The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1878-11-18
HAL o. THE WYND.

About the year 1892, serious feud
broke out betwixt two considerations of
Highlanders, and it was resolved that the
difference should be decided by combat
of thirty men of the clan Chattan against
the same number Of the Clan Kay; that
the battle should take place on the North
Inch of Perth, a beautiful and level mead
ow, in part surrounded by the River Tay;
and that it should be fought in the pres
ence of the king, at that time Robert ILL.,,
and his mobiles.
The day having arrived whereon the
combat should take place, the parties on
each side were drawn out, armed with
sword and target, ak and dagger, and
stood looking on each other with fierce
and savage aspects, when, just as the sig
nal for fight was expected, the commander
of the clan Chattan perceived that one of
his men, whose heart had failed him, had
deserted his standard. There was no time
to seek another man from the clan; so the
chieftain, as his only resource, was oblig-
ed to offer reward to any one who would
fight in the room of the fugitive.
One Henry Wynd, citizen of Perth,
and saddler by trade, little bandy-leg-
ged man, but of great strength and aetiv-
ity, and well accustomed to use the broad
sword, offered himself, for half French
crown, to serve on the part of the clan
Chattan in the battle of that day.
The signal was then given by sound Of
the royal trumpets, and Of the great war
bagpipes of the Highlanders, and the two
parties fell on each other with the utmost
fury, their natural ferocity of temper be-
ing excited by feudal hatred against the
hostile elan, zeal for the honor of their
own, and consciousness that they were
fighting in presence of the king and mobiles
of Scotland. AS they fought with the
two-handed sword and Ak, the wounds they
inflicted on each other were of ghastly
size and character. Heads were cloven
asunder, limbs were Topped from the trunk.
The meadow was soon flooded with blood,
and covered with dead and wounded men.
In the midst of the deadly conflict, the
chieftain of the clan Chattan observed that
Henry Wynd, after he had slain one of the
clan Kay, drew aside, and did not seem
willing to fight more.
"IIow is this?" said he; "art thou afraid?'
"Not l." answered Henry; "but | have
done enough of work for half crown"
"Forward and fight" said the Highland
chief; che that doth not grudge his day:
work, | will not stint him in his wages.
Thus encouraged, Henry Wynd agar
plunged into the conflict, and, by his e1
cellence as a swordsman, contributed 1
, great deal to the victory, which at length
fell to the clan Chattan.
, Ten of the victors, with Henry Wynd
whom the Highlanders called the GoI
Chrom (that is, the crooked or bandy-leg
ged smith, though he was a saddler, TO
J WdT-Sddul6S WeIc JlSH llldOC VI ouCClJ, WCl
| left alive, but they were all wounded
| Only one of the clan Kay survived, and h
was unhurt. But this single individua
dared not oppose himself to eleven mer
! though all more or less hurt, but, throw
Y ing himself into the Tay, swan to tn
r other side, and went off to carry to tn
Y Highlands the news of his clans defea
1t is said he was SO i'll received by his kim
g men that he put himself to death.
g Some part of the above story is matte
s of tradition, but the general fact is ce
: tain. Henry Wynd was rewarded to tt
n Highland chieftain's best abilities; but
l. was remarked that, when the battle Wi
W over, he was not able to tell the name
s the clan he fought for, replying, whe
g asked on which side he had been, that
r, was fighting for his own hand. Hence IL
proverb-
1t "Every man for his own hand, as Harl
d Wynd fought" --.