the main Moncrieffe ford back there. In case..."

MacBeth himself rode off to inspect the tongue of land he had spoken of, where the Earn made its long U-shaped loop, in especial the neck thereof, barely a quarter-mile across, where the farm-toun of Wester Rhynd nestled in a strong defensive situation. The farm folk were less than glad to see their King, in the circumstances; but when they looked across and observed the English leaders surveying the position, from the Fargmouth, only half-a-mile off, they recognised realities. MacBeth satisfied himself that he could use this position to good effect, and watched Siward ride on further westwards, to look at the Kinmonth ford. With MacDuff to guide him, he would be well informed as to the terrain. It was all MacDuff territory that side of the river.

That afternoon parties of the Galloway force kept dribbling in. Malpender of Strathearn arrived with some 800 of his people, locals, an untrained, ill-assorted crowd of doubtful fighting value however willing. In the early evening Neil of Cawdor and Martacus of Mar came back with most of their host, Moray and Mar men, from the positions they had held around Saint John's Town of Perth, Scone and Kinfauns. And as the sun set, at last the Normans limped into the Moncrieffe camp, to loud welcome, a mixture of cheers and jeers.

MacBeth now had some 4500 men assembled here, of very mixed fighting qualities, and most very weary. But before he allowed himself an hour or so of sleep that night, the King had another decision to make. A courier arrived from Lachlan of Buchan urgently requesting reinforcement. He was holding the Forth causeway so far, but how long he could continue to do so was very doubtful. He was hopelessly outnumbered and his men dropping with fatigue. Doubtfully, reluctantly, MacBeth gave orders for a precious 500 men to march off southwards.

* * *

It seemed only moments after he eventually closed his eyes before he was awakened to be told that sentries along the Earn bank were reporting activity on the other side. Boats were being assembled again opposite, near the mouth, brought in from the Tay. It seemed that Siward did intend a major assault over the Earn. And not just at the fords.

MacBeth divided his yawning forces into four groups of roughly one thousand each. Neil to take one westwards to the Kinmonth ford area; Colin of the Mearns to the east, to face the boat threat at the river-mouth; Martacus and Malpender to hold the reserve here on the higher ground; and himself to take the fourth down to the central Rhynd ford and tongue of land within the loop of the river, where he anticipated the main enemy thrust. They moved off, with still a couple of hours till sunrise. The King took Farquhar and Luctacus with him. Most men were dismounted, at this stage, the garrons held in long horse-lines behind.

It was a strange business waiting there in the half-dark, hundred upon hundreds of men, silent, above the swirling, gurgling river, waiting, listening—and hearing only the sad wheepling of curlew, the quack-quack of mallard and the chatter of redshank and oyster-catcher. Most men slept on their feet, leaning on sword, spear or battle-axe.