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WITH EIGHT FULL-PAOE ILLUSTRATIONS BY GORDON BROWNE. iltjttmtRainuH gpiir GLASGOW: BLACKIE & SON, Limited. TORONTO : WILLIAM BRIGGS, 29-33 Richmond St. West. . The COPP, CLARK COMPANY, Limited, 9 Front St. West. £ntbrbd according to Act of th« Parliament of Canada, in the year one thousand eight hundred and ninetyIUErAC<. the events they record, I have for the most part followed Bumfe in all the historical portions of the narrative. Throughout the story, therefore, wherein it at all relates to Wallace, Bruce, and the other historical characters, the circumstances and events can be relied upon as strictly accurate, save only in the earlier events of the career of Wallace, of which the details that have come down to us are somewhat conflicting, although the main features are now settled past question. Youn very sincerely, G. A. HENTY. CONTENTS. Chaf. Tf I. Glen Caibn 9 II. Leaving Home, 23 IIL Sib William Wallace, 38 IV. The Capture of Lanabk 63 V. A Tbeaohbbous Plot, 68 VI. The Babnb of Atb, 82 VII. The Cave in the Fentlands 98 VIII. The Council at Stiblino, .. 115 IX. The Battle of Stirling Bridge, 128 X. The Battl.; of Falkirk, 142 XI. Robert the Bruce, 165 XII. The Battle of Methven, 169 XIIL The Cabtlb of Dunstaffnagb, 183 XIV. COLONSAT 196 XV. A Mission to Ireland, 212 XVI. An Irish Rising 226 XVII. The King's Blood-hound 243 XVIII. The Hound Restored, 258 XIX. The Convent of St. Kenneth, 270 XX. The Heiress of the Kerrs, 288 XXI. The Siege of Aberfillt, ,,,,..,,.. 299 CONTENTS. OB AT. ZXII. A PRiBOKn, XXIII. Tui EioAPi raoM Birwiok, . . XXIV. Thi Pboobus or thi Was, . XXV. Thi Caftuu or ▲ Btmitobold^ XXVL Edirboboii, XXVII. Bamnookbobv, . . • • 817 828 889 8S2 866 Ml ILLUSTRATlONa Pig* Abohii Fobbm Dims Sib John Kbbb, ProntU. 87 "I BAVl DOMB WITH WBIPIlfO, ObAHAMB,'* BAIO SiB WiLUAM, 61 A Vain Pcbsuit, t .... 127 Abohib'b Intkbvibw with Robebt thb BbdoIi 168 Bbuob'b Stbuoolb with thb MaoDouoallb, 181 Abohib BArrLBS hib Pcbsuebs, 268 Thb Defenob or Abbbfillt Oastu; . . • 812 Abohib a Fbisonbb im thi Oaob at Bbbwiox, •«•••. 829 IN FREEDOM'S CAUSE: A STORY OF WA.LLACE AND BRUCE. CHAPTER I. GLEN CAIRN. HE village oF Glen Cairn was situated in a val- ley in the broken country lying to the west of the Pentland Hills, some 15 miles north of the town of Lanark, and the country around it was wild and picturesque. The villagers for the most part knew little of the world beyond their own valley, although a few had occasionally paid visits to Gla^jgow, which lay as far to the west as Lanark was dis- tant to the south. On a spur jutting out from the side of the hill stood Glen Cairn Castle, whose master the villagers had for generations regarded as their lord. The glory of the little fortalice had now departed Sir William F ^rbes had been killed on his own hearthstone, and the castle had been sacked in a raid by the Kerrs, whose hold lay to the south-west, and who had long been at feud with the Forbeses. The royal power was feeble, and the Kerrs had many friends, and were accordingly granted the lands they had seized; only it was specified . ^ i'i; 10 A FALLEN FAMILY, that Dame Forbes, the widow of Sir William, should be allowed to reside in the fortalice free from all let or hind- rance, BO long as she meddled not, nor sought to stir up enmity among the late vassals of her lord against their new masters. The castle, although a small one, was strongly situated. The spur of the hill ran some 200 yards into the valley, rising sharply some SO or 40 feet above it. The little river which meandered dowa the valley swept completely round the foot of the spur, forming a natural moat to it, and had in some time past been dammed back, so thao, whereas in other parts it ran brightly over a peblily bottom, here it was deep and still. The fortalice itself stood at the extremity of the spur,- and a strong wall with a fortified gateway extended across the other end of the neck, touching the water on both sides. Frc>m the gate- way extended two walls inclosing a road stiuight to the gateway of the hold itself, and betw^^en these walls and the water every level foot of ground was cultivated; this garden was now the solo remains of tho lands of the Forbeses. It was a narrow patrimony for Arehie, the only son of Dame Forbes, and his lady mother had hard work to keep up a respectable state, and to make erid:j meet. Sandy Grahame, who bad fought under her .^^lusband's banner and was now her sole retainer, made the most of the garden patches. Here he grew \ egetables on the best bits of ground and oats on the remainder; these, crushed be- tween flat stones, furnished a coarse bread. From the stream an abundance of fish could always be obtained, and the traps and nets therefore furnished a meal when all else failed. In the stream, too, swam a score and more of ducks, while as many chickens walked about the oufctle yard, or icmtched for insects among the vegetables, A dozen goat» BOYHOOD OF ABCHIX FORBES. 11 browsed on the biUsidei for this waa common ground to tho village, and Dame Forbes had not therefore to ask for leave from her enemies, the Kerrs. The goats furnished milk and cheese, which waa deftly made by Elspie, Sandy's wife, who did all the work indoors, as her husband did without Meat they seldom touched. Occasionally the resources of the hold were eked out by the present of a little hill sheep, or a joint of prime meat, from one or other of her old vassals, for these, in spite of the mastership of the Kerrs, still at heart regarded Dame Mary Forbes as their lawful mistress, and her son Archie as their future chief. Dame Mary Forbes was careful in no way to encourage this feeling, for she feared above all things to draw the attention of the Kerrs to her son. She was sure that did Sir John Kerr entertain but a suspicion that trouble might ever come from the rivalry of this boy, he would not hes^^iate a moment in encompassing hu* dea^h; for Sir John was a rough and violent man who was known to hesitate at nothing which might lead to his aggran- dizement. Therefore she seldom moved beyond the outer wall of the hold, except to go down to visit the sick in the village. She herself had been a Seaton, and had been educated at the nunnery of Dunfermline, and she now taught Archie to read and write, accomplishments by no means common even among the better class in those days. Archie loved not books; but as it pleased his mother, and time often hung heavy on his hands, he did not mind devoting two or three hours a day to the tasks she set him. At other times he fished in the stream, wandered over the hills, and brought in the herbs from which Dame Forbes dist'Ued the potions which she distributed to the villagers when sick. Often he joined the lads of the village in their games 13 AROHUfS RESOLVESb They all regarded him as their leader; but his mother had pressed upon him over and over again that on no account was he to assume any superiority over the others, but to treat them strictly as equals. Doubtless the Eerrs would from time to time have news of what was doing in Glen Cairn; and while they would be content to see him joining in the sports of the village lads, with seem- ingly no wish beyond that station, they would at once resent it did they see any sign on his part of his regard' ing himself as a chief among the others. No inconsiderable portion of Archie's time was occupied in acquiring the use of arms from Sandy Qrahame. His mother, quiet and seemingly resigned as she was, yet burned with the ambition that he should some day avenge his father's death, and win back his father's lands. She said little to him oi her hopes; but she roused his spirit by telling him stories of the brave deeds of the Forbeses and Seatons, and she encouraged him from his childhood to practise in arms with Sandy Grahame. In this respect, indeed, Archie needed no stimulant From Sandy even more than from his mother he had heard of his brave father's deeds in arms; and although, from the way in which she repressed any such utterances, he said but little to his mother, he was resolved as much as she could wish him to be, that he would some day win back his patrimony, and avenge his father upon his slayers. Consequently, upon every opportunity when Sandy Grahame could spare time from his multifarious work, Archie practised with him., with sword and pika At first he had but a wooden sword. Then, as his limbs grew stronger, he practised with a blunted sword; and now at the age of fifteen Sandy Grahame had as much as be could do to hold bis own with his pupiL tefi VttLAGJE ORftEi). Id it the time the story opens, in the spring-time of the year 1293, he was playing at ball with some of the village lads on the green, when a party of horsemen was seen approaching. At their head rode two men perhaps forty years old, while a lad of some eighteen years of age rode beside them. In one of the elder men Archie recognized Sir John Kerr. The lad beside him was his son Allan. I'he other leader was Sir John Hazelrig, governor of Lanark; behind them rode a troop of armed men, twenty in num- ber. Some of the lads would have ceased from their play; but Archie exclaimed: " Heed them not; make as if you did not notice them. You need not be in such a hurry to vail your bonnets to' the Kerr." " Look at the young dogs," Sir John Kerr said to his companion. ** They know that their chief is passing, and yet they pretend that they see us not." " It would do them good," his son exclaimed, " did you give your troopers orders to tie them all up and give them a taste of their stirrup leathers." " It would not be worth while, Allan," his father said. " They will all make stout men-at-arms some day, and will have to fight under my banner. I care as little as any man what my vassals think of me, seeing that what- soever they think they have to do mine orders. But it needs not to set them against one needlessly; so let the varlets go on with their play undisturbed." That evening Archie said to his mother, ** How is it, mother, that the English knight whom I to-day saw ride past with the Kerr is governor of our Scottish town of Lanark?" " You may well wonder, Archie, for there are many in Scotland of older years than you who marvel that Scots- H THB MAID or NORWAY. men, who have always been free, should tolerate so strange a thing. It is a long story, and a tangled one; but to- morrow morning I will draw out for you a genealogy of the various claimants to the Scottish throne, and you will see how the thing has come about, and under what pre- tence Edward of England has planted his garrisons in this free Scotland of ours." The next morning Archie did not forget to remind his mother of her promise. ''You must know," she began, "that our good King Alexander had three children — David, who died when a boy; Alexander, who married a daughter of the Count of Flanders, and died childless; and a daughter, Mar- garet, who married Eric, the young King of Norway. Three years ago the Queen of Norway died, leaving an only daughter, also named Margaret, who was called among us the 'Maid of Norway,' and who, at her mother's- death, became heir-presumptive to the throne, and as such was recognized by an assembly of the estates at Scon& But we all hoped that the king would have male heirs, for early last year, while still in the prime of life, he married Joleta, daughter of the Count of Drew. Unhappily, on the 19th of March, he attended a council in the castle of Edinburgh, and on his way back to his wife at Kinghorn, on a stormy night, he fell over a precipice and was killed. " The hopes of the country now rested on the 'Maid of Norway,' who alone stood between the throne and a number of claimants, most of whom would be prepared to support their claims by arms, and thus bring unnum- bered woes upon Scotland. Most unhappily for the country, the maid died on her voyage to Scotland, and the succession therefore became open. " You will see on this chart, which I have drawn out, COHPETITORS FOR 800TTISH GROWN. IS •-4 h4 -U Ih ii bI s s s 3: a^ I ^ 8 04 s fs" 5 5 I I II h 1^ ia- I o4 .§: J_ ^. I 1.1 la ft & t^ a .-•« J i id fOk titfiAtV Olf BtllOttA^ the lines by which the principal competitors — for thete were nigh upon a score of them — cla'med the throne. " Before the death of the maid, King Edward had pro- posed a marriage between her and his young son, and his ambassadors met the Scottish commissioners at Brigham, near Kelso, and on the 18th of July, 1290, the treaty was concluded. It contained, besides the provisions for the marriage, clauses for the personal freedom of- Margaret should she survive her husband; for the reversion of the crown failing her issue; for protection of the rights, laws, and liberties of Scotland; the freedom of the church; the privileges of crown vassals; the independence of the courts; the preservation of all charters and natural muniments; and the holding of parliaments only within Scotland; and, specially provided that no vassal should be compelled to go forth of Scotland for the purpose of performing homage or fealty; and that no native of Scot- land should for any cause whatever be compelled to answer, for any breadi of covenant or for crime committed, out of the kingdom. " Thus you see, my boy, that King Edward at this time fully recognized the perfect independence of Scotland, and raised no claim to any suzerainty over it. Indeed, by Article I. it was stipulated that the rights, laws, liberties, and customs of Scotland should remain for ever entire and inviolable throughout the whole realm and its marches; and by Article V. that the Kingdom of Scot- land shall remain separate and divided from England, free in itself, and without subjection, according to its right boundaries and marches, as heretofore. "King Edward, however, artfully inserted a salvo, 'saving the rights of the King of England and of all others which before the date of this treaty belong to him or any of them in the marches or elsewhere.* The Scot- (247) KINO EDWARD'S IMTRI0UB8L IT tish lords raised no objection to the insertion of this salvo, seeing that it was of general purport, and that Edward possessed no rights in Scotland, nor had any ever been asserted by his predecessors — Scotland being a king- dom in itself equal to its neighbour — and that neither William the Norman nor any of his successors attempted to set forward any claims ' ' authority beyond the Border. " No sooner was the treaty signed than Edward, with- out warrant or excuse, appointed Anthony Beck, the war- like Bishop of Durham, Lieutenant of Scotland, in the name of the yet unmarried pair; and finding that this was not resented, he demanded that all the places of strength in the kingdom should be delivered to him. This de- mand was not, however, complied with, and the matter was still pending when the Maid of Norway died. The three principal competitors — Bruce, Baliol, and Comyn — and their friends, at once began to arm; but William Frnaer, Bishop of St. Andrews, a friend of Baliol, wrote to King Edward suggesting that he should act as arbi- trator, and more than hinting that if he chose Baliol he would find him submissive in all things to his wishes. Edward jumped at the proposal, and thereupon issued summonses to the barons of the northern counties to meet him at Norham on the Sd of June; and a mandate was issued to the sheriffs of Northumberland, Cumber- land, Westmoreland, York, and Lancaster, to r ssemble the feudal array at the same rendezvous. "Now, you know, my son, that, owing to the mar- riages between royal families of England and Scotland, there has been a close connection between the countries. Many Scotch barons have married English heiresses, and hold lands in both countries, while Scottish maidens have married English knights. Thus it happens that a great number of the Scotch nobility are as much Englishmen (247) B 18 AN UNFOUNDED CLAIM. as Scotchmen, and are vassals to England for lands held there. Four of the competitors, John Baliol, Robert Bruce, John Comyn, and William Ross, are all barons of England as well as of Scotland, and their lands lying in the north they were, of course, included in the invitation. In May, Edward issued an invitation to the Bishops of St. Andrews, Glasgow, and other Scotch nobles to come to Norham, remain there, and return, specially saying that their presence there was not to be regarded as a custom through which the laws of Scotland might in any future time be prejudiced. Hither then came the whole power of the north of England, and many of the Scotch nobles. *' When the court opened, Roger Brabazon, the king's justiciary, delivered an address, in which he stated that Edward, as ^ord-paramount of Scotland, had come there to administer justice between the competitors for the crown, and concluded with the request tha.t all present should acknowledge his claim as lord-paramount. The Scottish nobles present, with the exception of those who were privy to Edward's designs, were filled with astonish- ment and dismay at this pretension, and declared their ignorance of any claim of superiority of the King of England over Scotland. The king, in a passion, exclaimed: " ' By holy Edward, whose crown I wear, I will vindicate my just rights, or perish in the attempt.' " However, he saw that nothing could be done on the instant, and adjourned the meeting for three weeks, at the end of which time the prelates, nobles, and commu- nity of Scotland were invited to bring forward whatever they could in opposition to his claim to supremacy. " At the time fixed the Scotch nobles again met, but this time on the Scottish side of the Border, for Edward had gathered together the whole of the force of the nor- thern counties. OOMFETITORS FOR THI THRONE. 19 " Besides the four claimants, whose names I have told you, were Sir John Hastings, Patrick Dunbar, Earl of March, William de Vesci, Robert de Pinkeny, Nicholas de Soulis, Patrick Galythly, Roger de Mandeville, Florence, Count of Holland, and Eric, King of Norway. With the exception of Eric, the Count of Holland, Dunbar, and Galythly, all of these were of Norman extraction, and held possessions in England. When the meeting was opened the prelutes and nobles present advanced nothing to disprove Edward's claim to supremacy. The represen- tatives of the commons, however, did show reason against the claim, for which, indeed, my son, as every man in Scotland knows, there was not a shadow of foundation. " The king's chancellor declared that there was nothing in these objections to Edward's claim, and therefore he resolved, as lord-paramount, to determine the question of succession. The various competitors were asked whether they acknowledged Edward as lord-paramount, and were willing to receive his judgment as such; and the whole of these wretched traitors proceeded to barter their country for their hopes of a crown, acknowledged Edward as lord- paramount, and left the judgment in his hands. " Bruce and Baliol received handsome presents for thus tamely yielding the rights of Scotland. All present at once agreed that the castles and strongholds of Scotland should be surrendered into the hands of English com- manders and garrisons. This was immediately done; and thus it is, Archie, that you see an English ofBcer lording it over the Scotch town of Lanark. " Then every Scotchman was called upon to do homage to the English king as his lord-paramount, and all who refused to do so were seized and arrested. Finally, on the I7th of November last, 1292 — the date will long be remembered in Scotland — Edward's judgment was given 20 SIR MALCOLM WALLAO& at Berwiok, and by it John Baliol was declared King of Scotland "Thus for eighteen months Scotland was kept in doubt; and this was done, no doubt, to enable the Eng- lish to rivet their yoke upon our shoulders, and to intimi- date and coerce all who might oppose it." "There were some that did oppose it, mother, were there not? — some true Scotchmen who refused to own the supremacy of the King of England?" "Very few, Archie. One Sir Malcolm Wallace, a knight of but small estate, refused to do so, and wan, together with his eldest son, slain in an encounter with an English detachment under a leader named Fenwick at Loudon Hill." " And was 'he the father of that William Wallace of whom the talk was lately that he had slain young Sel- bye, son of the English governor of Dundee?" " The same, Archie." " Men say, mother, that although but eighteen yeai-s of age he is of great stature and strength, of very handsome presence, and courteous and gentle; and that he was going quietly through the streets when insulted by young Selbye, and that he and his companions being set upon by the English soldiers, slew several and made their escape." " So they say, Archie. He appears from all description of him to be a remarkable young man, and I trust that he will escape the vengeance of the English, and that some day he may again strike some blows for our poor Scotland, which, though nominally under the rule of Baliol, is now but a province of England." " But surely, mother, Scotchmen will never remain in such a state of shameful servitude!" "I trust not, my son; but I fear that it will be long M AROHIl'8 DEnRMINATIOlf. 31 before we shake off the English yoke. Our nobles are for the most part of Norman blood; very many are barons of England; and so groat are the jealousies among them that no general effort against England will be possible. No, if Scotland is ever to be freed, it will be by a mighty rising of the common people, and even then the struggle between the commons of Scotland and the whole force of England aided by the feudal power of all the great Scotch nobles, would be well-nigh hopeless." This conversation sank deeply into Archie's mind; day and night he thought of nothing but the lost freedom of Scotland, and vowed that even the hope of regaining his father's lands should be secondary to that of freeing his country. All sorts of wild dreams did the boy turn ove" in his mind ; he was no longer gay and light-hearted, but walked about moody and thoughtful. He redoubled his assiduity in the practice of arms; and sometimes when fighting with Sandy, he would think that he had an English man-at-arms before him, and would strike so hotly and fiercely that Sandy had the greatest difficulty in parrying his blows, and was forced to shout lustily to recall him from the clouda He no longer played at ball with the village lads; but, taking the elder of them aside, he swore them to secrecy, and then formed them into a band, which he called the Scottish Avengers. With them he would retire into valleys far away from the village, where none would mark what they were doing, and there they practised with club and stake instead of broadsword and pike, defended narrow passes against an imaginary enemy, and, divided into two parties, did battle with each other. The lads entered into the new diversion with spirit. Among the lower class throughout Scotland the feeling of indignation at the manner in which their nobles had \f^ I ■ s \ 22 THE SCOTTISH AVENOER& sold their country to England was deep and passionate. They knew the woes which English domination had brought upon Wales and Ireland; and though as yet with- out a leader, and at present hopeless of a successful rising, every true Scotchman was looking forward to the time when an attempt might be made to throw off the English yoke. Therefore the lads of Glen Cairn entered heart and soul into the projects of their " young chief," for so they regarded Archie, and strove their best to acquire some of the knowledge of the use of sword and pike which he possessed. The younger lads were not permitted to know what was going on — none younger than Archie himself being admitted into the band, while some of the elders were youths approaching man's estate. Even to his mother Archie did not breathe a word of what he was doing, for he feared that she might forbid his proceedings. The good lady was often surprised at the cuts and bruises with which he returned home; but he always turned off her questions by muttering something about rough play or a heavy fall, and so for pome months the existence of the Scottish Avengers remained unsuspected. "=^f^' CHAPTER II. LEAVING HOME. ^ NE day when " the Avengers " were engaged in mimic battle in a glen some two miles from the village they were startled with a loud shout of "How now, what is this uproar?" Bows were lowered and hedge-stakes dropped; on the hillside stood Red Roy, the henchman of Sir John Kerr, with another of the retainers. They had been crossing the hills, and had been attracted by the sound of shouting. All the lads were aware of the neces- sity for Archie's avoiding the notice of the Kerrs, and Andrew Macpherson, one of the eldest of the lads, at once stepped forward: " We are plaj^^ing," he said, " at fighting Picts against Scots." This was the case, for the English were so hated that Archie had found that none would even in sport take that name, and the sides were accordingly dubbed Scots and Picts, the latter title not being so repugnant, and the companies changing sides each day. " It looks as if you were fighting in earnest," Roy said grimly, " for the blood is streaming down your face." "Oh, we don't mind a hard knock now and again," An- drew said carelessly. " I suppose, one of these days, we shall 24 DEOBIVINO THE EERRS. I,' I have to go out under Sir John's banner, and the more hard knocks we have now, the less we shall care for them then." "That is so," Roy said^^ "and some of you will soon be able to handle arms in earnest. Who are your leaders?" he asked sharply, as his eye fixed on Archie, who had seated himself carelessly upon a rock at some little dis- tance. "William Orr generally heads one side, and I the other." " And what does that young Forbes do?" Red Roy asked. "Well, he generally looks on," Andrew replied in a con- fidential tone; "he is not much good with the bow, and his lady mother does not like it if he goes home with a crack across the face, and I don't think he likes it himself; he is but. a poor creature when it comes to a tussle." " And it is well for him that he is," Red Roy muttered to himself; *for if he had been likely to turn out a lad of spirit. Sir John would have said the word to ine before now; but, ;ieeing what he is, he may as well be left alone for the present. He will never cause trouble." So saying, Red Roy strolled away with his companion, and left the lads to continue their mimic fight. News travelled slowly to Glen Cairn; indeed, it was only when a travelling chapman or pedlar passed through, or when one of the villagers went over to Lanark or Glasgow, carrying the fowls and other produce of the community to market, that the news came from without. Baliol was not long before he discovered that his mon- archy was but a nominal one. The first quarrel i^ch arose between him and his imperious master was con- cernin'^" the action of the courts. King Edward directed that there should be an appeal to the courts at West- minster from all judgments in the Scottish courts. Baliol protested that it was specifically agreed by the Treaty of U , DEMANDS OF EDWARD. 25 Brigham that no Scotchman was liable to be called upon to plead outside the kingdom; but Edward openly declared, "Notwithstanding any concessions made before Baliol be- came king, he considered himself at liberty to judge in any case brought before him from Scotland, and would, if necessary, summon the King of Scots himself to appear in his presence." He then compelled Baliol formally to renounce and cancel not only the Treaty of Brigham, but every stipulation of the kind "known to exist, or which might be thereafter discovered." Another appeal fol- lowed, and Baliol was cited to appear personally, but refused; he was thereupon declared contumacious by the English parliament, and a resolution was passed that three of the principal towns of Scotland should be "seized," until he gave satisfaction. Al' this was a manifest usurpation, eveu allowing Edward's claims to supremacy to be well founded. At this moment Edward became involved in a quarrel with his own loru-superior Phillip, king of France, by whom he was in turn summoned to appear under the pain of contumacy. Edward met this demand by a re- nunciation of allegiance to Phillip and a declaration of war, and called upon Baliol for aid as his vassal ; but Baliol was also a vassal of the French khig, and had estates in France liable to seizure. He therefore hesi- tated. Edward further ordered him to lay an embargo upon all vessels in the ports of Scotland, and required the attendance of many of the Scottish barons in his expedi- tion to France. Finding his orders disobeyed, on the ICth of October Edward issued a writ to the sheriff of North- ampton, " to seize all lands, goods, and chattels of John Baliol and other Scots." The Scotch held a parliament at Scone. All Englishmen holding office were summarily dismissed. A committee of i i 26 SCOTLAND AND FRANCE. the estates was appointed to act as guardian of the king- dom, and Baliol himself was deprived of all active power; but t n instrument was prepared in his name, reciting the injuries that he and his subjects had sustained at the hands of the English king, and renouncing all further allegiance. Following this up, a league was concluded, offensive and defensive, between the French king and Scotland, represented by the prelates, nobles, and com- munity. Edward Baliol, the king's son, was contracted to marry the French king's niece. Phillip bound himself to assist Scotland against any invasion of England, and the Scotch agreed to cross the Border in case Edward invaded France. In making this alliance the Scots took the only step possible; for they had no choice between fighting Eng- land with France as their ally, or fighting France as the subjects of King Edward. The contest which was ap- proaching seemed all but hopeless. The population of England was six times as large as that of Scotland, and Edvvard could draw from Ireland and Wales great num- bers of troops. The English were trained to war by con- stant fighting in France, Ireland, and Wales; while the Scots had, for a very long period, enjoyed a p' ofound peace, and were for the most part wholly ignoranu of warfare. ' Edward at once prepared to invade Scotland; in Janu- ary he seized the lands owned by Comyn in Northumber- land and dold them, directing the money to be applied to the raising and maintenance of 1000 men-at-arms and 60,000 foot-soldiers, and in February issued a writ for the preparation of a fleet of 100 vessels. On the 25th of March he crossed the Tweed with 5000 horse and 30,000 foot. The Scotch leaders were, of course, aware of tne gathering storm, and, collecting their forces, attempted a diversion by crossing the Border to the west MASSACRE AT BERWICK. 27 and making a raid into Cumberland. King Edward, how- ever, marched north and besieged Berwick, the richest and most flourishing of the towns of Scotland. With the exception of the castle, it was weakly fortified. The attack was commenced by the fleet, who were, however, repulsed and driven off. A land assault, led by the king in person, was then made; the walls were captured, and the town completely sacked. The inhabitants were butchered without distinction of age, sex, or condition, and even those who fled to the churches were slain within the sanctuary. Contemporary accounts diff'er as to the numbers who perished on this occasion. Langtoff says 4000; Hemingford, 8000; Knighton, another English writer, says 17,000; and Matthew of Westminster, 60,000. Whichever of these writers is correct, it is certain that almost the whole of the men, women, and children of the largest and most populous Scottish town were butchered by the orders of the English king, who issued direct orders that none should be spared. From this terrible visitation Berwick, which was before called the Alex- andria of the West, never recovered. The castle, which was held by Sir William Douglas, surrendered imme- diately; and Sir William, having sworn fealty to the Eng- lish king, was permitted to depart. The English army now marched north. Patrick, Earl of Dunbar, was with King Edward; but his wife, a noble and patriotic woman, surrendered the castle to the Scots. The Earl of Surrey, with a powerful army, sat down before it. The Scotch nobles and people marched in great numbers, but with little order and discipline, to raise the siege. They were met by Surrey, whose force, inured to arms, easily routed the Scotch gathering, no fewer than 10,000 being killed in the conflict and retreat. The English army was joined by 15,000 Welsh and 30,000 28 SCOTLAND IN OHAINa from Ireland, and marched through Scotland, the castles and towns opening their gates to Edward as he came, and the nobles, headed by James the Stewart, coming in and doing homage to him. Baliol was forced to appear in the churchyard of Strath- Cathro, near Montrose, arrayed in regal robes, and to resign his kingdom to the Bishop of Durham as Edward's representative, and to repeat the act a few days afterwards at Brechin in presence of the king himself. He was then, with his son, sent a prisoner to London, where they were confined in the Tower for several years. From Brechin Edward marched through the whole of Scotland, visiting all the principal towns. He had now dropped the title of Lord Paramount of Scotland, the country being considered as virtually part of England. Garrisons were placed in every strong- hold in the country, and many new castles were raised to dominate the people. The public documents were all carried away to England, the great seal broken in pieces, and the stone of Scone — upon which, for five hundred years, every Scotch monarch had been crowned — was carried away to Westminster, where it has ever since formed the seat of the thrones upon which English mon- archs have been crowned. The tide of war had not passed near Glen Cairn; but the excitement, as from time to time the news came of stirring events, was very great. The tidings of the mas- sacre of Berwick filled all with consternation and grief. Some of the men quitted their homes and fought at Dun- bar, and fully half of these never returned; but great as was the humiliation and grief at the reverses which had befallen the Scotch arms, the feeling was even deeper and more bitter at the readiness with which the whole of the Scotch nobles flocked in to make their peace with King Edward. WALLACE AND EARL PERCY. 29 It seemed so incrediBle that Scotland, which had so long successfully resisted all invaders, should now tamely yield without a struggle, that the people could scarce believe it possible that their boasted freedom was gone, that the kingdom of Scotland was no more, and the countrv become a mere portion of England. Thus, while the nobles with their Norman blood and connections accepted the new state of things contentedly enough, well satisfied to have retained rank and land, a deep and sullen discon- tent reigned among the people; they had been betrayed rather than conquered, and were determined that some day there should be an uprising, and that Scotland would make a great effort yet for freedom. But for this a leader was needed, and until such a one appeared the people rested quiet and bided their time. From time to time there came to Glen Cairn tales of the doings of that William Wallace who had, when the English first garrisoned the Scottish castles, while Edward was choosing between the competitors for her throne, killed young Selbye at Dundee, and had been outlawed for the deed. After that he went and resided with his uncle. Sir Ronald Crawford, and then with another uncle. Sir Richard Wallace of Riccarton. Here he gathered a party of young men, eager spirits like himself, and swore perpetual hostility to the English. One day Wallace was fishing in the Irvine when Earl Percy, the governor of Ayr, rode past with a numerous train. Five of tnem remained behind and asked Wallace for the fish he had taken. He replied that they were welcome to half of them. Not satisfied with this, they seized the basket and prepared to carry it off. Wallace resisted, and one of them drew his sword. Wallace seized the staff of his net and struck his opponent's sword from his hand; this he snatched up and stood on guard, while 80 RECKLESS ADVENTUREa I Wf r in the other four rushed upon him. Wallace smote the first so terrible a blow that his head was cloven from skull to collar-bone; with the next blow he severed the right arm of another, and then disabled a third. The other two fled, and overtaking the earl, called on him for help; "for," they said, "three of our number who stayed behind with us to take some fish from the Scot who was fishing are killed or disabled." "How many were your assailants?" asked the earl. " But the man himself," they answered ; " a desperate fellow whom we could not withstand." "I have a brave company of followers!" the earl said with scorn. "You allow one Scot to overmatch five of you! I shall not return to seek for your adversary; for were I to find him I should respect him too much to do him harm." Fearing that after this adventure he could no longer remain in safety with his uncle, Wallace left him and took np his abode in Lag Lane Wood, where his friends joining him, they lived a wild life together, hunting game and making many expeditions through the country. On one occasion he entered Ayr in disguise; in the middle of a crowd he saw some English soldiers, who were boasting that they were superior to the Scots in strength and feats of arms. One of them, a strong fellow, was declaring that he could lift a greater weight than any two Scots. He carried a pole, with which he offered, for a groat, to let any Scotchman strike him on the back as hard as he pleased, saying that no Scotchman could strike hard enough to hurt him. Wallace offered him three groats for a blow. The soldier eagerly accepted the money, and Wallace struck him so mighty a blow that his back was broken and he fell dead on the ground. His comrades drew their swords WALLACE TAKEN PRISONER. 31 and rushed at Wallace, who slew two with the pole, and when it broke drew the long sword which was hidden in his garments, and cut his way through them. On another occasion he again had a fracas with the Eng- lish in Ayr, and after killing many was taken prisoner. Earl Percy was away, and his lieutenant did not venture to execute him until his return. A messenger was sent to the Earl, but returned with strict orders that nothing should be done to the prisoner until he came back. The bad diet and foul air of the dungeon suited him so ill, after his free life in the woods, that he fell ill, and was reduced to so weak a state that he lay like one dead — the jailer indeed thought that he was so, and he was carried out to be cast into the prison burial-ground, when a woman, who had been his nurse, begged his body. She had it carried to her house, and then discovered that life yet remained, and by great care and good nursing succeeded in restor- ing him. In order to prevent suspicion that he was still alive a fictitious funeral was perl'ormed. On recovering, Wallace had other frays with the English, all of which greatly increased his reputation throughout that part of the country, so that more adherents came to him, and his band began to be formidable. He gradually introduced an organization among those who were found to be friendly to the cause, and by bugle notes taken up and repeated from spot to spot orders could be despatched over a wide extent of country, by which the members of his band knew whether to assemble or disperse, to prepare to attack an enemy, or to retire to their fastnesses. The first enterprise of real importance performed by the band was an attack by Wallace and fifty of his asso- ciates on a party of soldiers, 200 strong, conveying pro- visions from Carlisle to the garrison of Ayr. They were under the command of John Fen wick, the gome oflScer 81 ▲ TRUOIL ! I who had been at the head of the troop by which "Wallace's father had been killed. Fenwick left twenty of his men to defend the waggons, and with the rest rode forward against the Scots. A stone wall checked their progress, and the Scotch, taking advantage of the momentary con- fusion, made a furious charge upon them with their spears, cutting their way into the midst of them and making a great slaughter of men and horses. The English rode round and round them, but the Scots, defending them- selves with spear and sword, stood so staunchly together that the English could not break through. The battle was long and desperate, but Wallace killed Fenwick with his own hand, and after losing nigh a hundred of their number the English fled in confusion. The whole conVoy fell into the hands of the victors, who became possessed of several waggons, 200 carriage horses, flour, wine, and other stores in great abundance; with these they retired into the forest of Clydesdale. The fame of this exploit greatly increased the number of Wallace's followers. So formidable did the gathering become that convoys by land to Ayr were entirely in- terrupted, and Earl Percy held a council of the nobility at Glasgow, and consulted them as to what had best be done. Finally, Sir Ronald Crawford was summoned and told that unless he induced his nephew to desist from hostilities they should hold him responsible and waste his lands. Sir Ronald visited the band in Clydesdale forest, and rather than that harm should come upon him, Wallace and his friends agreed to a truce for two months. Their plunder was stowed away in places of safety, and a portion of the band being left to guard it the rest dis- persed to their homes. Wallace returned to his uncle's, but was unable long to remain inactive, and taking fifteen followers he went ▲NOTHBB QUABREL 88 I Wallace's if his men e forward r progress, titary con- leir spears, making a glish rode ing them- y together lace killed ig nigh a confusion, ctors, who Lge horses, ince; with le number gathering tirely in- nobility best be oned and sist from [id waste lydesdale pon him, ) months, ety, and rest dis- Ible long Ihe went with them in disguise to Ayr. Wallace, a« usual, was not long before he got into a quarrel An English fencing- master, armed with sword and buckler, was in an open place in the city, challenging any one to encounter him. Several Scots tried their fortune and were defeated, and then seeing Wallace towering above the crowd he chal- lenged him. Wallace at once accepted, and after guard- ing himself for some time, with a mighty sweep of his sword he cleft through buckler, arm, head-piece, and skull. The English soldiers around at once attacked him; his friends rallied round him, and after hard fighting they made their way to the spot where they had left their horses and rode to Lag Lane Wood. When Earl Percy heard that Wallace had been the leader in this fray, and found on inquiry that he had slain the sword-player in fair fight after having been challenged by him, he refused to regard him as having broken the truce, for he said the soldiers had done wrong in attacking him. Earl Percy was himself a most gallant soldier, and the extraordinary personal prowess of Wallace excited in him the warmest admiration, and he would fain, if it had been possible, have attached him to the service of England. As soon as the truce was over Wallace again attacked the English. For a time he abode with the Earl of Lennox, who was one of the few who had refused to take the oath of allegiance, and having recruited his force, he stormed the stronghold called the Peel of Gargunnock, near Stirling. Then he entered Perth, leaving his followers in Methven Wood, and hearing that an English reinforcement was upon the march, formed an ambush, fell upon them, and defeated them; and pressing hotly upon them entered so close on their heels into Kincleven Castle, that the garrison had no time to close the gate, (247) 34 SUCCESSFUL ENTERPRISEa and the place was captured. Great stores and booty were found here; these were carried to the woods, and the castle was burned to the ground, as that of Qargunnock had been, as Wallace's force was too small to enable him to hold these strongholds. Indignant at this enterprise so close to their walls the English moved out the whole gar- rison, 1000 strong, against Wallace, who had with him but fifty men in all. After a desperate defence, in which Sir John Butler and Sir William de Loraine, the two officers in command, were killed by Wallace himself, the latter succeeded in drawing off his men; 120 of the English were killed in the struggle, of whom more than twenty are said to have fallen at the hands of Wallace alone. Many other similar deeds did Wallace perform; his fame grew more and more, as did the feeling among the Scotch peasantry that in him they had found their champion and leader. Archie eagerly drank in the tale of Wallace's exploits, and his soul was fired by the desire to follow so valiant a leader. He was now sixteen, his frame was set and vigorous, and exercise and constant i)ractice with arms had hardened his muscles. He became restless with his life of inactivity; and his mother, seeing that her quiet and secluded existence was no longer suitable for him, resolved to send him to her sister's husband, Sir Robert Gordon, who dwelt near Lanark. Upon the night before he started she had a long talk with him. " I have long observed, my boy," she said, " the eager- ness with which you constantly practise at arms; and Sandy tells me that he can no longer defend himself against you. Sandy, indeed, is not a young man, but Le is still hale and stout, and has lost but little of his strength. Therefore it seems that, though but a boy, you may be considered to have a man's strength, for your father re- ■p WISE COUNSEL. garded Sandy as ono of the stoutest and most skilful of his inen-at-arins. I know what is in your thoughts; that you long to follow in your father's footsteps, and to win back thfj possessions of which you have been despoiled by the Ke'iTS. But beware, my boy; you are yet but young; you h i-ve no friends or protectors, save Sir Robert Gordon, wlio is a peaceable man, and goes with the times; while the Kerrs are a powerful fanjily, able to put a strong body in the field, and having many powerful friends and connections throughout the country. It is our obscurity which has so far saved you, for Sir John KeiT would crush you without mercy did he dream that you could ever become formidable; and he is surrounded by ruth- less retainers, who would at a word from him take your life; therefore think not for years to come to match your- self against the Kerrs. You must gain a name and a following and powerful friends before you move a step in that direction; but I firmly believe that the time will come when you will become lord of Qlencaim and the hills around it. Next, my boy, I see that your thoughts are ever running upon the state of servitude to which Scotland is reduced, and have marked how eagerly you listen to the deeds of that gallant young champion. Sir William Wallace. When the time comes I would hold you back from no enterprise in the cause of our country; but at present this is hopeless. Valiant as may be the deeds which Wallace and his band perform, they are as vain as the strokes of reeds upon armour against the power of England." " But, mother, his following may swell to an army." "Even so, Archie; but even as an army it would be but as chaff before the wind against an English array. What can a crowd of peasants, however valiant, do against the trained and disciplined battle of England. 86 HIS father's swobo. You saw how at Dunbar the Earl of Surrey scattered them like sheep, and then many of the Scotch nobles were present. So far there is no sign of any of the Scot- tish nobles giving aid or countenance to Wallace, and even should he gather an army, fear for the loss of their estates, a jealousy of this young leader, and the Norman blood in their veins, will bind them to England, and the Scotch would have to face not only the army of the in- vader, but the feudal forces of our own nobles. I say not that enterprises like those of Wallace do not aid the cause, for they do so greatly by exciting the spirit and enthusiasm of the people at large, as they have done in your case. They show them that the English are not invincible, and that even when in greatly superior num- bers they may be defeated by Scotchmen who love their country. They keep alive the spirit of resistance and of hope, and prepare the time when the country shall make a general effort. Until that time comes, my son, lasis- tance against the English power is vain. Even were it not so, you are too young to take part in such strife, but when you attain the age of manhood, if you should still wish to join the bands of Wallace — that is, if he be still able to make head against the English — I will not say nay. Here, my son, is your father's sword. Sandy picked it up as he lay slain on the hearthstone, and hid it away; but now I can trust it with you. May it be drawn some day in the cause of Scotland! And now, my boy, the hour is late, and you had best to bed, for it were well that you made an early start for Lanaik." The next morning Archie started soon after daybreak. On his back he carried a wallet, in which was a new suit of clothes suitable for one of the rank of a gentle- man, which his mother had with great stint and difficulty procured for him. He strode briskly along, proud of the AN UNPLEASANT SURPRISE. 37 jcattered h nobles ;he Scot- ace, and of their Norman , and the E the in- i. I say t aid the )irit and done in are not ior num- Dve their ;e and of all make on, i3sis- L were it rife, but uld still be still not say Sandy and hid ay it be aow, my it were lybreak. a new gentle- ifficulty of the possession of a sword for the first time. It was in itself a badge of manhood, for at that time all men went armed. As he neared the gates of Lanark he saw a party issue out and ride towards him, and recognized in their leader Sir John Kerr. Pulling his cap down over his eyes, he strode forward, keeping by the side of the road that the horsemen might pass freely, but paying no heed to them otherwise. "Hallo, sirrah!" Sir John exclaimed, reining in his horse, " who are you who pass a knight and a gentleman on the highway without vailing his bonnet in respect?" " I am a gentleman and the son of a knight," Archie said, looking fearlessly up into the face of his questioner. " I am Archie Forbes, and I "^'^ail my bonnet to no man living save those whom I respect and honour." So saying, without another word he strode forward to the town. Sir John looked darkly after him. "Red Roy," he said sternly, turning to one who rode behind him, " you have failed in your trust. I told you to watch the boy, and from time to time you brought me news that he was growing up but a village churl. He IS no churl, and unless I mistake me, he will some day be dangerous. Let me know when he next returns to the village; we must then take speedy steps for preventing him from becominor troublesome." ^w^ ^^s M^ PfSi" »^b?i\ ^^Ka// kfu^^C^rk "^^SVh^^ ^^^£jBI( ^^^^^ ^^m! ^^^ ^^ CHAPTER IIL SIR WILLIAM WALLACEL ^^J RCHIE'S coming had been expected Vy Sir Robert Gordon, and he was warmly welcomed. He had, once or twice a year paid short visits to the house, but his mother could not bring herself to part with him for more than a few days at a time; and so long as he needed only such rudiments of learning as were deemed useful at the time, she herself was fully able to teach them ; but now that the time had come when it was needful that he should be perfected in the exercises of arms, she felt it necessary to relinquish him. Sir Robert Gordon had no children of his own, and regarded his nephew as his heir, and had readily under- taken to provide him with the best instruction which could be obtained in Lanark. There was resident in the town a man who had served for many years in the army of the King of France, and had been master of arms in his regiment. His skill with his sword was considered marvellous by his countrymen at Lanark, for the scien- tific use of weapons was as yet but little known in Scot- land, and he had also in several trials of skill easily worsted the best swordsmen in the English garrison. Sir Robert Gordon at once engaged this man as in- J arouie's progress. 89 ! structor to Archie. As his residence was three miles from the town, and the lad urged that two or three hours a day of practice would by no means satisfy him, a room was provided, and his instructor took up his abode in the castle. Here, from early morning until night, Archie practised, with only such intervals for rest as were de- manded by his master himself. The latter, pleased with so eager a pupil, astonished at first at the skill and strength which he already possessed, and seeing in him one who would do more than justice to all the pains that he could bestow upon him, grudged no labour in bringing him forward and in teaching him all he knew. " He is already an excellent swordsman," he said at the end of the first week's work to Sir Robert Gordon; "he is well-nigh as strong as a man, with all the quickness and activity of a boy. In straightforward fighting he needs but little teaching. Of the finer strokes he as yet knows nothing; but such a pupil will learn as much in a week as the ordinary slow-blooded learner will acquire in a year. In three months I warrant I will teach him all I know, and will engage that he shall be a match for any Englishman north of the Tweed, save in the matter of downright strength; that he will get in time, for he pro- mises to grow out into a tall and stalwart man, and it will need a goodly champion to hold his own against him when he comes to his full growth." In the intervals of pike and sword-play Six Robert Gordon himself instructed him in equitation; but the lad did not take to this so kindly as he did to his other exercises, saying that he hoped he should always have to fight on foot. Still, as his uncle pointed out that as- suredly this would not be the case, since m battle knights and squires always fought on horseback, he strove hard to acquire a firm and steady seat. Of an i ! 40 MARION BRADFUm evening Archie sat with his uncle and aunt, the latter reading, the former relating stories of Scotch history and of the doings and genealogies of great families. Some- times there were friends staying in the castle; for Sir Rohert Gordon, although by no means a wealthy knight, was greatly liked, and, being of an hospitable nature, was glad to have guests in the house. Their nearest neighbour was Mistress Marion Bradfute of Lamington, near EUerslie. She was a young lady of great beauty. Her father had been for some time dead, and she had but lately lost her mother, who had been a great friend of Lady Gordon. With her lived as com- panion and guardian an aunt, the sister of her mother. Mistress Bradfute, besides her estate of Lamington, possessed a house in Lanark; and she was frequently at Sir Robert's castle, he having been named one of her guardians under her father's will. Often in the even- ing the conversation turned upon the situation of Scot- land, the cruelty and oppression of the English, and the chances of Scotland some day ridding herself of the domi- nation. Sir RofcpH ever spoke guardedly, for he was one who loved not strife, and the enthusiasm of Archie caused him much anxiety; he often, therefore, pointed out to him the madness of eiforts of isolated parties like those of Wallace, which, he maintained, advanced in no way the freedom of the country, while they enrj,gcd the English and caused them to redouble the harshness and oppression of their rule. Wallace's name was frequently mentioned, and Archie always spoke with enthusiasm of his hero; and he could see that, although Mistress Bradfute said but little, she fully shared his views. It was but natural that Wallace's name should come so often forward, for his deeds, his hairbreadth escapes, his marvellous personal A SECRET 41 -rr^ ^ ^i,' strength and courage, were the theme of talk in every Scotch home; but at Lanark at present it was specially prominent, for with his band he had taken up his abode in a wild and broken country known as Cart Lane Craigs, and more than once he had entered Lanark and had had frays with the En Sir I Willitun nigh upon two years, and that a daughter had been bom to her who was at present kept by an old nurse of her own in a cottage hard hy Lamington. "I tell you this, Archie," she said, "for there is no saying at what time calamity may fall upon us. Sir William is so daring and careless that I live in constant dread of his death or capture; and did it become known ^hat I am his wife, doubtless my estate would be forf jd and myself taken prisoner; and in that case it were well that my little daughter should find friends." " I wonder that you do not stay at Lamington," Archie said; " for Sir William's visits to you here may well be discovered, and both he and you be put in peril." "I would gladly do so," she said; " but as you may have heard, Young Hazelrig, the governor's son, persecutes me with his attentions; he is moved thereto methinks rather by a desire for my possessions than any love for myself. He frequently rode over to Lamington to see me, and as there are necessarily many there who suspect, if they do not know, my secret, my husband would be more likely to be surprised in a lonely house there, than he would be in the city, where he can always leave or enter our abode by the passage into a back street unseen by any." A few days later Archie had ridden into Lanark bear- ing a message from his uncle; he had put up his horse, and was walking along the principal street when he heard a tumult and the clashing of swords; he naturally hurried up to see what was the cause of the fray, and he saw Sir William Wallace and a young companion defending themselves with difficulty against a number of English soldiers led by young Hazelrig, the son of the governor, and Sir Robert Thome, one of his officers. Archie stood for a few moments irresolute; but as the number of the assailants increased, as fresh soldiers hearing the sound 46 AN OLD ENEMY. I i , ^ of the fray came running down the street, and Sir William and his friend, although they had slain several, were greatly overmatched, he hesitated no longer, but, drawinf^ his sword, rushed through the soldiers, and placing himself by the side of Wallace, joined in the fray. Wallace recognized him with a nod. " It is sooner than I bargained for, Sir Archie; but you are very welcome. Ah ! that was well smitten, and Duncan did not overpraise your skill," he exclaimed, as Archie cut down one soldier, and wounded another who pressed upon him. " They are gathering in force. Sir William," the knight's companion said, " and if we do not cut our way through them we shall assuredly be taken." Keeping near the wall they retreated down the street, Archie and Sir John Grahame, for it was he, clearing the way, and Wallace defending the rear. So terrific were the blows he dealt that the English soldiers shrank back from attacking him. At this moment two horsemen rode up and reined in their horses to witness the fray. They were father and son, and the instant the eyes of the elder fell upon Archie he exclaimed to his son: " This is good fortune. That is young Forbes fighting by the side of the outlaw Wallace. I will finish our dis- pute at once." So saying he drew his sword, and urged his horse through the soldiers towards Archie; the latter equally recognized the enemy of his family. Sir John aimed a sweeping blow at him. The lad parried it, and, leaping back, struck at the horse's leg. The animal fell instantly, and as he did so Archie struck full on the helm of Sir John Kerr, stretching him on the ground beside his horse. By this time the little party had retreated down the 1 n TIMELY Am. 47 Ihorse [ually Led a tping mtly, IJohn the street until they were passing the house of Marion Brad- fute. The door opened, and Marion herself cried to them to enter. So hemmed in were they, indeed, that further retreat was now impossible, and there being no time for hesitation, Wallace and his companions sprang in before their assailants could hinder them, and shut the door behind them. "Marion," Wallace exclaimed, "why did you do this? It mattered not were I killed or taken; but now you have brought danger upon yourself." "But it mattered much to me. What would life be worth were you killed? Think not of danger to me. >.ngry as they may be, they will hardly touch a woman. But waste no time in talking, for the door will soon yield to their blows. Fly by the back entrance, while there is time." So saying, she hurried them to the back of the house, and without allowing them to pause for another word almost pushed them out, and closed the door behind them. The lane was deserted; but the shouts and clamour of the English soldiers beyond the houses rose loud in the air. "Quick, Sir William," Sir John Grahame said, " or we shall be cut off! They will bethink them of the back way, and send soldiers down to intercept us." Such, indeed, was the case, for as they ran they heard shouts behind, and saw some English soldiers entering the otlier end of the lane. In front, however, all was clear, and running on they turned into another street, and then down to the gate. The guard, hearing the tumult, had turned out, and seeing them running, strove to bar their way. Wallace, however, cleared a path by sweeping blows with his sword, and dashing through the gates into the open country they were safe. For some distance they ran without checking their speed, and then as they ncared a M ARCHIE JOINS THE OUTLAWS. wood, where they no longer feared pursuit, they broke into a walk. " My best thanks to you," Wallace said to Archie. " You have indeed proved yourHclf a staunch and skilful swords- man,and Duncan's opinion is well founded. Indeed I could wish for no stouter sword beside me in a fight; but what will you do now ? If you think that you were not recog- nized you can return to your uncle; but if any there knew you, you must even then take to the woods with me. " I was recognized," Archie said in a tone of satisfaction. "The armed knight whom you saw attack me was Sir John Kerr, the slayer of my father and the enemy of my house. Assuredly he will bring the news of my share in the fray to the ears of the governor." " I do not think that he will carry any news for some time," Sir William replied; "for that blow you gave him on the head must have well-nigh brought your quarrel to an end. It is a pity that your arm had not a little more weight, for then, assuredly you would have slain him." " But the one with him was his son," Archie said, "and would know me too; so that I shall not be safe for an hour at my uncle's." " In that case, Sir Archie, you must needs go with me, there being no other way for it, and truly, now that it IS proved a matter of necessity, I am glad that it has so chanced, since I see that your youth is indeed no draw- back; and Sir John Grahame will agree with me that there b no better sword in my company." " Yes, indeed," the young knight said. " I could scarce believe my eyes when I saw one so young bear himself so stoutly. Without his aid I could assuredly have made no way through the soldiers who barred our retreat; and truly his sword did more execution than mine, although I - A BROTHERHOOD. 49 fought my best. If you will accept my friendship, young sir, henceforth we will be brothers in arms." Colouring witl pleasure, Archie grasped the hand which the young knight held out to him. "Ihat is well said.Sir John," Wallace assented. "Hitherto you and I have been like brothers; henceforth there will be three of us, and I foresee that the only difficulty we shall have with this our youngest relation will be to curb his courage and ardour. Who knows," he went on sadly, "but that save you two I am now alone in the world! My heart misgives me sorely as to the fate of Marion; and were it not for the sake of Scotland, to whom my life is sworn, I would that I had stopped and died outside her door before I entered nd brought danger upon her head. Had I had time to reflect, methinks I would have done so; but I heard her call, I saw the open door, and without time for thought or reflection I leapt in." " You must not blame yourself, Sir William," Qrahame said, "for, indeed, there was no time for thought; nor will I that it should have been otherwise, even should harm, which I cannot believe, befall Mistress Marion. It is on you that the hopes of Scotland nov/ rest. You have awakened her spirit and taught the lesson of resistance. Soon I hope that the fire now smouldering in the breast of every true Scotsman will burst into flame, and that Scotland will make a great effort for freedom ; but were you to fall now, despair would seize on all and all hope of a general rising be at an end." Wallace made no reply, but strode silently forward. A short distance farther they came to the spot whore three of Wallace's followers were holding horses, for he had, on his entry into Lanark, been accompanied by another of his party, who had been slain at the commencement of the fray. Wallace bade Archie mount the spare horse, (247) D 00 CART LANS CRAIGa and they then rode to Cart Lane Craigs, scarce a word being spoken on their journey. Wallace's headquarters were upon a narrow shelf of rock on the face of a s^^^eep and craggy hill. It was well chosen against surprise, and could be held against sudden attack even by a large force, since both behind and in front the face of the hill was too steep to be climbed, and the only approach was by a steep and winding path which two men could hold against a host. The ledge was some 50 feet long hy 12 wide. At the back a natural depression in the crags had been deepened so as to form a shallow c& e just deep enough to afford a defence against the weather; here a pile of heather served as a bed for Wallace, Qrahame, and oi^e or two others of the leaders of his com- pany, and here Wallace told Archie that his place was to be. On the ledge without were some low arbours of heather in which lay ten of Wallace's bravest companions; the rest of his band were scattered among the surrounding hills, or in the woods, and a bugle note repeated from place to place would call all together in a short space of time. Of store? and provisions there was no lack, these having been obtained in very large quantities from the convoys of supplies and the castles that had been captured. Money, too, was not wanting, considerable amounts having fallen into their hands, and the peasantry through all the country round were glad in every way to assist the band, whom they regarded as their champions. Archie sat down by Sir John Grahame, who gave him particulars regarding the strength of the various bands, their position, the rules which had been laid down by Wallace for their order, the system of signals and other particulars; while Wallace paced restlessly up and down the narrow shelf, a prey to the keenest anxiety. Towards nightfall two of the men were despatched towards Lanark 247 "l HAVE DONE WITH WEEPING," SAID SIR WILLIAM. TERRIBLE TIDINO& 51 to endeavour to find out what had taken place there; but in an hour they returned with a woman, whom both Sir William and Archie recognized as one of the female attendants of Marion. A single glance sufficed to tell her tale. Her face was swollen with crying, and wore a look of horror as well as of grief. " She is dead !" Wallace exclaimed in a low voice. "Alas!" the woman sobbed, "that I should have to tell it Yes, my dear mistress is dead; she was slain by the orders of the governor himself, for having aided your escape." A groan burst from Wallace, a cry of horror and in- dignation from his followers. The former turned, and without a word strode away and threw himself upon the heather. The others, heart-struck at the cruel blow which had befallen their chief, and burning with indig- nation and rage, could only utter oaths of vengeance and curses on the English tyrants. After a time Grahame went to the cave, and putting his hand on Wallace's shoulder strove to address a few words of consolation to him. Sir William rose: "I have done with weeping, Grahame, or rather I will put off my weeping until I have time for it. The first thing to think of is vengeance, and ven- geance I swear that I will have. This night I will strike the first blow in earnest towards freeing Scotland. It may be that God has willed it that this cruel blow, which has been struck at me, shall be the means of bring- ing this about. Hitherto, although I have hated the English and have fought against them, it has been but fitfully and without order or method, seeing that other things were in my heart. Henceforth I will live but for vengeance and Scotland. Hitherto the English have regarded me aa an outlaw and a brigand. Henceforth they IM. 52 VBNGEANOK shall view me as an enemy to be dreaded Sound the signal of assembly at once. Signify that as many as are within reach shall gather below in two hours. There will be but few, for, not dreaming of this, the bands but two days since dispersed. But even were there none but ourselves it would suffice. To-night we will take Lanark." 11 nd the any as There ids but >ne but Emark." CHAPTER IV. THE CAPTURE OF LANABE. LOW shout of enthusiasm rose from Wallace's followers, and they repeated his words as though it had been a vow. "To-night we will take ]^}^ Lanark." The notes of a bugle rang through A^f" the air, and Archie could hear them repeated as by an echo by others far away in the woods. The next two hours were spent in cooking and eating a meal; then the party on the ledge descended the nar- row path, several of their number bearing torches. At a short distance from its foot some other torches were seen, and fifteen men were found gathered together. In a few words the sad news of what had taken place at Lanark was related to them and the determination which had been arrived at, and then the whole party marched away to the west. Archie's heart beat with excitement as he felt himself engaged in one of the adventures which had so filled his thoughts and excited his admiration. An adventure, too, far surpassing in magnitude and importance any in which Wallace had hitherto been engaged. It seemed almost like an act of madness for twenty- five men to attack a city garrisoned by over 500 English troops, defended by strong walls; but Archie nev^r 64 FOBCINO AN ENTRANCE. { doubted for a moment that success would attend the enterprise, so implicit was his confidence in his leader. When at some little distance from the town they halted, and Wallace ordered a tree to be felled and lopped of its branches. It was some eight inches in diameter at the butt and thirty feet long. A rope had been brought, and this was now cut into lengths of some four feet. W^allace placed ten of his men on each side of the tree, and the cords being placed under it, it was lifted and carried along with them. Before they started Wallace briefly gave them his orde^rs, so that no word need be spoken when near the town. The band were, when they entered, to divide in threa Sir John Grahaire, with a party, was to make for the dwelling of Sir Robert Thome. Auchinleck, who had arrived with the partj*" summoned by the bugle, was to arouse the town and attack any parties of soldiers in the street, while Wallace himself was to assault the house of Hazelrig. He bade Archie accom- pany him. Knowing the town well Wallace led the party to the moat at a spot facing a sally-port. They moved without a word being spoken. The men bearing the tree laid it noiselessly to the ground. Wallace himself sprang into the moat and swam across. The splash in the water attracted the attention of a sentry over the gate, who at once challenged. There was no answer, and the man again shouted, peering over the wall to endeavour to discover what had caused the splash. In a few vigorous strokes Wallace was across, hauled himself up to the sill of the door, and with his heavy battle-axe smote on the chains which held up the drawbridge. Two mighty blows and the chains yielded, a^id the drawbridge fell with a crash across the moat ■i 3 THIS MURDER AVENGED. 55 1 water rho at man ^ur to korous |o the )te on lighty e fell Instantly the men lifted the tree, and dashing across swung it like a battering-ram against the door — half a dozen blows, and the oak and iron yielded before it. The door was burst in and the party entered Lanark. The sentry on the wall had fled at once to arouse the garrison. Instantly the three leaders started to perform the tasks assigned to them. As yet the town lay in profound sleep, although near the gate windows were opening and heads were being put out to ascertain the cause of the din. As the Scots ran forward they shouted "Death to the English, death to the bloody Hazelrig!" The governor had long been odious for his cruelty and tyranny, and the murder of Marion Bradfute had that day roused the indignation of the people to the utmost. Not knowing how small was the force that had entered the town, but hoping only that deliverers had arrived, numbers of the burghers rose and armed themselves, and issued forth into the streets to aid their countrymen. Wallace soon arrived at the governor's house, and with a few blows with his ax 3 broke in the door; then he and his followers rushed into the house, cutting down the frightened men as they started up with sudden alarm, until he met Sir John Hazelrig, who had snatched up his arms and hurried from his chanxber. "Villain!" Wallace exclaimed, seizing him by his throat; "your time has come to make atonement for the murder of my wife." Then dragging him into the street he called upon the burghers, who were running up, to witness the execution of their tyrant, and stepping back a pace smote off his head with his sword. Young Hazelrig was also killed, as were all soldiers found in the house. The alarm-bells were ringing now, and in a few minutes the armed burghers swarmed in the street. As the English soldiers, 66 A OOUNOIU as yet but scarce awake, and bewildered by this sudden attack, hurried from their houses, they were fallen upon and slain by Wallace and the townspeople. Some of those in the larger houses issuing forth together were able to cut their way through and to make their escape by the gates; many made for the walls, and dropping in the moat swam across and escaped; but two hundred and fifty of their number were left dead in the streets. The town, once cleared of the English, gave itself up to wild rejoicings; bonfires were lighted in the streets, the bells were rung, and the wives and daughters of the citizens issued out to join in their rejoicing and applaud their liberators. Wallace held council at once with the chief burghers. Their talk was a grave one, for though rejoicing in the liberation of the city, they could not but perceive that the situation was a serious one. By the defeat and destruc- tion of the garrison, and the slaying of the governor, the town would bring u^ .n itself the terrible wrath of King Edward, and of what he was capable the murdered thousands at Berwick suflSciently attested. However, the die was cast and there was no drawing back, and the burghers undertook to put their town in a state of full defence, to furnish a contingent of men-at-arms to Wallace, and to raise a considerable sum of money to aid him in the carrying on of the war; while he on his part undertook to endeavour, as fast as possible, to prevent the English from concentrating their forces for a siege of the town, by so harassing their garrisons elsewhere that none would be able to spare troops for any general pur- poses. Proclamations were immediately made out in the name of Wallace, and were sent off* by mounted messengers throughout the country. In these he announced to the K BX7RIAL OF MARION BRADFUTE. 57 pur- people of Scotland that he had raised the national banner and had commenced a war for the freeing of the country from the English, and that as a first step he had captured Lanark. He called upon all true Scotchmen to rally round him. While the council was being held, the wives of the burghers had taken the body of Marlon from the place where it had been cast, and where hitherto none had dared to touch it, and had prepared it for burial, placing it in a stone coffin, such as were in use in those days, upon a car which was covered with trappings of white and green boughs. Soon after daybreak a great proces- sion was formed, and accompanied by all the matrons and maids of Lanark the body was conveyed to the church at Ellerslie, and there buried with the rites of the church. This sad duty ended, Wallace mounted his horse and rode for Cart Lane Craigs, which he had named as the rendez- vous where all who lov6d Scotland and would follow him, were to assemble. Archie rode first to Sir Robert Gordon's. His uncle received him kindly. "Ah! my boy," he said, "I feared that your wilful disposition would have its way. You have embarked j'-oung on a stormy course, and none can say where it will end. I myself have no hope that it can be successful. Did the English rule depend solely on the troops which garrison our towns and fortresses, I should believe that Wallace might possibly expel them; but this is as no- thing. Edward can march a hundred and fifty thousand trained soldiers hither, and how will it be possible for any gathering of Scotchmen to resist these? However, you have chosen your course, and as it is too late to draw back now, I would not dispirit you. Take the best of my horses from the stable, and such arms and armour as you may choose from the walls. Here is a purse for your 58 A HOME F^R DAME FORBES. own private needs, and in this other are a hundred pounds, which I pray you hand to Sir W'lliam Wallace. Fighting never was in my way, and 1 am too old to begin now. Tell him, however, that my best wishes are with him. I have already sent word to all my tenants that they are free, if they choose, to follow his banner." " You have plenty of pikes and swords in the armoury, uncle; weapons will be very useful; can I take some of them?" "Certainly, Archie, as many as you like. But your aunt wants you to ride at once to Glen Cairn, to ask your mother to come over here and take up her abode till the stormy limes are over. The news oi last night's doings in Lanark will travel fast, and she will be terribly anxious. Besides, as the Kerrs are heart and soul with the English faction, like enough they will take the oppor- tunity of the disturbed times, and of your being involved in the rising, to destroy the hold altogether, seeing that so long as it stands there it is a sort of symbol that their lordship over the lands is disputed." "The very thing that I was going to ask you, uncle. My mother's position at Glen Cairn would always be on my mind. As to the Kerrs, let them burn the castle if they will. If the rising fail, and I am killed, the line will be extinct, and it matters little about our hold. If we succeed, then I shall regain my own, and shall turn the tables on the Kerrs, and will rebuild Glen Cairn twice as strong as before. And now can I take a cart to convey the arms?*' "Certainly, Archie; and may they be of service in the cause. You will, I suppose, conduct your mother hither?" Archie replied that he should do so, and then at once made his preparations for the start. His uncle's armoury PRSPARINO FOR THB FIELD. 59 My e in kher )nce )ury was well supplied, and Archie had no difficulty in suiting himself. For work like that which he would have to do he did not care to encuuiber himself with heavy armour, but chose a light but strong steel cap, with a curtain of mail falling so as to guard the neck and ears, leaving only the face exposed, and a shirt of the same material. It was of fine workmansliip and of no great weight, and did not hamper his movements. He also chose some leg- pieces for wearing when on horseback. He had already his father's sword, and needed only a I'fT^ht battle-axe and a dagger to complete his offensive equipment. Then he took down from the racks twenty swords and as many short pikes, and bonnets strengthened with iron hoops, which, alihough light, were sufficient to give much pro- tection to the head. These were all placed in a light cart, and with one of his uncle's followers to drive, he took his seat in the cart, and started for Cart Lane Craigs. Here he concealed the arms in a thicket, and then went up to speak to his leader. "May I take ten men with me to Glen Cairn, Sir William? I am going to fetch my mother to reside with my uncle until the storm is over. He has sent you a hun- dred pounds towards the expenses of the struggle. I want the guard because it is possible that the Kerrs may be down there. I hear Sir John was carried away, iree hours after the fight, in a litter; it was well for him taat he was not in Lanark when we took it. But like enough this morning, if well enough to give orders, he may be sending down to Glen Cairn to see if I have returned, and may burn the hold over my mother's head." " Certainly," Sir William replied. " Henceforth I will put twenty men under your special orders, but for to-day Sir John Grahame shall tell off some of his own party. Of course they will go well armed." 60 BACK AT OLEN OAIRN Half riding in the cart and half walking by turns, the party reached Glen Cuirn late in the afternoon. The news of the fall of Lanark had already penetrated even to that quiet village, and there was great excitement as Archie and his party came in. One of Wallace's messengers had passed through, and many of the men were preparing to join him. Dame Forbes was at once proud and grieved when Archie told her of the share which he had had in the street fray at Lanark, and in the capture of the town. She was proud that her son should so distinguish himself, grieved that he should, at so young an age, have become committed to a movement of whose success she had but little hope. However, she could not blame him, as it seemed as if his course had been forced upon him. She agreed to start early the next morning. It was well for Archie that he had brought a guard with him, for before he had been an hour in the hold a boy ran in from hhe village saying that a party of the Kerrs was close ao hand, and would be there in a few minutes. Archie set his men at once to pile up a barri- cade of stones breast-high at the outer gate, and took his position there with his men. He had scarcely completed his preparations when the trampling of horses was heard and a party of ten men, two of whom bore torches, headed by young Allan Kerr, rode up. They drew rein abruptly as they saw the barricade with the line of pikes behind it. " What want you here, Allan Kerr?" Archie said. " I came in search of you, little traitor," young Kerr replied angrily. "Here I am," Archie said; "T^rhy don't you come and take me?" Allan saw that the number of the defenders of the gate exceeded that of his own party, and -there might, for aught he knew, be more within. I If ▲ BOOTLESS ERRAND. 61 Kerr le and |e gate it, for " I will take you to-morrow," he said. " To-morrow never comes," Archie replied with a laugh. " Your father thought to take me yesterday. How is the good knight? Not suffering, I trust, greatly either in body or temper?" •* You shall repent this, Archibald Forbes," Allan Kerr exclaimed furiously. " It will be my turn next time." And turning his horse he rode off at full speed, attended by his followers. " We had best start at once. Master Archie," Sandy Graham said: "it is eight miles to the Kerrs' hold, and when Allan Kerr returns there you may be sure they will call out their vassals and will be here betimes in the morning. Best get another cart from the village, for your men are weary and footsore, seeing that since yesterday even they have been marching without ceasing. Elspie will by this time have got supper ready. There was a row of ducks and chickens on the spit when I came away." " That were best, Sandy. Do you see to their comforts, and aid my mother pack up such things as she most values, and I will go myself down to the village for the cart, for I wish to speak with some there." Archie had no difficulty in engaging two carts, as he thought that one would be needed for his mother and what possessions she might take. Then he went from house to house and saw his old companions, and told them of his plans, which filled them with delight. Having done this he returned to the hold, hastily eat the supper which had been put aside for him, and then saw that his mother's chests, which contained all her possessions save a few articles of heavy furniture, were placed in one of the carts. A bed was then laid on its floor upon which she could sit comfortably. Elspie mounted with her. «ij 62 abchie's band. i n Archie, Sandy, and the men took their places in the other carts, and the party drove off. They had no fear of interruption, for the Kerrs, ignorant of the number who had arrived with Archie at Glen Cairn, would not venture to attack until they had gathered a considerable force, and would not be likely to set out till morning, and long before that time Dame Forbes would have arrived at her sister's. The journey was indeed performed without incident, the escort leaving them when within two or three miles of Lanark, and making their way direct to the craigs, whither Archie, the moment he had seen his mother safely at Sir Robert Gordon's, returned. He did not mount the craig, but wrapping himself in his cloak lay down at its foot. As soon as it was daylight he walked out a mile on the road towards Glen Cairn. He soon saw a party approach- ing in military order. They halted when they reached him. They were twenty in number, and were the lads of his band at Glen Cairn, ranging between the ages of six- teen and eighteen. They had originally been stronger, but some of the elders had already joined Wallace's fol- lowers. "Now," Archie said, "I can explain matters farther than I did last night. I have procured arms for you all, and I hope that you will have opportunities of using them. But though some of you are old enough to join Wallace's band, there are others whom he might not deem fit to take part in such desperate enterprises. Therefore at first make but little show of your arms. I shall present you to Sir William, telling him that I have brought you hither to serve as messengers, and to enter towns held by the English and gather news, seeing that lads would be less suspected than men. But I propose farther, what i INSTRUCTIONS. 63 you Id by Id be rhat I shall not teli him, that you shall form a sort of body- guard to him. He takes not sufficient care of himself, and is ever getting into perils. I propose that without his knowing it, you shall be ever at hand when he goes into danger of this sort, and may thus prevent his falling into the hands of his enemies. Now, mind, lads, this is a great and honourable mission. You must be discreet as well as brave, and ready all of you to give your lives, if need be, for that of Scotland's champion. Your work as messengers and scouts will be arduous and wearisome. You must be quiet and well-behaved — re- member that boys' tricks and play are out of place among men engaged in a desperate enterprise. Mingle not much with the others. Be active and prompt in obeying orders, and be assured that you will have opportunities of win- ning great honour and credit, and of having your full share of hard knocks. You will, as before, be divided into two companies, William Orr and Andrew Macpher- son being your lieutenants in my absence. You will obey their orders as implicitly as mine. Cluny, you have, I suppose, brought, as I bade you last night, some of youi sister's garments?" "Yes, Sir Archie," the boy, who was fair and slight, said, with a smile on his face. " That is right. I know you are as hearty and strong as the rest; but seeing that your face is the smoothest and softest of any, you will do best should we need one in disguise as a girl. And now come with me. I will show you where your arms are placed; but at present you must not take them. If I led you as an armed band to Wallace he might deem j'^ou too young. I must present you merely as lads whom I know to be faithful and trustworthy, and who are willing to act as messengers and scouts to his forca" 64 A CORPS OF MESSBNQER& So saying Archie led the band to the thicket where he had placed their arms, and the lads were pleased when they saw the pikes, swords, and head-pieces. Then he led them up the craig to Wallace. "Why, whom have you here?" Sir William exclaimed in surprise. " This will not do, Sir Archie. All lads are not like yourself, and were I to take such boys into my ranks I should have all the mothers in Scotland calling out against me." "I have not brought them to join your ranks, Sir William, although many of them are stout fellows who might do good service at a pinch. I have brought them to act as messengers and scouts. They can carry orders whithersoever you may have occasion to send. They can act as scouts to warn you of the approach of an enemy; or if you need news of the state of any of the enemy's garrisons, they can go thither and enter without being suspected, when a man might be questioned and stopped. They are all sons of my father's vassals at Glen Cairn, and I can answer for their fidelity. I will take them specially under my own charge, and you will ever have a fleet and active messenger at hand when you desire to send an order." "The idea is not a bad one," Sir William replied; "and in such way a lad may well do the work of a man. Very well. Sir Archie, since you seem to have set your mind upon it I will not say nay. At any-rate we can give the matter a trial, understanding that you take the charge of them and are responsible for them in all ways. Now, lads," he said turning, " you have heard that your lord, for he is your rightful lord, and will, if Scotland gains the day, be your real lord again, has answered for you. It is no boys' play in which you have taken service, for the English, if they conquer us, will show no further mercy • i 1 . THB ENCAMPMENT. to you than to othera of my band r ^ *' that you are all prepared, itl^t i ^"^y'^^^ then Is this so?" ^ ^'"'®' t" dje for Scotland "fcr;;--si!t.r'""'^<"°sether. do you fix a plac; for the^ enl^*^' 7°^- ^» An^hie, other arrangements as you mZX^T^""^ '"«''« ««* course, draw rations and ot^.? *'^"'^ '^'- Y»" will, of 'e^lar member of thrw- "'"^"'^^ ^r them as ;hoaet;otrerthrwot'r, ^Tf ""^ -'«»' -<> Jt was a small piece of Zl^' *':"'>" the others, which wound at the foot ofZ 1?' ''^ .^^ ">« «"«''"' 't was necessary to wade knee Z^Iv" "'"' *° '^"^h li This was no inconvenience t'^P ^^""^^ *" ^«'«-- was common with the^ la^'^J'''':'.'^' »* whom, as tomed to go barefoot olthT.^J^ ''"■«' "'^^ «ccus- «>rt of sandaL Bush es *« "f t d '^ '""l"""^ ^O''^ « capable of containing tCm Th. "'r'' "'■'»"" ""«le distance from the foot of tt nih ^?J "^"^ *"" » '"tie i-rg^^ei^tr^^^^^^^^^ ''' -^^ "Pon the path, and the miT'^b^'^ '" '"'^P '"'^ ^^^ was seen to leave, the nexTu^on tb^ r T °" '•"'^ ^t^ve take his place. None wlw ''*' ^«« to go up and but all were to remaS^ ^''^'"^""der "bo^t the wo^"* ^f t be required, ^et tSanr ""^ -^"'^ "'''* anil them constantly at fbl- """'^"ants were charg-ed to day. and four we. to Cos^ fit ^Is^t^: 66 THE SCOTS GATHER FAST. I roads leading towards the craigs to give warning of the approach of any enemies. These were to be relieved every six hours. They were to be entirely unarmed, and none were to issue from the camp with arms except when specially ordered. Having made these arrangements, and taking with him one of the band as the first on duty above, he rejoined Wallace at his post on the craigs. Wallace's numbers now increased fast. On hearing of the fall of Lanark, and on the receipt of the proclamation calling upon all true Scotchmen to join him in his effort to deliver their country from its yoke, the people began to flock in in great numbers. Richard Wallace of Riccarton and Robert Boyd came in with such force as they could collect from Kyle and Cunningham, among whom were not less than 1000 horsemen. Sir John Grahame, Sir John of Tinto, and Auchinleck assembled about 3000 mounted troops and a large number of foot, many of whom, however, were imperfectly armed. Sir Ronald Crawford, Wallace's uncle, being so close to Ayr, could not openly join him, but secretly sent reinforcements and money. Many other gentlemen joined with their fol- lowers. The news of the fall of Lanark and of the numbers who were flocking to join Wallace paralysed the com- manders of the English garrisons, and for a time no steps were taken against him; but news of the rising was in- stantly sent to King Edward, who, furious at this fresh trouble in Scotland, which he had deemed finally con- quered, instantly commenced preparations for another in- vasion. A body of troops was at once sent forward from England, and, being strengthened by bodies drawn from all the garrisons, assembled at Biggar. The army was commanded by the Earl of Kent. Heralds were sent to K \ I of the jlieved jd, and bwhen th him BJoin**d ring o£ .mation lS effort iBgan to Lccarton y could •m were ,me, Sir it 3000 lany of Konald [r, could ints and eir fol- lumbers Le com- ^o steps iras in- ia fresh ly con- Iher in- |d from In from Ly was sent to PREPARINQ FOR BATTLB. 67 Wallace offering him not only pardon but an honourable post if he would submit, but warning him that if he re- fused this offer he should, when taken, be treated as a rebel and hung. Wallace briefly refused submission, and said that he should be ready to give battle on the following morning. At daybreak the army : 1 1 forth, divided into three parts. Wallace, with Boyd and Auchinleck, commanded one; Sir John Grahame, with Wallace of Riccarton, the second; Sir Walter of Newbigging, with his son David and Sir John Clinto, the third. The cavalry were placed in front. The footmen, being imperfectly armed and dis- ciplined, and therefore unable to withstand the first charge of the English, followed the cavalry. Before marching forward Wallace called the com- manders round him and charged them earnestly to re- strain their men from plunder until the contest was de- cided, pointing out that many a battle had been lost owing* to the propensity of those who gained the first advantage to scatter for plunder. Just as the Scotch v/ere moving, a body of 800 horsemen, well armed and equipped, from Annandale and Eskdale, led by Halliday, Kirkpatrick, and Jardine, joined them; and with this ac- cession of strength they marched forward confidently against the enemy. CHAPTER V. A TREACHEROUS PLOT. f rapid was the advance of Wallace's army that the English had scarce time to form when they were upon them. The Scotch charged with extreme impetuosity among the English ranks, directing the onslaught principally against the centre, commanded by the Earl of Kent. The English resisted stoutly; but the Earl of Kent was struck down by Wallace himself, and was witk diffi- culty borne off the field; and after severe fighting, the whole English army was thrown into disorder and took to flight. Some hundreds were killed in the action,. and many more in the pursuit which followed; this, how- ever, Wallace would not allow to be pushed too far lest •the fugitives should rally and turn. Then the victorious Scots returned to the English camp. In this was found a great abundance of provisions, arms, and other valuable booty. Many of the cattle were killed, and a sumptuous feast prepared. Then Wallace had the whole of the spoil carried off into a place of safety in the heart of a neighbouring bog, and he himself fell back to that shelter. In the morning the English, who had rallied when the pursuit had ceased, again advanced, hoping to find • my that len they ed with h ranks, inst the Lt. >f Kent tk diffi- ing, the id took on,, and 3, how- far lest torious is was I other and a whole 5 heart ;o that when find f fBB BATTLB 0» BIBOAR m the night TheV MoyTl"^ """^ -"ir^orceleZ days battle, and at lair,./ ^^ '"^"^ "' '^e previous a^-^y. Wallace at first J^"' !f ''^ht of the sTrh »«yed at their sLerbr ftrr^.^' """^ ">«"' <« itZ «'here, in order to reach^! ""?">;, '•«««d to the pott ""^ a portion of thTb„f 'tL!':'' f^''^^ -»"« have ?„ moss and lon« ^arl of the Earl of Lancaster Zfh tT "'® '^^''e killed, and once retreated south and ! Z^'"™" °^ his for^e at , Archie had taken no n.T?'''? '''^ border. '' " ^ad «ked him ZZ^^ Z^d f L^f «• Wallace ^Se^^rSr--^-^^^^^ Pikemen, and formed thl ■ '''* » hundred or J ^hateverhappenedLktnl'".,"'^^^' ^-h'-rting them TO WALLACE PROCLAIMED WARDEN. i. ►n good service, ap he end his lightly armed footmen were able to cross the bog in places impracticable to the dis- mounted men-at-arms in their heavy accoutrements. The 'ictor- of Biggar still further swelled Wallace's forces. S5r ■ iiliani Douglas joined him, and other gentle- men. A i i i>; , leeting was held at Forest Kirk, when all the leadoi : ot 'A^l lace's force were present; and these agreed to acknowledge him as general of the Scottish forces against England, with the title of Warden of Scotland. King Edward was at this time busied with his wars in France, and was unable to despatch an army capable of eifecting the reconquest of that portion of Scotland now held by Wallace; and as the English forces in the various gaiTisons were insufficient for such a purpose, the Earl of Percy and the other leaders proposed a truce. This was agreed to. Although Wallace was at the head of a considerable force. Sir William Douglas was the only one among the Scottish nobles of importance who had joined him; and although the successes which he had gained were considerable, but little had been really done towards freeing Scotland, all of whose strong places were still in the hands of the English, and King Edward had not as yet really put out his strength. The greater portion of the army of Wallace was now dispersed. Shortly afterwards the governor of Ayr issued a notice that a great council would be held at that town, and all the Scotch gentlemen of importance in the district were desired to attend. Wallace was one of those invited; and deeming that the governor might have some propo- sition of Edward to lay before them, he agreed to do so. Although a truce had been arranged, he himself with a band of his most devoted followers still remained under arms in the forest, strictly keeping the truce, but holding i » 1 / 1 were le dis- 9. tllace's rentle- hen all [ these I forces and. vrars in able of id now (various le Earl This lead of le only ho had had y done s were rd had IS now notice md all t were ivited; propo- do so. ith a under lolding TUB COUNCIL AT AYR. 71 communications with his friends throuf^hout the country, urging them to make evuiy preparation, by collecting arms and exercising their vassals, to take the field with a better appointed force at the conclusion of the truce. Provisions and money were in abundance, so large had been the captures ettbcted; but Wallace was so accus- tomed to the free life of the woods that he , .> ^-^rred to remain there to taking up his abode in a ^>c\/n More- over, here he was safe from treachery; fr. he i.jih sure that although the English nobles and Ir ...^r>s would be incapable of breaking a truce, yet that tl ere were many of lower degree who would not hesitate v*^. pny deed of treachery by which they might gain rewu,fu and credit from their king. Archie's band were found of the greatest service as messengers; and although he sometimes spent a few days at Sir Robert Gordon's with his mother, he I generally remained by the side of Wallace. The spot \ where the Scottish leader was now staying lay about half-way between Lanark and Ayr. Archie heard with uneasiness the news of the approach- ing council, and Wallace's acceptance of the invitation. The fact that the Earl of Percy, a very noble knight and gentleman, had been but lately recalled from the governor- ship of Ayr and had been replaced by one of some- what low degree, Arlouf of Southampton, still further increased his doubts. It seemed strange that the gover- norship of so important a town — a post deemed fitting for Earl Percy — should be bestowed on such a man, were it not that one was desired who would not hesitate to perform an action from which any honourable English gentleman would shrink. Two days before the day fixed for the council he called Cluny Campbell and another lad named Jock Farrel to him. 73 SENDINO OUT SPIES. "1 have a most important mission for you," he said. "You have heard of the coming council at Ayr. I wish to find out if any evil is intended by the governor. For this purpose you two will proceed thither. You Cluny will put on the garments which you brought with you ; while you Jock had best go as his brother. Here is money. On your way procure baskets and buy chickens and eggs, and take them in with you to sell. Go hither and thither among the soldiers and hear what they say. Gather whether among the townspeople there is any thought that foul play may be intended by the English. Two of the band will accompany you to within a mile of Ayr, and will remain there in order that you may from time to time send news by them of aught that you have gathered. Remember that the safety of Wallace, and with it the future of Scotland, may depend upon your care and vigilance. I would myself have undertaken the task ; but the Kerrs are now, I hear, in Ayr, and a chance meeting might ruin all; for whatever the truce between English and Scotch, they would assuredly keep no truce with me did they meet me. Mind, it is a great honour that I have done you in choosing you, and is a proof that I regard you as two of the shrewdest of my band, al- though the youngest among them." Greatly impressed with the importance of their mission, the lads promised to use their utmost vigilance to dis- cover the intentions of the governor; and a few minutes later, Cluny being attired in his sister's clothes, and looking, as Archie laughingly said, " a better looking girl than she was herself," they started for Ayr, accompanied by two of their companions. They were to remain there until the conclusion of the council, but their companions would be relieved every six hours. Upon their way they procured two baskets, which they filled with eggs and I PREPARATIONS AT THE BARNS. 73 lonour )f that id. al- chickens; and then, leaving their comrades a mile outside Ayr, fearlessly entered the town. The council was to take place in a large wooden build- ing some short distance outside the town, which was principally chosen because it was thought by the governor that the Scotch gentlemen would have less reluctance to meet him there than if they were asked to enter a city with a strong garrison of English. The Hrst day the lads succeeded in finding out nothing which could give any countenance to suspicion that treachery was intended. They had agreed to work sepa- rately, and each mingled among the groups of citizens and soldiers, where the council was the general topic of con- versation. There was much wonder and speculation as to the object for which the governor had summoned it, and as to the terms which he might be expected to propound, but to none did the idea of treachery or foul play in any way occur; and when at night they left the town and sent off their message to Archie, the lads could only say that all seemed fair and honest, and that none either of the townspeople or soldiers appeared to have the least expectation of trouble arising at the council. The following morning they agreed that Jock should hang round the building in which the council was to be held, and where preparations for the meeting and for a banquet which was afterwards to take place were being made, while Cluny should continue his inquiries within the walls. Jock hid away his basket and joined those looking on at the preparations. Green boughs were being carried in for decorating the walls, tables, and benches for the banquet. These were brought from the town in country carts, and a party of soldiers under the command of an officer carried them in and ^ rranged them. Several of the rustics looking on gave their aid in carrying in the 74 A BrrSTERIOUS CONVERSATION. tables, in order that they might take home to their wives an account of the appearance of the place where the grand council was to be held. Jock thrust himself forward, and seizing a bundle of green boughs, entered the barn. Certainly there was nothing here to justify any suspicions. The soldiers were laughing and joking as they made the arrangements; clean rushes lay piled against a wall in readiness to strew over the floor at the last moment; boughs had been nailed against the walls, and the tables and benches were sufficient to accommodate a consider- able number. Several times Jock passed in and out, but still without gathering a word to excite his suspicions. Presently Arlouf himself, a powerful man with a forbid- ding countenance, rode up and entered the barn. He approached the officer in command of the preparations; and Jock, pretending to be busy in carrying his boughs, managed to keep near so as to catch something of their conversation. "Is everything prepared, Harris?" "Yes, sir; another half -hour s work will complete every- thing." "Do you think that is strong enough?" the governor asked. "Ay; strong enough for half-a-dozen of these half- starved Scots." " One at a time will do," the governor said; and then, after a few more words, left the barn and rode off to Ayr. Jock puzzled his head in vain over the meaning of the words he had heard. The governor had while speaking been facing the door; but to what he alluded, or what it was that the officer had declared strong enough to hold half-a- dozen Scots, Jock could not in the slightest degree make out. Still the words were strange and might be im- \ ir wives ko grand Eird, and le barn, jpicions. lade the wall in noment; e tables onsider- out, but jpicions. , forbid- rn. He irations; boughs, of their every- )vemor a half- l then, de off of the been tit was mlf-a- Imake im- THB governor's HOUSBL 75 portant; and he resolved, directly the preparations were finished and the place closed, so that there could be no chance of his learning more, to return himself to Archie instead of sending a message, as much might depend upon his repeating, word for word, what ho had heard, as there was somehow, he felt, a significance in the manner in which the question ^ad been asked and answered more than in the words themselves. Cluny had all day endeavoured in vain to gather any news. He had the day before sold some of his eggs and chickens at the governor's house, and towards evening he determined again to go thither and to make an attempt to enter the house, where he had heard that the officers of the garrison were to be entertained that evening at a banquet. " If I could but overhear what is said there, my mind would be at rest. Certainly nothing is known to the soldiers; but it may well be that if treachery is in- tended to-morrow, the governor will this evening explain his plans to his officers." He had, before entering the town, again filled up his basket with the unsold portion of Jock's stock, for which the latter had no further occasion. The cook at the governor's, when he had purchased the eggs on the previous day, had bade him call again, as Cluny 's prices were considerably below those in the market. It was late ir the afternoon when he again approached the house. The sentry at the gate asked no question, seeing a girl with a basket, and Cluny went round again to the door of the kitchen. " How late you are, girl!" the cook said angrily. " You told me you would come again to-day, and I relied upon you, and when you did not come it was too late, for the market was closed." "I was detained, sir," Cluny said, dropping a curtsey; "W 76 IN HmiNO. "my mother is ii!, and I had to look after the children and get the dinner before they went away." "There, don't waste time talking," the cook said, snatching the basket from him. "I have no time to count the eggR now; let me know the tale of them and the chickens ao the same price as you charged yesterday, and come for your money to-morrow; I have no time to pay now. Here," he called to one of the scullions, "take ' out these eggs and chickens quickly, but don't break any, and give the basket to the girl here." So saying he hurried off to attend to his cooking. Cluny looked round. But three paces away a half-open door led into the interior of the house. His resolution was taken in a moment. Seeing that none were looking at him he stole through the door, his bare feet falling noiselessly on the stones. He was now in a spacious hall. On one side was an open door, and within was a large room with tables spread for a banquet. Cluny entered at once and looked round for a place of concealment; none was to be seen. Table-cloths in those days were almost unknown luxuries. The tables were supported by trestles, and were so narrow that there was no possi- bility of hiding beneath them; nor were there hangings or other furniture behind which he could be concealed. With a beating heart he turned the handle of a door leading into another apartment, and found himself in a long and narrow room, used apparently as the private office of the governor. There were many heavy chairs in the room, ranged along the wall, and Cluny crouched in a corner by the window beside a chair standing there. The concealment was a poor one, and one searching would instantly detect him ; but he had no fear of a search, for he doubted not that the cook, on missing him, would sup- pose that he had left at once, intending to call for his .1 •1 THE BANQUET. 77 sealed, door If in a [rivate [chairs luched Ithere. rould 1, for sup- \r his money and basket together the next morning. It was already growing dusk, and should no one enter the room for another half hour he would be hidden in the shadow in the corner of the room; but it was more probable still that no one would enter. The time passed slowly on, and the darkness rapidly increased. Through the door, which Cluny had drawn to but had not tightly closed on entering, he could hear the voices of the servants as they moved about and completed the preparations in the banquet-hall. Presently all was quiet, but a faint light gleaming in through the crack of the door showed that the lights were lit and that all was in readiness for the banquet. Half an hour later and there was a heavy trampling of feet and the sound of many voices. The door was suddenly closed, and Cluny had no doubt that the dinner was beginning. Rising to his feet he made to the door and listened attentively. A confused din met his ears, but no distinct words were audible. He could occasionally faintly hear the clattering of plates and the clinking of glasses. All this continued for nigh two hours, and then a sudden quiet seemed to fall upon the assembly. Cluny heard the door close, and guessed that the banquet was at an end and the servitors dismissed. Now, if ever, would something of importance be said within, and Cluny would have given his life to be able to hear it. Many times he thought of turning the handle and opening the door an inch or two. Locks in those daj'-s were but roughly made; the slightest sound might attract attention, and in that case not only would his own life be forfeited, but no news of the governor's intentions — no matter what they might be — could reach Wallace; so, almost holding his breath, he lay on the ground and listened with his car to the sill of the door. The silence was succeeded by a steady monotonous 78 TREACHERY 1 sound as of one addressing the others. Cluny groaned in spirit, for no word could he hear. After some minutes the murmur ceased, and then many voices were raised together; then one rose above the rest, and then, distinct and clear, came a voice evidently raised in anger. "As you please, Master Hawkins; but if you disobey my orders, as King Edward's governor here, you will take the consequences. I shall at once place you in durance, and shall send report to the king of your muti- nous conduct." "Be that as it may," another voice replied; "whatever befall me, I tell you, sir, that Thomas Hawkins will take no part in an act of such foul and dastardly treachery. I am a soldier of King Edward. 1 am paid to draw my sword against his enemies, and not to do the bloody work of a murderer." "Seize him!" the governor shouted. "Give him in charge to the guard, to lay in the castle dungeon." There was a movement of feet now heard, but Cluny waited no longer. The angry utterances had reached his ear, and knowing that his mission was accomplished he thought only now of escape before detection might take place. He had noticed when he entered the room that the windows were, as was usually the case with rooms on the lower floors, barred ; but he saw also that the bars were wide enough apart for a lad of his slimness to crawl through. The banqueting- room was raised three steps above the hall, and the room that he was in was upon the same level; the window was four feet from the floor, and would therefore be probably seven or eight above the ground without, which would account for its not being more closely barred. He speedily climbed up to it and thrust himself through the bars, but not without immense difficulty and great destruction to his feminine garments. ^ \ iS h ESCAPING FROM AYR. 79 )emg and lense Lents. ■1 "Poor Janet!" Cluny laughed to himself as he dropped from the window to the ground. "Whatever would she say were she to see the state of her kirtle and petticoats!" The moon was young, but the light was sufficient to enable Cluny to see where he was. The window opened into a lane which ran down by the side of the governor's house, and he was soon in the principal street Already most of the citizens were within their houses. A few, provided with lanterns, were picking their way along the uneven pavement. Cluny knew that it was impossible for him to leave the town that night; he would have given anything for a rope by which he might lower him- self from the walls, but there was no possibility of his obtaining one. The appearance of a young girl wander- ing in the streets alone at night would at once have attracted attention and remarks. So Cluny withdrew into a d'^xk archway, and then sat down until the general silence told him that all had retired to rest. Then he made his way along the street until he neared the gate- way, and there lying down by the wall he went to rleep. When the gate was opened in the morning Cluny waited until a few persons had passed in and out and then approached it. "Hallo! lass," the sergeant of the guard, who was standing there, said. "You are a pretty figure with your torn clothes! Why, what has happened to you ?" "If you please, sir," Cluny said timidly, "I was selling my eggs to the governor's cook, and he kept me waiting, and I did not know that it was so late, and when I got to the gates they were shut, and I had nowhere to go; and then, please sir, as I was wandering about a rough soldier seized me and wanted to kiss me, and of course I would not let him, and in the struggle he tore my clothes dread- fully; and some burghers, who heard me scream, came up 80 A WILD FIGURE. and the man left me, and one of the burghers let me sleep in his kitchen, and I don't know what mother will say to my clothes;" and Cluny lifted the hem of his petticoat to his eyes, " It is a shame, lass," the sergeant said good-temperedly ; "an I had been there I would have broke the fellow's sconce for him ; but another time, lass, you should not over- stay the hour; it is not good for young girls to be ro I ' M THE MURDERED. 85 expected, there was no longer motive for secrecy, and the truth was openly told. Each man as he entered was stopped just inside the door. A noose was dropped over his neck, and he was hauled up to a hook over the door. All who entered are dead." A cry of indignation and rage broke from Wallace and those standing round him, and the Scottish leader again repeated his oath to take a bloody vengeance for the deed. "And who are among the murdered?" he asked, after a pause. "Alas! Sir William," Grahame said, "your good uncle. Sir Ronald Crawford, the Sheriff of Ayr, is one; and also Sir Richard Wallace of Riccartoun; Sir Bryce Blair, and Sir Neil Montgomery, Boyd, Barclay, Steuart, Kennedy, and many others." Wallace was overwhelmed with grief at the news that both his uncles, to whom he was greatly attached, had perished. Most of those around had also lost relatives and friends, and none could contain their grief and indig- nation. " Was my uncle, Sir Robert Gordon, among the victims?" Archie inquired. "No," Sir John replied; "happily he was one of the last who came along the road." "Thank God for that!" Archie said earnestly; "my uncle's slowness has saved his life. He was ever late for business or pleasure, and my aunt was always rating him for his unpunctuality. She will not do so again, for assuredly it has saved his life." The men came in but slowly, for the bands had all dis- persed to their homes, and it was only those who lived within a few miles who could arrive in time. Little over fifty men had come in by the hour named. With these Ml III i 86 THE ASSEMBLY. Wallace started at once towards Ayr. Archie's band fell in with their arms, for thoy too burned to reven;^o the massacre, and Wallace did not refuse Archie's request that they might join. " Let them come," he said; " we shall want every sword and pike to-night." This was the first time that Wallace had scon the band under arms, for at the battle of Biggar, Archie had kept them from his sight, fearing that he might order them from the field. " They look well, Sir Archie, and in good military order. Hitherto I have regarded them but as messengers, and as such they have done good service indeed; but I see now that you have them in good order, and that they can do other service on a pinch." One member of Wallace's band was loft behind, with orders to wait until seven o'clock, and then to bring on as fast as they could march all who might arrive before that hour. The band marched to within a mile of the barns. They then halted at a stack of straw, and sat down while one of Archie's band went forward to see what was being done. He reported that a great feast, at which the gov- ernor and all the officers of the garrison, with other English dwelling in town, were present, was just begin- ning in the great barn where the massacre had taken place. Soon after nine o'clock the man who had been left behind, with ten others, who had come in after Wallace had marched, came up. Each man, by Wallace's direc- tions, drew a great truss of straw from the stack, and then the party, now eighty in all, marched towards the barn. Wallace's instructions were that so soon as the work had fairly begun, Grahame, with Archie and half the band, was to hurry off to seize the gate of Ayr, feigning to be a portion of the guard at the barn. I \ THE AVENGERS OF BLOOD. 87 md fell itro the reijuest T sword \Q band id kept sr them y order. , and as SCO now can do id, with iLT on as >re that bains. In while s being be ffov- other begin- place. m left /^allace direc- |d then barn. \k had band, to be When they approached the spot they saw that the wooden building was brightly lit up with lights within, and the English guard, some iil'ty in number, were stand- ing carelessly without, or, seated round fires, were car- ousing on wine which hod been sent out by the revellers within. The Scotch stole up quietly. Wallace's party, composed of half the strength, handed their bundles of straw to the men of Grahame's company, tlien with a sudden shout they fell upon the English soldiers, while Grahame's men, running straight to the door of the barn, threw down their trusses of straw against it, and Sir John, snatch- ing down a torch which burned beside the entrance, applied fire to the mass, and then, without a moment's delay, started at a run towards the town Taken wholly by surprise the English soldiers were slain by Wallace and his men almost before they had time to seize their arms. Then the Scots gathered round the barn. The flames were already leaping up high, and a terrible din of shouts and cries issued from within. The doors had been opened now, but those within were unable to force their way across the blazing mass of straw. Many appeared at the windows and screamed for mercy, and some leapt out, preferring to fall by the Scottish swords rather than to await death by fire within. The flames rose higher and higher, and soon the whole building was enveloped, and ere many minutes all those who had carried out, if not planned, the massacre of Ayr had perished. In the m antime Grahame and his party had reached the gate of Ayr. Bidding the others follow him at a distance of about a hundred yards, he himself, with Archie and ten of his followers, ran up at full speed. '* Quick !" he shouted to the sentry on the gate. "Lower ^. %,^. IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 1.0 I.I |iO ""^^ M^H £ U£ 12.0 IL25 llll 1.4 m 1.6 Photographic Sciences Corporation m \ ^ :\ \ o"^ ■i3 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580 (716) S72-4503 -A.^- mj > '-!^ ? ^ ^ 88 OAPTUBB OF THB OATB OF ATB. the bridge and let us in. We have been attacked by Wallace and the Scots, and they will speedily be here." The attention of the guard had already been attracted by the sudden burst of light by the barns. They had heard distant shouts, and deemed that a conflagration had broken out in the banqueting-kalL Not doubting for an instant the truth of Grahame's story, they lowered the drawbridge instantly, and Sir John and his companions rushed across. The guard were only undeceived when Grahame and his followers fell upon them with their heavy broads swords. They had left their arms behind when they had assembled on the walls to look at the distant flames, and were cut down to a man by the Scots. By this time the rest of Grahame's band had arrived. So short and speedy had been the struggle that no alarm had been given in the town. The inmates of a few houses near opened their windows and looked out. " Come down as quickly as you may," Sir John said to them; "we have taken Ayr." Several of the burghers were soon in the street. "Now," Sir John said, "do two of you who know the town well go with me and point out the houses in which the Eng- lish troops are quartered; let the others go from house to house, and bid every man come quickly with his sword to strike a blow for freedom." Sir John now went round the town with the guides ard posted two or more men at the door of each house occu- pied by the English. Soon the armed citizens flocked into the streets, and when suflficient were assembled the blow- ing of a horn gave the signal. The doors of the houses were beaten in with axes, and, pouring in, the Scotch slew the soldiers before they had scarce awakened from sleep. Very few of the English in the town escaped to I il \i NBWS FROM OLEN OAIRN. 89 : 1 I ™i t ; ' i tell of the terrible retaliation which had been taken for the massacre of Ayr. One of the few who were saved was Captain Thomas Hawkins. Archie, mindful of the part which he had taken, and to which, indeed, the discovery of the gover- nor's intention was due, had hurried direct to the prison, and when this was, with the rest of the town, taken, discovered the English officer in chains in a dungeon, and protected him from all molestation. The next morning he was brought before Wallace, who expressed to him his admiration of the honourable course which he had adopted, gave him a rich present out of the booty which had been captured, and placed him on a ship bound for England. A week after the capture of Ayr one of Archie's band came into his hut. Tears were running down his cheeks, and his face was swollen with weeping. " What is it, Jock?" Archie asked kindly. "Ah! Sir Archie! we have bad news from Glen Cairn. One has come hither who says that a few days since the Kerrs, with a following of their own retainers, came down to the village. Having heard that some of us had fol- lowed you to the wars, they took a list of all that were missing, and Sir John called our fathcra up before him. They all swore, truly enough, that they knew nought of our intentions, and that we had left without saying a word to them. Sir John refused to believe them, and at first threatened to hang them all. Then after a time he said they might draw lots, and that two should die. My father and Allan Cunninghame drew the evil numbers, and Kerr hung them up to the old tree on the green and put fire to the roof- trees of all the others. Ahl but there is weeping and wailing in Glen Cairn!" Archie was for a while speechless with indignation. 90 Archie's determination. He knew well that this wholesale vengeance had not been taken by the Kerrs because the sons of the cottagers of Glen Cairn had gone to join the army of Wallace, but because he deemed them to be still attached to their old lord ; and it was to their fidelity to the Forbeses rather than to Scotland that they owed the ruin which had befallen them. " My poor Jock!" he said, " I am grieved, indeed, at this misfortune. I cannot restore your father's life, but I can from the spoils of Ayr send a sufficient sum to Glen Cairn to rebuild the cottages which the Kerrs have destroyed. But this will not be enough — we will have vengeance for the foul deed. Order the band to assemble at dusk this evening, and t^ell Orr and Macpherson to come here to me at once." Archie had a long consultation with his two young lieutenants, whose fathers' cottages had with the others been destroyed. "What we have to do," Archie said, "we must do alone. Sir William has ample employment for his men, and I can- not ask him to weaken his force to aid me in a private broil; nor, indeed, would any aid short of his whole band be of use, seeing that the Kerrs can put three hundred retainers in the field. It is not by open force that we must fight them, but by fire and harassment Fighting is out of the question; but we can do him some damage without giving him a chance of striking a blow at us. As he has lighted Glen Cairn, so shall he see fires blazing round his own castle of Aberfilly. We will not retaliate by hang- ing his crofters and vassals; but if he or any of his men- at-arms falls into our hands, we will have blood for blood." In the course of the afternoon Archie saw his chief and begged leave to take his troop away for some time, telling Sir William of the cruel treatment which the . i \ ( WALLACE'S COUNSEL. 91 f Esrrs had dealt at Glen Cairn, and his determination to retaliate for the deed. "AberfiUy is a strong castle, Archie," Wallace said; "at least so people say, for I have never seen it, so far does it lie removed from the main roads. But unless by strata- gem, I doubt if my force is strong enough to capture it; nor would I attack were I sure of capturing it without the loss of a man. The nobles and land-owners stand aloof from me; but it may be that after I have wrested some more strong places from the English, they may join me. But I would not on any account war against one of them now. Half the great families are united by ties of blood or marriage. The Kerrs, we know, are related to the Comyns and other powerful families; and did I lift a hand against them, adieu to my chance of being joined by the great nobles. No; openly hostile as many of them are, I must let them go their v/ay, and confine my efforts to attacking their friends the English. Then they will have no excuse of personal feud for taking side against the cause of Scotland. But this does not apply to you. Everyone knows that there has long been a blood feud between the Forbeses and the Kerrs, and any damage you may do them will be counted as a private feud. I think it is a rash adventure that you are undertaking with but a handful of boys, although it is true that a boy can fire a roof or drive off a bullock as well as a man. However, this I will promise you, that if you should get into any scrape I will come with what speed I can to your rescue, even if it embroil me with half the nobles of Scotland. You embroiled yourself with all the power of England in my behalf, and you will not find me slack in the hour of need. But if I join in the fray it is to rescue my friend Archie Forbes, and not to war against John Kerr, the ally of the English, and my own enemy." 92 A BIESSAOE OF DEHANOB. ■^ . Archie warmly thanked his leader, but assured him that he had no thought of placing himself in any great peril. " I am not going to fight," he said, " for the Kerr and his retainers could eat us up; we shall trust to our legs and our knowledge of the mountains." After dark Archie and his band started, and arrived within ten miles of AberfiUy on the following morning. They rested till noon, and then again set out. When they approached one of the outlying farms of the Kerrs, Archie halted his band, and, accompanied by four of the stoutest and tallest of their number, went on to the crofter's house. The man came to the door. " What would you, young sir?" he said to Archie. " I would," Archie said, " that you bear a message from me to your lord." ** I know not what your message may be; but frankly, I would rather that you bore it yourself, especially if it be of a nature to anger Sir John." "The message is this," Arohie said quietly: "tell him that Archibald Forbes bids him defiance, and that he will retort upon him and his the cruelties which he has wrought in Glen Cairn, and that he will rest not night nor day until he has revenge for innocent blood shed and roof-trees ruthlessly burned." " Then," the crofter said bluntly, " if you be Archibald Forbes, you may even take your message yourself. Sir John cares not much upon whose head his wrath lights, and I care not to appear before him as a willing mes- senger on such an errand." "You may tell him," Archie said quietly, "that you are no willing messenger; for that I told you that unless you did my errand your house should, before morning, be a heap of smoking ashes. I have a following hard by, and will keep my word." i ■\f RIOEIPT OF THB MB8SAQK. ^S lim that i peril. lCit and our legs arrived noming. len they }, Archie stoutest crofter's lie. Lge from frankly, illy if it ell him )hat he he has )t night [)d shed chibald If. Sir lights, g mes- rou are unless ling, be Ird by, ■ i The crofter hesitated. "Do my bidding; and I promise you that whatever may befall the other vassals of the Kerrs, you shall go free and unharmed." "Well, if needs must, it must," the crofter said; "and I will do your bidding, young sir^partly because I care not to see my house in ruins, but more because I have heard of you as a valiant youth who fought stoutly by the side of Wallace at Lanark and Ayr — though, seeing that you are but a lad, I marvel much that you should be able to hold your own in such wild company. Although as a vassal of the Kerrs I must needs follow their banner, I need not tell you, since you have lived so long at Glen Cairn, that the Kerrs are feared rather than loved, and that there is many a man among us who would lief that our lord fought not by the side of the English. However, we must needs dance as he plays; and now I will put on my bonnet and do your errand. Sir John can hardly blame me greatly for doing what I needs must." Great was the wrath of Sir John Kerr when his vassal reported to him the message with which he had been charged, and in his savage fury he was with difficulty dissuaded from ordering him to be hung for bringing such a message. His principal retainers ventured, how- ever, to point out that the man had acted upon* compul- sion, and that the present was not the time, when he might at any moment have to call upon them to take the field, to anger his vassals, who would assuredly resent the undeserved death of one of their number. "It is past all bearing," the knight said furiously, " that an insolent boy like this should first wound me in the streets of Lanark, and should then cast his defiance in my teeth — a landless rascal, whose father I killed, and \! 94 WRATH OF SIR JOHN KERB. whose den of a castle I but a month ago gave to the flames. He must be mad to dare to set his power againrt mine. I was a fool that I did not stamp him out long ago; but woe betide him when we next meet! Had it not been that I was served by a fool" — and here the angry knight turned to his henchman, Red Roy — " this would not have happened. Who could have thought that a man of your years could have suffered himself to be fooled by a boy, and to bring me tales that this insolent upstart was a poor stupid lout! By Heavens! to be thus badly served is enough to make one mad!" *' Well, Sir John," the man grumbled, " the best man will be sometimes in error. I have done good service for you and yours, and yet ever since we met this boy outside the gates of Lanark you have never ceased to twit me concerning him. Rest secure that no such error shall occur again, and that the next time I meet him I will pay him alike for the wound he gave you and for the anger he has brought upon my head. If you will give orders I will start at daybreak with twenty men. I will take up his trail at the cottage of John Frazer, and will not give up the search until I have overtaken and slain him." "Do so," the knight replied, "and I will forgive your having been so easily fooled. But this fellow may have some of 'Wallace's followers with him, and contemptible as the rabble are, we had best be on our guard. Send round to all my vassals, and tell them to keep good watch and ward, and keep a party of retainers under arms all night in readiness to sally out in case of alarm." The night, however, passed quietly. The next day the knight sallied out with .i, strong party of retainers, and searched the woods and lower slopes of the hill, but could \/ THE FIRST BLOW. 95 your have [ptible Send good lunder se of find no signs of Archie and his followers, and at night- fall returned to the castle in a rage, declaring that the defiance sent him was a mere piece of insolent bravado. Nevertheless, he kept the horses again saddled all night ready to issue out at the slightest alarm. Soon after midnight flames suddenly burst out at a dozen of the homesteads. At the warder's shout of alarm Sir John Kerr and his men-at-arms instantly mounted. The gate was thrown open and the drawbridge lowered, and Sir John rode out at the head of his following. He was within a few feet of the outer end of the drawbridge when the chains which supported this suddenly snapped. The drawbridge fell into the moat, plunging all those upon it into the water. Archie, with his band, after detaching some of their number to fire the homesteads, had crept up unperceived in the darkness to the end of the drawbridge, and had noiselessly cut the two projecting beams upon which its end rested when it was lowered. He had intended to carry out this plan on the previous night, but when dark- ness set in not a breath of wind was stirring, and the night was so still that he deemed that the operation of sawing through the beams could not be effected without attracting the attention of the warders on the wall, and had therefore retreated far up in the recesses of the hills. The next night, however, was windy, and well suited to his purpose, and the work had been carried out without attracting the attention of the warders. When Kerr and his men-at-arms rode out, the whole weight of the draw- bridge and of the horsemen crossing it was thrown entirely upon the chains, and these yielded to a strain far greater than they were calculated to support. The instant the men-at-arms were precipitated into the moat, Archie and his companions, who had been lying H FRK8H ALARMS. down near its edge, leapt to their feet, and opened fire with their bows and arrows upon them. It was well for Sir John and his retainers that they had not stopped to buckle on their defensive armour. Had they done so every man must have been drowned in the deep waters. As it was, several were killed with the arrows, and two or three by the hoofs of the struggling horses. Sir John himself, with six of the eighteen men who had fallen into the moat, succeeded in climbing up the drawbridge and regaining the castle. A fire of arrows was at once opened from the walls, but Archie and his followers were already out of bowshot; and knowing that the fires would call in a few minutes to the spot a number of the Kerr's vassals more than sufficient to crush them without the assistance of those in the castle, they again made for the hills, well satisfied with the first blow they had struck at their enemies. The rage of Sir John Kerr was beyond all expression. He had himself been twice struck by arrows, and the smart of his wounds added to his fury. By the light of the burning barns the garrison were enabled to see how small was the party which had made this audacious attack upon them; and this increased their wrath. Men were instantly set at work to raise the drawbridge from the moat, to repair the chains, and to replace the timbers upon which it rested; and a summons was despatched to the whole of the vassals to be at the castle in arms by daybreak. Again the woods were searched without success, and the band then divided into five parties, each forty strong. They proceeded to explore the hills; but the Pentlands afibrded numerous hiding-places to those, like Archie and most of his band, well acquainted with the country; and after searching till nightfall the parties retired, worn out 1 I \ \l AN INVISIBLE FOS. •7 and disheartened, to the castle. That night three of the outlying farms were in fiames, and the cattle were slaughtered in their byres, but no attack was made upon the dwelling-houses. The following night Sir John dis- tributed the whole of his vassals among the farms lying farthest from the castle, putting twenty men in each; but to his fury this time it was five homesteads nearer at hand which were fired. The instant the first outburst of flame was discovered the retainers hurried to the spot; but by the time they reached it no sign of the assailants was visible; the flames had however taken too good a hold of the various bams and outbuildings to be extinguished. (M7I CHAPTER VIL THE CAVE IN TEE PENTLANOa ^g|^|lR JOHN KERR was well-nigh beside himself "^^**»-' with fury. If this was to go on, the whole of his estate would be harried, his vassals ruined, ^C^ff^ and his revenues stopped, and this by a mere T»*zrA handful of foes. Again he started with his vassals to explore the hills, this time in parties of ten only, so as to explore thoroughly a larger space of ground. When at evening the men returned, it was found that but two men of one of the parties, composed entirely of men-at-arms from the castle, came back. They reported that when in a narrow ravine showers of rocks were hurled down upon them from both sides. Four of their number were killed at once, and four others had fallen pierced by arrows from an unseen foe as they fled back down the ravine. " Methinks, Sir John," Red Roy said, " that I know the place where the Forbeses may have taken up their abode. When I was a boy I was tending a herd of goats far up in the hills, and near the pass where this mischance has to-day befallen us I found a cave in the mountain's side. Its entrance was hidden by bushes, and I should not have found it had not one of the goats entered the bush and remained there so long that I went to see what he was ON THB TRACK. 99 himself whole of a ruined, y a mere with his n parties space of as found entirely [reported 5ks were of their d fallen led back Inow the Ir abode. far up Lnce has In's side, lot have lush and he was doing. There I found a cava The entrance was but three feet high, but inside it widened out into a great cavern, where tifty men could shelter. Perchance Aichie Forbes or some of his band may also have discovered it; and if so, they might well thinic that no better place of conceal- ment could be found." " We will search it to-morrow," the knight said. " Tell the vassals to gather here tbree hours before daybreak. We will start so as to be there soon after sunrise. If they are on foot again to-night they will then be asleep. Did you follow the cave and discover whether it had any other entrances beyond that by which you entered?" "I know not," the henchman replied; "it goes a long way into the hills, and there are several inner passages; but these I did not explore, for I was alone and feared being lost in them." The next night some more homesteads were burnt, but this time the vassals did not turn out, as they had been told to rest until the appointed hour whatever might befall. Three hours before daybreak a party of fifty picked men assembled at the castle, for this force was deemed to be ample. The two men who had escaped from the attack on the previous day led the way to the ravine, and there Red Roy became the guide and led the band far up the hillside. Had il been possible they would have sur- rounded the cave before daylight, but Roy said that it was so long since he had first found the cave, that he could not lead them there in the dark, but would need daylight to enable him to recognize the surroundings. Even when daylight came he was for some time at fault, but he at last pointed to a clump of bushes, growing on a broken and precipitous face of rock, as the place where the cave was situated. 100 THB OAVB. it Red Roy was right in his conjecture. Archie had once when wandering among the hills, shot at a wild cat and wounded it, and had followed it to the cave to which it had fled, and seeing it an advantageous place of conceal- ment had, when he determined to harry the district of the Kerrs, fixed upon it as the hiding-place for his band. Deeming it possible, however, that its existence might be known to others, he always placed a sentry on watch; and on the approach of the Kerrs, Cluny Campbell, who happened to be on guard, ran in and roused the band with the news that the Kerrs were below. Archie immediately crept out and reconnoitred them; from the bushes he could see that his fqes were for the present at fault. Sir John himself was standing apart from the rest, with Red Boy, who was narrowly scrutinizing the face of the cliff, and Archie guessed at once that they were aware of the existence of the cavern, though at present they could not determine the exac'. spot where it was situated. It was too late to retreat now, for the face of the hill was too steep to climb to its crest, and their retreat below was cut off by the Kerrs. He therefore returned to the cave, leaving Cluny on guard. "They are not sure as to the situation of the cave yet," he said, "but they will find it. We can hold the mouth against them for any ti me, but they might smoke us out, that is our real danger; or if they fail in that, they may try starvation. Do half a dozen of you take brands at once from the embers and explore all the windings behind us; they are so narrow and low that hitherto we have not deemed it worth while to examine them, but now they are really our only hope; some of them may lead round to the face of the hill, and in that case we may find some way by which we may circumvent the Kerrs." Six of the lads at once started with flaming pine-knots, II m » I A SHARP REPULSE. 101 Eld once cat and wrhich it conceal- strict of lis band, night be L watch; )ell, who md with lediately he could Sir John [led Eoy, cliff, and B of the could not It was was too was cut ihe cave, ive yet," le mouth |e us out, ley may rands at behind ^e have V they round id some [e-knots, while Archie returned to the entrance. Just as he took his place there he saw Hed Roy pointing towards the bushea A minute or two later Sir John anu his followers began to advance. Archie now called out the rest of his band, who silently took their places in the bushes beside him. Led by Sir John and his personal retainers, the assailants approached the foot of the rocks and began tc make their way up, using the utmost precaution to avoid any noise. There was no longer any need for conceal- ment, and as- the foremost of the assailants began to climb the great boulders at the foot of the precipice, a dozen arrows from the bush above alighted among them; kill- ing three and wounding several others. Sir John Kerr shouted to his men to follow him, and began to clamber up the hill. Several arrows struck him, but he was sheathed in mail, as were his men-at-arms, and although several were wounded in the face and two slain they succeeded in reaching the bushes, but they could not penetrate further, for as they strove to tear the bushes aside and Torce an entry, those behind pierced them with their spears, and as but four or five assailants at a time could gain a footing and use their arms they were out- numbered and finally driven back by the defenders. When Sir John, furious at his discomfiture, rejoined his vassals below, he found that the assault had already cost him eight of his best men. He would, however, have again led them to the attack, but Red Roy said: " It were best, my lord, to send back and bid fifty of the vaesals to come up hither at once, with bows and arrows. They can so riddle those bushes that the defenders wi?l be unable to occupy them to resist our advance." "That were a good step," Sir John said; "but even when we gain the ledge I know not how we shall force 102 AN EXIT DISCOVERED. our way through the hole, which you 3ay is but three feet high." "There is no need to force our way in," Red Roy replied; "each man who climbs shall carry wiih him a faggot of wood, and we will smoke them in their holes like wolves." "'Tis well thought of, Roy; that assuredly is the best plan. Send off at once one of the most ileet-footed of the party." Archie, watching from above, saw the /issailants draw back out of bowshoi, and while one of their number started at full speed down the hillside, the others sat down, evidently prepared to pass some time before they renewed the attack. Leaving two of thv3 party on guard, Archie, with the rest, re-entered the caA'ern. The searchers had just returned and reported that all the various passages came to nothing, save one, which ascended rapidly and terminated in a hole which looked as if it had been made by rabbits, and through which the light of day could be seen. " Then it is there we mu&t. work," Archie said. "I will myself go and examine it." The passage, after ascending to a point which Archie judged to be nigh a hundred feet above the floor of the cave, narrowed to a mere hole, but two feet high and as much wide. Up this he crawled for a distance of four or five yards, then it narrowed suddenly to a hole three or four inches in diameter, and through this, some three feet farther, Archie could see the daylight through a clump of heather. He backed himself down the narrow passage agtLm. until he joined his comrades. "Now," he said, "do four of you stay here, and take it by turns, one after the other, to enlarge the hole forward to the entrance. As you scrape the earth down you must pass it back handful \ t PREPARINQ TO ESOAPB. 103 iree feet .ed Boy 1 him a sir holes the best ooted of its draw number at down, renewed , Archie, lers had passages idly and en made ould be "I will Archie of the and as 1 four or Ihree or ree feet |ump of )assage Lid, "do [ter the be. As iandful ' by handful Do not enlarge the outer entrance or dis- turb the roots of the heather growing there. Any move- ment might be noticed by those below. It is lucky, indeed, that the rock ends just when it gets to its narrowest, and that it is but sandy soil through which we have to scrape our way. It will be hard work, for you have scarce room to move your arms, but you have plenty of time since we cannot sally out till nightfall." The hours passed slowly, and about noon the look-out reported that a number of bowmen were approaching " They are going to attack this time under cover of their fire," Archie said, "and as I do not wish to hazard the loss of any lives, we will keep within the cave and let them gain the ledge. They can never force their way through the narrow entr&nce. The only thing I fear is smoke. I purpose that if thej'' light a fire at the mouth of the cave, we shall retire at once up the passage where we are working, and block it up at a narrow place a short distance after it leaves this cavern, with our clothes. You had best take off some of your things, scrape up the earth from the floor of the cavern, and each make a stout bundle, so tliat we can fill up the hole solidly." This was soon done, and the bundles of earth were laid in readiness at the point upon which their leader had fixed. In the meantime Archie had rejoined the look-out. " They have been scattered for some time," the guard said, "and have been cutting down bushes and making them into faggots." *' Just what I expected," Archie exclaimed. " The bow- men are joining them now. We shall soon see them at work." Sir John Kerr now marshalled his retainers. He and his men-at-arms drew their swords, and the rest, putting the bundles of faggots on their shoulders, prepared to 104 SMOKING THE OAVB. follow, while the bowmen fitted their arrows to the string. "Fall back inside the cave," Archie said; "it is of no use risking our lives." The band now gathered in a half circle, with level spears, round the entrance. Soon they heard a sharp tapping sound as the arrows struck upon the rock, then there was a crashing among the bushes." "Come on!" Sir John Kerr shouted to the vassals. "The foxes have slunk into their hole." Then came low thuds as the faggots were cast down. The light which had streamed in through the entrance gradually became obscure, and the voices of those without muffled. The darkness grew more intense as the faggots were piled thicker and thicker; then suddenly a slight odour of smoke was perceived. "Gome along now," Archie said; "they have fired the pile, and there is no fear of their entrance." Two of their number, with blazing pine-knots, led the way. When they reached the narrow spot all passed through, Archie and Andrew Macpherson last; these took the bundles of earth, as the others passed them along from behind, and built them up like a wall across the entrance, beating them down as they piled them, so as to make them set close and fill up every crevice. Several remained over after the wall was completed; these were opened and the earth crammed into the crevices between the bags. The smell of the smoke had grown strong before the wall was completed, but it was not too oppressive to breathe. Holding the torch close to the wall, Archie and his comrade stopped closely tht few places through which they saw that the smoke was making its way, and soon had the satisfaction of seeing that the barrier was completely smoke-tight. * i: ^ ( to the 3 of no h level i sharp k, then vassals, me low b which became I The re piled dour of red the 1 ed the passed se took • ig from itrance, make oiained ed and bags, le wall Ireathe. |>mrade py saw id the 3letely WORKING AT THE PASSAGE. 105 5 J I I There was plenty of air in the passage to support life for some time, but Archie called back those who were labour- ing to enlarge the exit, in order to allow as much fresh air as possible to enter. A strong guard, with spears, was placed at the barrier, although Archie deemed that some hours at least would elapse before the Kerrs could attempt to penetrate the cave. The fire would doubtless be kept up for some time, and after it had expired it would be long before the smoke cleared out sufficiently from the cave to allow of any one entering it. After a time, finding that there was no difficulty in breathing, although the air was certainly close and heavy, Archie again set the lads at work widening the entrance, going up himself to superintend the operation. Each in turn crept forward, loosened a portion of the earth with his knife, and then filling his cap with it, crawled backwurd to the point where the passage widened. It was not yet dark when the work was so hx done that there now remained only a slight thickness of earth, through which the roots of the heath protruded, at the mouth of the passage, and a vigorous push would make an exit into the air. The guard at the barrier had heard no movement within. Archie withdrew one of the bags; but the smoke streamed through so densely that he hastily replaced it, satisfied that some hours must still elapse before the assailants would enter the cave. They watched impatiently the failing light through the hole, and at last, when night was completely fallen, Archie pushed aside the earth and heather, and looked around. They were, it seemed to him, on the side of the hill a few yards from the point where it fell steeply away. The ground was thickly covered with heather. He soon made his way out and ordered Andrew Macpherson, who followed him, to remain lying at the entrance, and to enjoin each, as he 106 THE JiSOAFB. passed out, to crawl low among the heather, so that they might not show against the sky-line, where, dark as it was, they might attract the attention of those below. Archie himself led the way until so far back from the edge as to be well out of sight of those in the valley. Then he gained his feet, and was soon joined by the whole of his band. "Now," he said, "we will make for AberfiUy; they think us all cooped up here, and will be rejoicing in our sup- posed deaths. We will strike one more blow, and then, driving before us a couple of score of oxen for the use of the army, rejoin Wallace. Methinks we shall have taken a fair vengeance for Kerr's doings at Glen Cairn." The consternation of the few men left in the castle was great when, three hours after sunset, eight homesteads burst suddenly into flames. They dared not sally out, and remained under arms until morning, when Sir John and his band returned more furious than ever, as they had pene- trated the cavern, discovered the barrier which had cut off the smoke, and the hole by which the foe had escaped; and their fury was brought to a climax when they found the damage which had been inflicted in their absence. Many a week passed before the garrison of AberfiUy and the vassals of the Kerrs were able to sleep in peace, so great was the scare which Archie's raid had inflicted upon them. The truce was now at an end. The indignation excited by the treachery of the English spread widely through Scotland, and the people flocked to Wallace's standard in far greater numbers than before, and he was now able to undertake operations on a greater scale. Perth, Aberdeen, Brechin, and other towns fell into his hands, and the castle of Dundee was invested. In the south Sir William Douglas captured the castles of Sanquhar, Desdeir, and i I r BRUOE OR OOMTNl 107 'U others, and the rapid successes of the Scots induced a few of the greater nobles to take the field, such as the Steward of ScoUand, Sir Andrew Moray of Both well, Sir Bichard Lundin, and Wishart, Bishop of Glasgow. Wallace was one day lamenting to Archie and his friend Grahame that the greater nobles still held aloof. "Above all," he said, "I would fain see on our side either Comyn or the young Bruce. Baliol is a captive in London, and it is to Comyn or Bruce that Scotland must look for her king. So long as only I, a poor knight, am at the head of this rising, it is but a rebellion against Edward, and its chances are still so weak that but few men who have aught to lose, join us; but if Bruce or Comyn should raise his banner all would receive him as our future king. Both are lords of wide territories, and besides the forces they could bring icto the field, they would be joined by many of the principal nobles, although it is true that the ad- herents of the other would probably arm for Edward. Still the thought of a king of their own would inflame the popular mind, and vast numbers who now hesitate to join a movement supported by so little authority, would then take up arms." " Which of the two would you rather?" Archie asked. " I would rather the Bruce," Wallace said. " His father is an inert man and a mere cypher, and the death of his grandfather, the competitor, has now brought him promi- nently forward. It is true that he is said to be a strong adherent of England and a personal favourite of Edward; that he spends much of his time in London; and is even at the present moment the king's lieutenant in Carrick and Annandale, and is waging war for him against Sir William Douglas. Still Comyn is equally devoted to Eng- land; he is older, and Jess can be hoped from him. Bruce b young; he is said to be of great strength and skill in jl I I 108 WALLACE'S PROSPEOra arms, and to be one of the foremost knights in Edward's court. He is, I hear, of noble presence, and is much loved by those with whom he comes in contact. Did such a man determine to break with Edward, and to ztAve to win the crown of Scotland as a free gift of her people, instead of as a nominee of Edward, and to rule over an indepen- dent kingdom instead of an English province, he would attract all hearts to him, and may well succeed where I, as I foresee, must sooner or later fail." *' But why should you fail when you have succeeded so far ?" Archie asked. " Because I have with me but a small portion of the people of Scotland. The whole of the northern lords hold aloof, and in the south Carrick and Annandale and Gal- loway are hostile. Against me I have all the power of England, Wales, and Ireland; and although I may for a time win victories and capture towns I am certain, Archie, in the end to be crushed." " And will all our efforts have been in vain ?" Archie said, with tears in his eyes. "By no means, my brave lad; we shall have lighted the fire of a national resistance; we shall have shown the people that if Scotland, divided against herself, and with all her great nobles and their vassals standing sullenly aloof, can yet for a long time make head against the English, assuredly when the time shall come, and she shall rise as one man from the Solway to Caithness, her freedom will be won. Our lives will not have been thrown away, Archie, if they have taught this lesson." Wallace had by this time returned from his expedition farther north, and his force was in camp near Lanark, which town, when not engaged in distant enterprises, wai regarded as the centre of the movement. That evening Archie said, that as his leader purposed to give his troops \.l ANOTHKR EXPEDITION. 10» Edition mark, ^s,wa4 [ening broops rest for a week or two, he should go to his uncle's for a short time. " And if you can spare them, Sir William, I would fain let my band go away for the same time. They have now been six months from home." ** Certainly," Wallace said, "they need a rest after their hard work. They are ever afoot, and have been of im- mense service." Having obtained this permission Archie went to the spot where his band were encamped. "I have another expedition for you," he said, " this time all together; when that is over you will be able to go home for a few days for a rest. They will all be glad to see you, and may well be proud of you, and I doubt not that the spoil which you gathered at Ayr and elsewhere will create quite a sensation at Glen Cairn. There are some of you who are, as I remember in the old days, good shots with the bow and arrow. Do ten of you who were the best at home get bows and arrows from the store. Here is an order for you to receive them, and be all in readiness to march at daylight." The next morning the band set out in a south-westerly direction, and after a long day's march halted near Cumnock. In the morning they started at the same time, observing more caution as they went, for by the afternoon they had crossed the stream and were within the boundaries of Camck. They halted for the night near Crossraguel Abbey. Here for the first time Archie confided to his followers the object of their march. " We are now," he said, " within a few miles of Turn- berry Castle, the residence of Bruce. Sir William has a great desire to speak with him; but, seeing that Bruce is at present fighting for King Edward against Douglas, there is little chance of such a meeting coming about with no IN SIQHT OF TURNBERRT. ! his good-will. He has recently returned from Douglasdale. Here, in the heart of his own country, it is like enough that he may ride near his castle with but a few horsemen. In that case we will seize him, without, I trust, having to do him hurt, and will bear him with us to Lanark. We may have to wait some time before we find an op- portunity; but even if the ten days for which I have asked, lengthen to as many weeks. Sir William will not grudge the time we have spent if we succeed. To-morrow morning let those who have bows go out in the forest, and see if they can shoot a deer; or failing that, bring in a sheep or two from some of the folds. As each of you has brought with you meal for ten days, we shall be able to keep an eye on Turnberry for some time." The next day Archie, with Andrew Macpherson and Cluny Campbell, made their way through the woods until within sight of the castle, which was but a mile distant The strongholds of the lords of Carrick stood on a bold promontory washed by the sea. " It would be a hard nut to crack, Sir Archie," his lieu- tenant said. " Unless by famine, the place could scarce be taken." " No," Archie replied, " I am glad that our mission is rather to capture the earl than his castle. It is a grand fortalice. Would that its owner were but a tnie Scotchman ! This is a good place on which we are standing, Andrew, to place a scout. Among the trees here he can watch the road all the way from the castle to the point where it enters the forest. Do you, Cluny, take post here at once. Mark well all that passes, and what is doing, and all bodies of men who enter or leave the castle. There is no occasion to bring news to me, for it would be unlikely that we should meet in the forest ; you have therefore only to watch. To-morrow I shall return with the band, and I THB AMBUSH. Ill }ion IS [grand iman! Ldrew, ththe lere it once. id all is no that only and encamp in the woods farther back. Directly we arrive, you will be relieved of your guard." The following day the band moved up to a spot within half a mile of the seaward edge of the forest, and a few hundred yards from the road to Crossraguel Abbey. It was only on this road that Archie could hope to effect a capture ; for the country near the coast was free of trees, and no ambush could be set. The lords of Carrick were, moreover, patrons of the abbey; and Bruce might ride over thither with but a small party, whereas, if journey- ing south, or south-east towards Douglasdale, he would probably be marching with a strong force. For several days they watched the castle; bodies of mounted men entered and departed. Twice parties, among whom ladies could be seen, came out with their hawks; but none came within reach of their lurking foes. On the fifth morning, however, the lad on watch ran into the glade in which they were encamped and reported that a small body of seemingly two or three knights, with some ladies, followed by four mounted men, had left the castle and were approaching by the route towards tlie abbey. Not a moment was lost. Archie placed six of his company, with pike and sword, close to the road, to form across it when he gave the order, and to bar the retreat of any party who had passed. Another party of equal strength he placed 100 yards further on, and with them himself took post; while he placed four, armed with bows and arrows, on either side, near the party which he commanded. Scarcely had his preparations been made when a trampling of horses was heard, and the party were seen approaching. They consisted of Robert Bruce, his brother Nigel, and three of his sisters — Isabel, Mary, and Christina. Behind rode four men-at-arm& 113 SURROUNDED. From the description which he had heard of him Archie had no doubt that the elder of the two knights was Robert Bruce himself, and when they approached within thirty yards he gave a shout, and, with his band, with levelled spears, drew up across the road. At the same mo- ment the other party closed in behind the horsemen; and the eight archers, with bent bows and arrows drawn to the head, rose among the trees. The party reined in their horses suddenly! "Hah I what have we here?" Bruce exclaimed. "An am- bush — and on all sides too!" he added as he looked round. "What means this? are you robbers who thus dare attack the Bruce within a mile of Tumberry? Why, they are but U^ds," he added scornfully. "Rein back, girls; we and the men-at-arms will soon clear a way for you through these varlets. Nay, I can do it single-handed n^yself." " Haiti Sir Robert Bruce," Archie exclaimed in a loud clear voice. "If you move I must perforce give the word, and it may well be that some of the ladies with you may be struck with the arrows; nor, young though my fol- lowers may be, would you find them so easy a conquest as you imagine. They have stood up before the English ere now; and you and your men-at-arms will find it hard work to get throygh their pikes; and we outnumber you threefold. We are no robbers. I myself am Sir Archibald Forbes." "You!" exclaimed Robert Bruce, lowering his sword, which he had drawn at the first alarm and held uplifted in readiness for a charge; "you Sir Archibald Forbes! I have heard the name often as that of one of Wallace's companions, who, with Sir John Qrahame, fought with him bravely at the captures of Lanark, Ayr, and other places, but surely you cannot be he!" \ I ROBBRT Tm WLVOM, lis ^r you libald [word, llifted )rbes! llace's with )ther " I am Sir Archibald Forbes, I pledge you my word," Archie said quietly; "and, Sir Robert Bruce, methinks that if I, who am, as you see, but yet a lad— not yet having reached my seventeenth year — can have done good ser- vice for Scotland, how great the shame that you, a valiant knight and a great noble, should be in the ranks of her oppressors, and not of her champions I My name will tell you that I have come hither for no purpose of robbery. I have come on a mission from Wallace — not sent thereon by him, but acting of myself in consequence of words which dropped from him. He said how sad it was that you, who might be King of a Scotland free and inde- pendent, by the choice of her people, should prefer the chance of reigning, a mere puppet of Edward, over an enslaved land. He spoke in the highest terms of your person, and held that, did you place yourself at its head, the movement which he commands would be a suc- cessful one. Then I determined, unknown to him, to set out and bring you to him face to face — honourably and with courtesy if you would, by force if you would not. I would fain it shall be the former; but believe me, you wo'ild not find it easy to break away through the hedge of pikes now around you." By this time the whole party had gathered round the horsemen. Bruce hesitated; his mind was not yet made up as to his future course. Hitherto he had been with England, since upon Edward only his chances seemed to depend; but latterly he had begun to doubt whether even Edward could place him on the throne in despite of the wishes of his countrymen. His sisters, who, taking after their mother, were all true Scotchwomen, now urged upon him to comply with Wallace's request and accom- pany him to Lanark. Their hearts and wishes were entirely with the champion of their country. (347) H 114 A FAIR ADTOOATS. "Go with him, Robert/' Isabel, the eldest, exclaimed. "Neither I nor my sisters fear being struck with the arrows, although such might well be the case should a conflict begin; but, for your own sake and Scotland's, go and see Wallace. No harm can arise from such a journey, and much good may come of it. Even should the news of your having had an interview with him come to the ears of Edward, you can truly say that you were taken thither a captive, and that wo being with you, you were unable to make an effort to free yourself. This young knight, of whose deeds of gallantry we have all heard"— and she smiled approvingly at Archie — "will doubtless give you a safeguard, on his honour, to return hither free and unpledged when you have seen Wallace." " Willingly, lady," Archie replied. " One hour's inter- view with my honoured chief is all I ask for. That over, I pledge myself that the Earl of Carrick shall be free at once to return hither, and that an escort shall be provided for him to protect him from aU dangers on the way." •^^ii^p- I Mm t t lalmed. ith the should ttland's, such a should ,m come Du were -■ou, vou :. This tiave all 3_«will return ^aUace." ''s inter- lat over, e free at provided ay." i ^ 1 h M CHAPTER VIIL THE COUNCIL AT STIBLINO. '?^.A RCHIE had been mounted on the march from the camp, and his horse being now brought, he started with Bruce, young Nigel and the ladies saluting him cordially. "I trust," the former said, " that Wallace will succeed in converting my brother. I am envious of you, Sir Archie. Here are you, many years younger than I am, and yet you have won a name throughout Scotland as one of her champions; while I am eating my heart out, with my brother, at the court of Edward." "I trust it may be so. Sir Nigel," Archie answered. "If Sir Robert will but join our cause, heart and soul, the battle is as good as won." The journey passed without adventure until they arrived within two miles of Lanark, where Archie found Wallace was now staying. On the road Bruce had had much con- versation with Archie, and learned the details of many adventures of which before he had only heard vaguely by report. He was much struck by the lad's modesty end loyal patriotism. '* If ever I come to my kingdom. Sir Archie," he said, " you shall be one of my most trusted knights and coun- sellors; and I am well assured that any advice you may 116 THE RETURN TO LANARK. >» give wir be ever what you think to be right and for the good of the country, without self-seeking or in the in- terest of any; and that is more than I could look for in moat counsellors. And now methinks that as we are drawing near to Lanark, it will be well that I waited here in this wood, under the guard of your followers, while you ride forward and inform Wallace that I am here. I care not to show myself in Lanark, for busy tongues would soon take the news to Edward; and as I know not what may come of our interview, it were v/ell that it should not be known to all men." Archie agreed, and rode into the town. "Why, where have you been, truant?" Sir William ex- claimed as Archie entered the room in the governor's house which had been set apart for the use of Wallace since the expulsion of the English. " Sir Robert Gordon has been here several times, and tells me that they have seen nought of you; and although I have made many inquiries I have been able to obtain no news, save that you and your band have disappeared, I even sent to Glen Cairn, thinking that you might have been repairing the dam- ages which the fire, lighted by the Kerrs, did to your hold; but I found not only that you were not there your- self, but that none of your band had returned thither. This made it more mysterious; for had you alone dis- appeared I should have supposed that you had been fol- lowing up some love adventure, though, indeed, you have never told me that your heart was in any way touched." Archi3 laughed. " There will be time enough for that, Sir William, ten years hence; but in truth I have been on an adventure on my own account." "So, in sober earnest, I expected, Archie, and feared that your enterprise might lead you into some serious scrape,. H \ f s THE BIEETINO. 117 for the the in- k for in we are waited lUowers, it I am or busy uid as I ere v/ell liam ex- r's house dnce the tias been ive seen inquiries ^ou and n Cairn, le dam- to your re your- thither, one dis- leen fol- ed, you y way [or that, Ibeen on [•ed that scrape,. since I deemed that it must have been well-nigh a despe- rate one or you would not have hidden it from my knowledge." "It might have led to some blows, Sir William, but happily it did not turn out so. Knowing the importance you attached to the adhesion to the cause of Scotland of Robert the Bruce, I determined to fetch him hither to see you; and he is now waiting with my band for your coming, in a wood some two miles from the town." "Are you jesting with me?" Wallace exclaimed. "Is the Bruce really waiting to see me? Why, this would be well-nigh a miracle." "It is a fact, Sir William; and if you will cause your horse to be brought to the door I will tell you on the road how it has come about." In another five minutes Sir William and his young follovrer were on their way, and the former heard how Archie had entrapped Robert Bruce while riding to Cross- raguel Abbey. "It was well done, indeed," the Scottish leader ex- claimed; "and it may well prove, Archie, that you have done more towards freeing Scotland by this adventure of yours than we have by all our months of marching and fighting." "Ah! Sir William! but had it not been for our march- ing and fighting Bruce would never have wavered in his allegiance to Edward. It was only because he begins to think that our cause may be a winning one that he decides to join it." The meeting between Wallace and Bruce was a cordial one. Each admired the splendid proportions and great strength of the other, for it is probable that in all Europe there were no two more doughty champions; although, indeed, Wallace was far the superior in personal strength. i 1 118 BRUCE DECIDES TO ARM. while Bruce was famous through Europe for his skill in knightly exercise. Archie withdrew to a distance while the leaders con- versed. He could see that their talk was animated as they strode together up and down among the trees, Wallace being the principal speaker. At the end of half an hour they stopped, and Wallace ordered the horses to be brought, and then called Archie to them. " Sir Robert has decided to throw in his lot with us," he said, " and will at once call out his father's vassals of Carrick and Annandale. Seeinor that his father is at O Edward's court, it may be that many will not obey the summons. Still we must hope that, for the love of Scot- land and their young lord, many will follow him. He will write to the pope to ask him to absolve him for the breach of his oath of homage to Edward; but as such oaths lie but lightly on men's minds in our days, and have been taken and broken by King Edward himself, as well as by Sir William Douglas and the other knights who are now in the field with m3, he will not wait for the pope's reply, but will at once tako the field. And, indeed, there is need for haste, seeing that Percy and Clifford have already crossed the Border with an English army, and are marching north through Annandale towards Ayr." "Good-bye, my captor," Brjce said to Archie as he mounted his horse; " whatever may come of this strife, remember that you will always find a faithful friend in Robert Bruce." Wallace had, at Archie's request, brought six mounted men-at-arms with him from Lanark, and these now rode behind Bruce as his escort back to his castle of Turnberry. There was no time now for Archie and his band to take the rest they had looked for, for messengers were sent out to gather the bands together again, and as soon as a »l ' ,? f .1,- .V H ^ w army, Ayr." as he strife, ind in unted rode )erry. take sent as a A NIGHT ATTACK. 119 i certain portion had arrived Wallace marched for the I south. The English army was now in Annandale, near I Lochmaben. They were far too strong to be openly attacked, but on the night following his arrival in their neighbourhood Wallace broke in upon them in the night. Surprised by this sudden and unexpected attack, the English fell into great confusion. Percy at once ordered the camp to be set on fire. By its light the ^ English were able to see how small was ^he force of their assailants, and gathering together soon showed so for- midable a front that Wallace called off his men, but iiot before a large number of the English had been killed. Many of their stores, as well as the tents, were destroyed by the conflagration. The English army now proceeded with slow marches towards Ayr. At Irvine the Scotch ? leaders had assembled their army — Douglas, Bruce, The Steward, Sir Kichard Loudon, Wishart, Bishop of Glasgow, and others. Their forces were about equal to those of the English marching against them. Wallace was collect- ing troops further north, and Archie was of course with I him. " I fear," the lad said one day, " that we shall not be I able to reach Irvine before the armies join battle." " Sir William Douglas and Bruce are there, and as it lies in their country it were better to let them win the !, day without my meddling. But, Archie, I fear there will I I be no battle. News has reached me that messengers are ^ I riding to and fro between Percy's army and the Scots, and I fear me that these half-hearted barons will make peace." " Surely that cannot be! It were shame indeed to have taken up the sword, and to lay it down after scarce striking a blow." " Methinks, Archie, that the word shame is not to be 120 THE TREATY OF IRVINE. found in the vocabulary of the nobles of this unhappy land. But let us hope for the best; a few days will bring us the news." The news when it came was of the worst. Ali the nobles, headed by Wishart, Douglas, and Bruce, with the exception only of Sir Andrew Moray of Bothwell, had made their submission, acknowledging their guilt of rebel- lion, and promising to make every reparation required by their sovereign lord. Percy, on his part, guaranteed their lives, lands, goods, and chattels, and that they should not be imprisoned or punished for what had taken place. Sir William Douglas and Bruce were ordered to find guarantees for their good conduct; but Sir William Douglas, finding himself unable to fulfil his engagements, surrendered, and was thrown into prison in Berwick Castle, and there kept in irons until he died, his death being attributed, by contemporary historians, to poison. The surrender of the leaders had little result upon the situation. The people had won their successes without their aid, and beyond the indignation excited by their conduct, the treaty of Irvine did nothing towards ensuring peace, and indeed heightened the confidence of the people in Walbxje. The movement spread over the whole of Scotland. Skirmishes and unimportant actions took place in all quarters. The English were powerless outside the walls of the fortresses, and in Berwick and xioxburgh alone was the English power paramount. Most of the great nobles, including Comyn of Bnchan, Comyn of Badenoch, and twenty-six other powerful Scottish lords, were at Edward's court, but many of their vassals and dependants were in the field with Wallace. About this time it came to the ears of the Scotch leader that Sir Robert Cunninghame, a Scotch knight of good family, who had hitherto held aloof from any part in the \/ wallaob's resolve. 121 leader good In the .' .^ war, had invited some twelve others resident in the counties round Stirling, to meet at his house in that city that they might talk over the circumstances of the times. All these had, like himself, been neutral, and as the object of the gathering was principally to discover whether some means could not be hit upon for calming down the dis- orders which prevailed, the English governor had willingly granted safe-conducts to all. " Archie," Sir William said, " I mean to be present at the interview. They are all Scotch gentlemen, and though but lukewarm in the cause of their country, there is no fear that any will be base enough to betray me; and surely if I can get speech with them I may rouse them to cast in their lot with us." " It were a dangerous undertaking. Sir William, to trust yourself within the walls of Stirling," Archie said gravely. "Remember how many are the desperate passes into which your adventurous spirit has brought you, and your life is of too great a consequence to Scotland to be rashly hazarded." "I would not do it for a less cause," Sir William said; " but the gain may be greater than the risk. So I shall go, Archie, your wise counsel notwithstanding, and you shall journey with me to see that I get not into scrapes, and to help me out of them should I, in spite of your care, fall into them." " When is the day for the meeting?" Archie asked. "In three days' time. The day after to-morrow we will move in that direction, and enter the town early the next day." No sooner had he left Wallace than Archie called his band together. They still numbered twenty, for although three or four had fallen, Archie had always filled up their places with fresh recruits, as there were numbers of boys 122 ARCHIE'S PLANS. I who deemed it the highest honour to be enrolled in their ranks. Archie drew aside his two lieutenants, Andrew Macpherson and William Orr. ** I have an enterprise on hand," he said, " which will need all your care, and may call for your bravery. Sir William Wallace purposes to enter Stirling in disguise, to attend a meeting of notables to be held at the residence of Sir Robert Cunninghame. I am to accompany him thither. I intend that the band shall watch over his safety, and this without his having knowledge of it, so that if nought comes of it he may not chide me for being over careful of his person. You will both, with sixteen of the band, accompany me. You will choose two of your most trusty men to carry out the important matter of securing our retreat. They will procure a boat capable of carrying us all, and will take their place in the bend of the links of Forth nearest to the castle, and will hoist, when the time comes, a garment on an oar, so that we may make straight for the boat. The ground is low and swampy, and if we get a fair start even mounted men would scarce overtake us across it. I think, William, that the last recruit who joined was from Stirling?" " He was, Sir Archie. His parents reside there. They are vendors of wood, as I have heard him say." "It could not be better," Archie replied; "and seeing that they have allowed their son to join us, they must surely be patriots. My purpose is, that on the morning of the interview you shall appear before the gates with a cart laden with firewood, and this you shall take to the house of Campbell's father. There you will unload the fire- wood, and store the arms hidden beneath it, placing them so that they may be readily caught up in case of necessity. In twos and threes, carrj'ing eggs, fowls, firewood, and other articles, as for sale, the rest of the band will come t I PREPARATIONS FOR A RESCUE. 123 They ig that surely of the a cart house fire- thera ssity. and come into the town, joining themselves with parties of country people, so that the arrival of so many lads unaccompanied will not attract notice. James Campbell will go with you, and will show you the way to his father's house. He will remain near the gate, and as the others enter will guide them there, so that they will know where to run for their arms should there be need. You must start to-morrow, so as to enter Stirling on the next day and arrange with his father for the keeping of the arms. His mother had best leave the town that evening. Should nought occur she can return unsuspected; but should a tumult arise, and the arms have to be used, his father must leave the town with us. He shall be hand- somely rewarded, and provision made for him in the future. When you see me enter with Sir William, bid Jock Farrell follow me at a little distance; he will keep me always in sight, and if he see me lift my hand above my head he will run with all speed to give you the news. On his arrival, you, Andrew, with the half you com- mand, will hurry up to my assistance; while you, William, with the others, will fall suddenly upon the guard at the gate, and will at all hazards prevent them from closing it, and so cutting off our retreat, until we arrive. Seize, if you can, the moment when a cart is passing in or out, and slay the horse in the shafts, so that as he falls the cart will prevent the gate from being closed, and so keep the way open, even should you not be able to resist the English until we come up. Have all the band outside Stirling on the night before, so that you will be able to make every arrangement and obtain a cart in readiness for taking in the wood and arms in the morning. Let all bring their bows and arrows, in addition to pike and sword, for the missiles may dd us to keep the soldiers at bay. Now, Andrew, repeat all my instructions, so that 124 AN UNWELCOME UEETINCk I may be sure that you thoroughly understand my wishes, for any small error in the plan might ruin the whole adventure." On the morning of the day fixed for the meeting Sir William Wallace, r.?companied by Archie, entered the gates of Stirling. Both were attired as young farmers, and they attracted no special attention from the guards. For a time they strolled about the streets. They saw the gentlemen who had been invited by Sir Robert Cunninghame arrive one by one. Others, too, known as being specially attached to the English party, rode in, for the governor had invited those who assembled at Cun- ninghame's to meet him afterwards in the castle in order that he might hear the result of their deliberations; and he had asked several others attached to the English party to be present. When most of the gentlemen invited had entered Sir Robert Cunninghame's Wallace boldly followed them; and Archie sat down on a door-step nearly opposite. Presently he saw two figures which he recognized riding up the street, followed, as the others had been, by four armed retainers. They were Sir John Kerr and his son. Archie rose at once, and turned down at a side street before they came up, as a recognition of him would be fatal to all their plans. When they had passed up the street to the castle he returned and resumed his seat, feeling more uneasy than before, for the Kerrs had seen Wallace in the affray at Lanark, and a chance meeting now would betray him. An hour and a half passed, and then Archie saw the Kerrs riding down the street from the castle. Again he withdrew from sight, this time down an archway, whence he could still see the door on the opposite side. Hitherto he had been wishing to see it open and for Wallace to appear; and now he dreaded \l RECOGNIZED. 125 this above all things. His worst fears were realized, for just as the horsemen reached the spot the door opened, and Wallace stepped out. His fi/j^ure was too remarkable to avoid notice ; and no sooner did Sir John Kerr's eye fall upon him than he exclaimed, " The traitor Wallace ! seize him, men ; there is a high reward offered for him ; and King Edward will give honour and wealth to all who capture him." As Sir John spoke Archie darted across the street and placed himself by Wallace's side, holding his hand high above his head as he did so ; and at the instant he saw Jock Farrell, who had been lounging at a comer a few yards away, dart off down the street at the top of his speed. Sir John and his retainers drew their swords and spurred forward ; but the horses recoiled from the flash- ing swords of Wallace and his companion. " Dismount," Sir John shouted, setting the example ; " cut them both down ; one is as bad as the other. Ten pounds to the man who slays the young Forbes." Wallace cut down two of the retainers as they advanced against them, and Archie badly wounded a third. Then they began to retreat down the street ; but by this time the sound of the fray had called together many soldiers who were wandering in the streets ; and these, informed by Sir John's shouts of " Down with Wallace! slay! slay!" that the dreaded Scotch leader was before them, also drew and joined in the fight. As they came running up from both sides, Wallace and Archie could retreat no fur- ther, but with their backs against the wall kept their foes at bay in a semicircle by the sweep of their swords. The fight continued but two or three minutes, when a sudden shout was heard, and William Orr, with eight young fellows, fell upon the English soldiers with their 134 A FIERCE FRAT. pikes. The latter, astonished at this sudden onslaught, and several of their number being killed before they had time to turn and defend themselves, fell back for a moment, and Wallace and Archie joined their allies, and began to retreat, forming a line of pikes across the narrow street. Wallace, Archie, William Orr, and three of the stoutest of the band were sufficient for the line, and the other five shot between them. So hard and fast flew their arrows that several of the English soldiers were slain, and the others drew back from the assault. Andrew Macphcrson's sudden attack at the gate over- powered the guard, and for a while he held possession of it, and, following Archie's instructions, slew a horse drawing a cart laden with flour in the act of entering. Then the guard rallied, and, joined by other soldiers who had run up, made a fierce attack upon him ; but his line of pikes drawn up across the gate defied their efforts to break through. Wallace and his party were within fifty yards of the gate when reinforcements from the castle arrived. Sir John Kerr, furious at the prospect of his enemies agaii. escaping him, headed them in their furious rush. Walla*, jteppcd forward beyond the line and met him. With a great sweep of his mighty sword he beat down Sir John's guard, and the blade descending clove helmet and skull, and tlie knight fell dead in his tracks. "That is one for you, Archie," Wallace said, as he cut down a man-at-arms. In vain did the English try to break through the line of pikes. When they arrived within twenty yards of the gate, Wallace gave the order, and the party turning burst through the English who were attacking its defenders and united with them. "Fall back!" Wallace shouted, "and form without the ( ( nslaught, they had k for a lies, and J narrow 3 of the and the a>8t flew rs were te over- ssession El horse itering. soldiers but his efforts within m the •ospect 1 their te line sword snding in his le cut 3 line )f the burst Qders b the \ It t3 <: I » (31 SAFE BETOND THE OATBS. 127 gates. Your leader and I will cover the retreat." Passing between the cart and the posts of the gates, the whole party fell back. Once through, Wallace and Archie made a stand, and even the bravest of the English did not venture to pass the narrow portals, where but one could issue at a time. The band formed in good order and retreated at a rapid step. When they reached a distance of about 300 yards, Wallace and Archie, deeming that sufficient start had been gained, sprang away, and running at the top of their speed soon rejoined them. "Now, Archie, what next?" Sir William asked; "since it is you who have conjured up this army, doubtless your plans are laid as to what shall next be done. They will have horsemen in pursuit as soon as they remove the cart." "I have a boat in readiness on the river bank. Sir William. Once across and we shall be safe. They will hardly overtake us ere we get there, seeing how swampy is the ground below." At a slinging trot the party ran forward, and soon gained the lower ground. They were half-way across when they saw a large body of horsemen following in pursuit. "A little to the right, Sir William," Archie said; "you see that coat flying from an oar; there is the boat." As Archie had expected, the swampy ground impeded the speed of the horseiaen. In vain the riders spurred and shouted, the horses, fetlock deep, could make but slow advance, and before they reached the bank the fugi- tives had gained the boat and were already half-way across the stream. Then the English had the mortification of seeing them land and march away quietly on the other side. CHAPTER IX. THE BATTLE OF STIRLING BBIDQE. ttafi taf PON rejoining his force Sir William Wallace /i^ii called the few knights and gentlemen who were with him together, and said to them: "Methinks, gentlemen, that the woes of this contest should not fall upon one side only. Every one of you here are outlawed, and if you are taken by the English will be executed or thrown in prison for life, and your lands and all belonging to you forfeited. It is time that those who fight upon the other side should learn that they too run some risk. Besides leading his vassals in the field against us, Sir John Kerr twice in arms has attacked me, and done his best to slay me or deliver me over to the English. He fell yesterday by my hand at Stirling, and I hereby declare forfeit the lands which he held in the county of Lanark, part of which he wrong- fully took from Sir William Forbes, and his own fief adjoining. Other broad lands he owtis in Ayrshire, but these I will not now touch; but the lands in Lanark, both his own fief and that of the Forbeses, I, as Warden of Scotland, hereby declare forfeit and confiscated, and bestow them upon my good friend, Sir Archie Forbes. Sir John Grahame, do you proceed to-morrow with five \l AROHIB REGAINS HIS PATRIMONY. 129 mgmg upon some gainst me, er to iriing, held rrong- rn fief ^e, but :,both len of and forbes. Ih five H hundred men and take possession of the hold of the Kerrs. Sir Allan Kerr is still at Stirling, and will not be there to defend it. Like enough the vassals will make no resistance, but will gladly accept the change of masters. The Eerrs have the reputation of being hard lords, and their vassals cannot like being forced to fight against the cause of their country. The hired men-at-arms may resist, but you will know how to make short work of these. I ask you to go rather than Sir Archibald Forbes, because I would not that it were said that he took the Kerr's hold on his private quarrel. When you have captured it he shall take a hundred picked men as a garrison. The place is strong. " Your new possessions, Archie, will, as you know, be held on doubtful tenure. If we conquer, and Scotland is freed, I doubt in no way that the king, whoever he may be, will confirm my grant If the English win, your land is lost, be it an acre or a county. And now let me be the first to congratulate you on having won by your sword and your patriotism the lands of your father, and on having repaid upon your family's enemies the measure which they meted to you. But you will still ha^i to beware of the Kerrs. They are a powerful family, being connected by marriage with the Comyns of Badenoch, and other noble houses. Their lands in Ayr are as extensive as those in Lanark, even with you^ father's lands added to their own. However, if Scotland win the day the good work that you have done should well outweigh all the influence which they might bring to bear against you. "And now, Archie, I can, for a time, release you. Ere long Edward's army will be pouring across the Border, and then I shall need every good Scotchman's sword. Till then you had best retire to your new es- tr V ■ \ I ssalo to )ther of y. Me- made to ing that 's castle, need no press his ,nd who William d beside erday, in bful pre- , and the for Glen sir lawful tng when »lazed in m many s of the a scene [establish '^allace's a mere prolonged castle lointment Id not at Ice of his [reed and labitp.blo, i r l'> Archie's new lordship. 131 " In the meantime," he said, "I shall be but eight miles from you, and the estate will be all one. But now I hope that for the next three months every man among you will aid me — so-ne by personal labour, some by sending ho^es and carts — in the work of strengthening to the utmost my new castle of Aberfilly, which I wish to make so strong that it will long resist an attack. Should Scot- land be permanently conquered, which may God forfend, it could not, of course, be held; but should we have tem- porary reverses we might well hold out until our party again gather head." Every man on the estate promised his aid to an extent far beyond that which Archie, as their feudal superior, had a right to demand from them. They had had a hard time under the Kerrs, who had raised all rents, and greatly increased their feudal services. They were sure of good treatment should the Forbeses make good their position as their lords, and were ready to make any sacri- fices to aid them to do so. Next morning a messenger arrived from Sir John Grahame, saying that he had, during the night, stormed Aberfilly, and that with scarce an exception all the vassals of the Kerrs — when upon his arrival on the previous day they had learned of his purpose in coming, and of the disposition which Wallace had made of the estate — had accepted the change with delight, and had joined him in the assault upon the castle, which was defended only by thirty men-at-arms. These had all been killed, and Sir John invited Archie to ride over at once and take pos- session. This he did, and found that the vassals of the estate were all gathered at the castle to welcome him. He was introduced to them by Sir John Grahame, and they received Archie with shouts of enthusiasm, and all swore obedience to him as their feudal lord. Archie j- 133 ABERFILLT {jASn^O, promised them to be a kind and lenient chief, to abate any unfair burdens which had been laid upon them, and to respect all their rights. " But," he said, "just at first I must ask for sacrifices from you. This castle is strong, but it must be made much stronger, and must be capable of standing a con- tinued siege in case temporary reverses should enable the English to endeavour to retake it for their friend. Sir Allan Kerr. My vassals at Glen Cairn have promised an aid far beyond that which I can command, and I trust that you also will extend your time of feudal service, and promise you a relaxation in future years equivalent to the time you may now give me/* The demand was readily assented to, for the tenants of AberfiUy were no less delighted than those of Glen Cairn to escape from the rule of the Kerrs. Archie, accompanied by Sir John Grahame, now made an inspection of the walls of his new hold. It stood just where the counties of Linlithgow and Edinburgh join that of Lanark. It was built on an island on a tributary of the Clyde. The stream was but a small one, and the island had been artificially made, so that the stream formed a moat on either side of it, the castle occupying a knoll of ground which rose somewhat abruptly from the surrounding country. The moat was but twelve feet wide, and Archie and Sir John decided that this should be widened to fifty feet and deepened to ten, and that a dam should be built just below the castle to keep back the stream and fill the moat. The walls should everywhere be raised ten feet, several strong additional flanking towers added, and a work built beyond the moat to guard the head of the drawbridge. With such additions Aberfilly would be able to stand a long siege by any force which might assail it. Timber, stones, and rough labour there were in abun- ^* ^ / A NKW INVASION. 133 at)ate em, and acrifices )e made r a con- able the lend. Sir nised an 1 I trust vice, and ralent to snants of i ien Cairn )mpanied the walls unties of It was de. The lad been moat on If ground [rounding ide, and widened Im should Iream and :aised ten .ded, and ,d of the d be able lassail it. in abun- dance, and Wallace had insisted upon Archie's taking from the treasures which had been captured from the enemy, a sum of money which would be ample to hire skilled masons from Lanark, and to pay for the cement, iron, and other necessaries which would be beyond the resources of the estate. These matters in train, Archie rode to Lanark and fetched his proud and rejoicing mother from Sir Robert Gordon's to Aberfilly. She was accompanied by Sandy Graham and Elspie: the former Archie appointed major-domo, and to be in command of the garrison whenever he should be absent The vassals were as good as their word. For three months the work of digging, quarrying, cutting, and squaring timbei- and building went on without inter- mission. There were upon the estates fully three hun- dred able-bodied men, and the work progressed rapidly. When, therefore, Archie received a message from Wallace to join him near Stirling, he felt that he could leave Aber- filly without any fear of a successful attack beirg made upon it in his absence. There was need, indeed, for all the Scotch, capable of bearing arms, to gather round Wallace. Under the Earl of Surrey, the high treasurer Cressingham, and other leaders, an army of 50,000 foot and 1000 horse were advancing from Berwick, while 8000 foot and 300 horse under Earl Percy advanced from Carlisle. Wallace was bcbieging the castle of Dundee when he heard of their approach, and leaving the people of Dundee to carry on the siege under the command of Sir Alexander Scrym- geour, he himself marched to defend the only bridge by which Edward could cross the Forth, near Stirling. Thus far Surrey had experienced no resistance, and at the head of so large and well appointed a force he might well feel sure of success, A large proportion of 134 THE POSITION OF THE ARMIBa his army consisted of veterans inured to service in wars at home, in Wales, and with the French, while the mail-clad knights and men-at-arms looked with absolute contempt upon the gathering which was opposed to them. This consisted solely of popular levies of men who had left their homes and taken up arms for. the free'^om of their country. They were rudely armed and hastily trained. Of all the feudal nobles of Scotland who should have led them, but one, Sir Andrew Moray, was present. Their commander was still little more than a youth, who, great as was his individual valour and prowess, had had no experience in the art of war on a largo scale; while the English were led by a general whose fame was known throughout Europe. The Scots took up their station upon the high ground north of the Forth, protected from observation by the pre- cipitous hill immediately behind Cambuskenneth Abbey and known as the Abbey Craig. In a bend of the river, opposite the Abbey Craig, stood the bridge by which the English army were preparing to cross. Archie stood beside Wallace on the top of the craig, looking at the English array. "It is a fair sight," he said; "the great camp, with its pavilions, its banners, and pennons, lying there in the valley, with the old castle rising on the lofty rock behind them. It is a pity that such a sight should bode evil to Scotland." " Yes," Wallace said; "I would that the camp lay where it is, but that the pennons and banners were those of Scotland's nobles, and that the royal lions floated over Surrey's tent Truly that were a sight which would glad a Scot's heart. When shall we see ought like it ? How- ever, Archie," he went on in a lighter tone, "methinks that that will be a rare camp to plunder." THE MORNINQ OF THE BATTLE. 135 vice in [lile the absolute them, ho had ^'om of hastily 1 should present, th, who, [ had no liile the known ground the pre- Abbey le river, lich the stood at the Q yith its in the behind evil to where lose of d over d glad How- sthinks Archie laughed. "One must kill the lion before one talks of dividing his skin," he said; "and truly it seems well-nigh impossible that such a following as yours, true Scots and brave men though they bo, yet altogether undisciplined and new to war, should be able to bear the brunt of such a batti " You are think of Dunbar," Wallace said; "and did we fight in such a field our chances would be poor; but with that broad river in front and but a narrow bridge for access, methinks that we can render an account of them." "God grant it be so!" Archie replied; "but I shall be right glad when the day is over." Three days before the battle the Steward of Scotland, the Earl of Lennox, and others of the Scotch magnates entered Surrey's camp and begged that he would not attack until they tried to induce the people to lay down their arms. They returned, however, on the third day saying that they would not listen to them, but that the next day they would, themselves, join his army with their men-at-arms. On leaving the camp that evening the Scotch nobles, riding homeward, had a Iroil with some English soldiers, of whom one was wounded by the Earl of Lennox. News being brought to Surrey, he resolved to wait no longer, but gave orders that the assault should take place on thj following morning. At daybreak of the 11th of September, 1297, one of the outposts woke Wallace with the news that the English were crossing the bridge. Tne troops were at once got under arms, and were eager to rush down to commence the battle, but Wallace restrained them. Five thousand Welsh foot- soldiers crossed the bridge, then there was a pause, and none were seen following them. "Were we to charge down now. Sir William," Archie said, "surely we might destroy that body before aid could come to them." ^ -WB 136 THE ENQLISH ADVANCJL "We could do, Archie, as you say," Wallace replied, " but such a success would be of little worth, nay, would harm rather than benefit us, for Surrey, learning that we are not altogether to be despised, aa he now believes, would be more prudent in future and would keep his army in the flat country, where we could do nought against it. No, to win much one must risk much, and we must wait until half Surrey's army is across before we venture down against them." Presently the Welsh were seen to retire again. Their movement had been premature. Surrey was still asleep, and nothing could be done until he awoke; when he did so the army armed leisurely, after which Surrey bestowed the honour of knighthood upon many young aspirants. The number of the Scots under Wallace is not certainly known; the majority of the estimates place it below twenty thousand, and as the English historian, who best describes the battle, speaks of it as the defeat of the many by the few, it can certainly be assumed that it did not exceed this number. Only on the ground of his utter contempt for the enemy can the conduct of the Earl of Surrey, in attempting to engage in such a position, be understood. The bridge was wide enough for but two, or at most three, horsemen to cross abreast, and when those who had crossed were attacked assistance could reach them but slowly from the rear. The English knights and men-at-arms, with the Royal Standard and the banner of the Earl of Surrey, crossed first. The men-at-arms were followed by the infantry, who, as they passed, formed up on the tongue of land formed by the winding of the river. When half the English army had passed Wallace gave the order to advance. First Sir Andrew Moray, with two 1 1 \ I I w 'eplied, would ,g that elieves, eep hi8 nought ch, and before Their I asleep, rhen he Surrey r young stllace is :es place istorian, e defeat led that e enemy ting to bridge rsemen led were >om the Royal 1 crossed ifantry, )f land je gave lith two THE OAFTURE Of TBI BRIDGE HEAD. 137 thousand men, descended the hills farther to the right, and on seeing these the English cavalry charged at once against them. The instant they did so Wallace, with his main army, poured down from the craig impetuously and swept away the English near the head of the bridge, taking possession of the end, and by showers of arrows and darts preventing any more from crossing. By this manoeuvre the whole of the English infantry who had crossed were cut off from their friends and inclosed in the narrow promontory. The English men-at-arms had succeeded in overthrow- ing the Scots, against whom they had charged, and had pursued them some distance; but upon drawing rein and turning to rejoin the army, they found the aspect of affairs changed indeed. The troops left at the head of the bridge were overthrown and destroyed. The royal banner and that of Surrey were down, and the bridge in the pos- session of the enemy. The men-at-arms chargeu back and strove in vain to recover the head of the bridge. The Scots fought stubbornly; those in front made a hedge of pikes, while those behind hurled darts and poured showers of arrows into the English ranks. The greater proportion of the men-at-arms were killed. One valiant knight alone, Sir Marmaduke de Twenge, with his nephew and a squire, cut their way through the Scots, and crossed the bridge. Many were drowned in attempt- ing to swim tho river, one only succeeding in so gaining the opposite side. The men-at-arms defeated, Wallace and the chosen band under him, who had been engaged with them, joined those who were attacking the English and Welsh, now cooped up in the promontory. Flushed with the success al- ready gained the Scots were irresistible, and almost every man who had crossed was either killed or drowned in at- 138 AN UTTER ROUT. tempting to swim the river. No sooner had he seen that succcus in this quarter was secure than Wallace led a large number of his followers across the bridge. Piere the Eng- lish, who still outnumbered his army, and who had now all the advantage of position which had previously been on the side of the Scots, might have defended the bridge, or in good order have given him battle on the other side. The sight, however, of the terrible disaster which had befallen nearly half their number before their eyes, without their being able to render them the slightest assistance, had completely demoralized them, and as soon as the Scotch were seen to be crossing the bridge they fled in terror. A hot pursuit was kept up by the fleet-footed and lightly- armed Scots, and great numbers of fugitives were slain. More than 20,000 English perished in the battle or flight, and the remainder crossed the Border a mere herd of broken fugitives. The Earl of Surrey, before riding off the field, com- mitted the charge of the Castle of Stirling to Sir Marnia- duke de Twenge, promising him that he would return to his relief within ten weeks at the utmost All the tents, waggons, horses, provisions, and stores of the Eng- lish fell into the hands of their enemies, and every Scotch soldier obtained rich booty. Cressinghara was among the number killed. It was said by one English historian, and his account has been copied by many others, that Cressingham's body was flayed and his skin divided among the Scots; but there appears no good foimdation for the story, although pro- bably Cressingham, who had rendered himself peculiarly obnoxious and hateful to the Scots, was hewn in pieces. But even were it proved that the story is a true one, it need excite no surprise, seeing the wholesale slaying, plundering, and burning which had been carried on by THE 8TATB OF SCOTLAND. 139 all was been was there pro- [iarly ieces. le, it ring, by I the English, and that the Scottish prisoners falling into their hands were often mutilated and tortured before being executed and quartered. The English historians were fond of crying out that the Scotch were a cruel and barbarous people whenever they retaliated for the treat- ment which they suffered; but so far from this being the case, it is probable that the Scotch, before the first in- vasion of Edward, were a more enlightened and, for their numbers, a more well-to-do people than the English. They had for many years enjoyed peace and tran(]uillity, and under the long and prosperous reign of Alexander had made great advances, while England had been harassed by con- tinuous wars and troubles at home and abroad. Its war- like barons, when not engaged under its monarchs in wars in Wales, Ireland, and France, occupied themselves in quarrels with each other, or in struggles against the royal supremacy; and although the higher nobles, with their mail-clad followers, could show an amount of chivalrous pomp unknown in Scotland, yet the condition of the middle classes and of the agricultural population was higher in Scotland than in England. Archie, as one of the principal leaders of the victorious army, received a share of the treasure captured in the camp sufficient to repay the money which he had had for the strengthening of the Castle of Aberfilly, and on the day following the battle he received permission from Sir William to return at once, with the 250 retainers which he had brought into the field, to complete the rebuilding of the castle. In another three months this was com- pleted, and stores of arms and munition of all kinds collected. Immediately after the defeat at Stirling Bridge, King Edward summoned the Scottish nobles to join Brian Fitz- allan, whom he appointed governor of Scotland, with their 140 THE GOVERNORS OF SCOTLAND. I Hi whole forces, for the purpose of putting down the re- bellion. Among those addressed as his allies were the Earls Comyn of Badenoch, Comyn of Buchan, Patrick of Dunbar, Umfraville of Angus, Alexander of Menteith, Malise of Strathearn, Malcolm of Lennox, and William of Sutherland, together with James the Steward, Nicholas de-la-Haye, Ingelram de Umfraville, Richard Fraser, and Alexander de Lindsay of Crawford. From this enumera- tion it is clear that Wallace had still many enemies to contend with at home as well as the force of England. Patrick of Dunbar, assisted by Robert ji^ruce and Bishop Anthony Beck, took the field, but was defeated. Wallace captured all the castles of the earl save Dunbar itself, and forced him to fly to England; then the Scotch army poured across the Border and retaliated upon the northern counties for the deeds which the English had been performing in Scotland for the last eight years. The country was ravaged to the very walls of Durham and Carlisle, and only those districts which bought off the invaders were spared. The title which had been bestowed upon Wallace by a comparatively small number was now ratified by the commonalty of the whole of Scotland; and associated with him was the young Sir Andrew Moray of Bothwell, whose father had been the only Scotch noble who had fought at Stirling, and it is notable that in some of the documents of the time Wallace gives precedence to Andrew Moray. They proceeded to effect a military organization of the country, dividing it up into districts, each with com- manders and lieutenants. Order was established and negotiations entered into for the mutual safeguard of traders with the Hanse towns. The nobles who ventured to oppose the authority of Wallace and his colleague were punished in some cases ) I A SHORT BRBATHINO TIMB. Ul the re- vere the Patrick fenteith, illiam of Nicholas iser, and inumera- emies to England, d Bishop Wallace ar itself, ;ch army northern ad been .rs. The [lam and » off the Destowed was now md; and \ioray of ih noble in some dence to >n of the th com- led and ruard of by the confiscation of lands, which were bestowed upon Sir Alexander Scrymgeour and other loyal gentlemen, and these grants were recognized by Bruce when he be- came king. In these deeds of grant Wallace and Moray, although acting as governors of Scotland, state that they do so in the name of Baliol as king, although a helpless captive in England. For a short time Scotland enjoyed peace, save that Earl Percy responded to the raids made by the Scots across the Border, by carrying fire and sword through Annandale; and the English writers who com- plain of the conduct of the Scots, have no word of reprobation for the proclamation issued to the soldiers on crossing the Border, that they were free to plunder where they chose, nor as to the men and women slain, nor the villages and churches committed to the flames. lority of ne cases CHAPTER X. THE BATTLE OF FALKIRK. HILE Wallace was endeavouring to restore order in Scotland, Edward was straining every nerve to renew his invasion. He himself was upon the Continent, but he made various concessions to his barons and great towns to induce them to aid him heartily, and issued writs calling upon the whole nobility remaining at home, as they valued his honour and that of England, to meet at York on January 20th, " and pro- ceed under the Earl of Surrey to repress and chastise the audacity of the Scots." At the same time he despatched special letters to those of the Scottish nobles who were not already in England, commanding them to attend at the rendezvous. The call upon the Scotch nobles was not generally re- sponded to. They had lost much of their power over their vassals, many of whom had fought under Wallace in spite of the abstention of their lords. It was clear, too, that if they joined the English, and another defeat of the latter took place, their countrymen might no longer condone their treachery, but their titles and estates might be confiscated. Consequently but few of them presented themselves at York. There, however, the English nobles restore training n. He but he ons and lid him aobility id that nd pro- lise the matched io were pend at |illy re- over '^allace clear. Peat of [longer Imight sented lobles I : AN INVADING HOST. 143 gathered in force. The Earls of Surrey, Gloucester, and Arundel; the Earl Mareschal and the great Constable were there; Guido, son of the Earl of Warwick, represented his father. Percy was there, John de Wathe, John de Sea- grave, and very many other barons, the great array con- sisting of 2000 horsemen heavily armed, 1200 light horse- men, and 100,000 foot-soldiers. Sir Aymer de Vallance, Earl of Pembroke, and Sir John Sieward, son of the Earl of March, landed with an army in Fife, and proceeded to burn and waste. They were met by a Scotch force under Wallace in the forest of Black Ironside, and were totally defeated. Surrey's army crossed the Border, raised the siege of Roxburgh, and advanced as far as Kelso. Wallace did not venture to oppose so enormous a force, but wasted the country on every side so that they could draw no provisions from it, and Surrey was forced to fall back to Berwick; this town was being besieged by a Scottish force, which retired at his approach. Here the English army halted upon receipt of orders from Edward to wait his coming. He had hastily patched up a peace with France, and, having landed at Sandwich, summoned the parlia- ment, and on the 27th of May issued writs to as many as 154 of his great barons to meet him at Roxburgh on the 24th June. Here 3000 cavalry, men and horses clothed in complete armour; 4000 lighter cavalry, the riders being armed in steel but the horses being uncovered; 500 splen- didly mounted knights and men-of-arms from Gascony; and at least 80,000 infantry assembled together, with abundance of materials and munition of war of all kinds. This huge army marched from Roxburgh, keeping near the coast, receiving provisions from a fleet which sailed along beside them. But in spite of this precaution it was grievously straitened, and was delayed for a month near 144 THE FIELD OF FALKIRK. Edinburgh, as Wallace so wasted the country that the army were almost famished, and by no efforts were they able to bring on a battle with the Scots, whose rapid marches and intimate acquaintance with the country baffled all the efforts of the English leaders to force on an action. Edward was about to retreat, being unable any longer to subsist his army, when the two Scottish Earls of Dunbar and Angus sent news to the king that Wallace with his army was in Falkirk forest, about six miles away, and had arranged to attack the camp on the fol- lowing morning. The English at once advanced and that evening encamped at Linlithgow, and the next morning moved on against the Scots. Late in the evening Archie's scouts brought in the news to Wallace that the English army was within three miles, and a consultation was at once held between the leaders. Most of them were in favour of a retreat; but Comyn of Badenoch, who had lately joined Wallace, and had been from his rank appointed to the command of the cavalry, with some of his associates, urged strongly the necessity for fighting, saying that the men would be utterly dis- pirited at such continual retreats, and that with such immensely superior cavalry the English would follow them up and destroy them. To these arguments Wallace, Sir John Grahame, and Sir John Stewart, yielded their own opinions, and prepared to fight. They took up their position so that their front was protected by a morass, and a fence of stakes and ropes was also fixed across so as to impede the advance or retreat of the English cavalry. The Scotch army consisted almost entirely of infantry. These were about a third the number of those of the English, while Comyn's cavalry were a thousand strong. The infantry were formed in three great squares or A TREACHEROUS DESERTION. , ond Hereford; the"^ Z^tClt^^\^' ^^ °* ^"<=»'n oi Durham, and Sir R^In^ b^ . ' ""* ''a'''*e BishoD W»«elf. The firsUw^^u^t '•V';'^'' "^^ «"> ^'"8 IWh. and -at-rnh^Xtota^lri »ome distance in tttLX^V'I^'''' ''^^ <^'--'' 4 a confused mass, and My^T^ ^. "P"'' t^em when in the morass. "^^ "'^" »ga™t the fence or into The first division of thn i?„ i- i made a circuit to the west fh^ '■* °"/™^i»g at the bog obstacle which the ZTtJt:Zf ^^"^^'^^S thf the east, and both fell umnT« « ?A'"°''^ ""°« ""valr., TuS ^pport the whlt?n:t:f^"°g 'he infantr7;K So impetuous was the charf t\v^'^ "^ ">e English Stewa.t and his a«=hers wf^lfhl 1"^' ""^ «« John of the squares, and he waT with .i 1° f°^ *''« shelter by the English men-at" ^r ThuTtJ *" '"' ""»' «W° -fpX^tr-Pe,^hie.or^,.„, ^U7) ^gain and agaan the bravest of the 146 CRUSHED. I I chivalry of England tried to hew a way through. The Scots stood firm and undismayed, and had the battle lain between them and the English cavalry, the day would have been theirs. But presently the king, with his enormous body of infantry, arrived on the ground, and the English archers and slingers poured clouds of missiles into the ranks of the Scots; while the English spearmen, picking up the great stones with which the ground was strewn, hurled them at the front ranks of their foes. Against this storm of missiles the Scottish squares could do nothing. Such armour as they had Was useless against the English cloth-yard arrows, and thou- sands fell as they stood. Again and again they closed up the gaps in their ranks, but at last they could no longer withstand the hail of aiTows and stones, to which they could offer no return. Some of them wavered. The gaps in the squares were no longer filled up, and the English cavalry, who had been waiting their opportunity, charged into the midst of them. No longer was there any thought of resistance. The Scots fled in all directions. Numbers were drowned in trying to swim the river Carron, which ran close by. Multitudes were cut down by the host of English cavalry. Sir Archie Forbes was in the same square with Wallace with a few other mounted men. They dashed forward against the English as they broke through the ranks of the spearmen, but the force opposed to them was over- whelming. "It is of no use, Archie; we must retire. Better that than throw away our lives uselessly. All is lost now." Wallace shouted to the spearmen, who gallantly rallied round him, and, keeping together in spite of the efforts of the English cavalry, succeeded in withdrawing from tlBTRSAT OF THE ENGLISH ARMY. ui 1. The I battle he day ig, with • ground, ouds of English lich the ranks of Scottish had was id thou- ir ranks, J hail of ) return. were no lad been of them. \e. The Iwned in [lose by. English [Wallace [forward [•anks of over- ber that low." rallied efforts Lg from the field. The other squares were entirely broken and dispersed, and scarce a man of them escaped. Accounts vary as to the amount of the slaughter, some English writers placing it as double that of the army which Wallace could possibly have brought into the field, seeing that the whole of the great nobles stood aloof, and that Grahame, Stewart, and Macduff of Fife were the only three men of noble family with him. All these were slain, together with some 25,000 infantry. Wallace with about 5000 men succeeded in crossing a ford of the Carron, and the English spread themselves over the country. The districts of Fife, Clackmannan, Lanark, Ayr, and all the surrounding country were wasted and burnt, and every man found put to the sword. The Scotch themselves in retreating destroyed Stirling and Perth, and the English found the town of St. Andrew's deserted, and burnt it to the ground. No sooner had Wallace retreated than he divided his force into small bands, which proceeded in separate direc- tions, driving off the cattle and destroying all stores of grain, so that in a fortnight after the battle of Falkirk the English army were again brought to a stand by shortness of provisions, and were compelled to fall back again with all speed to the mouth of the Forth, there to obtain provisions from their ships. As they did so Wallace reunited his bands, and pressed hard upon them. At Linlithgow he fell upon their rear and inflicted heavy loss, and so hotly did he press them that the great army was obliged to retreat rapidly across the Border, and made no halt until it reached the fortress of Carlisle. That it was compulsion alone which forced Edward to make this speedy retreat we may be sure from the fact that after the victory of Dunbar he was contented with nothing less than a dean sweep of Scotland to its northern coast. 148 WALLACE RBSIGNS THE QOVERNORSHll^. |i > and that he repeated the same process when, in the year following the battle of Falkirk, he a£,aiA returned with a mighty army. Thus decisive as was the battle of Falkirk it was entirely abortive in results. When the English had crossed the Border, Wallace assembled the few gentlemen who were still with him, and announced his intention of resigning the guardian- ship of Scotland, and of leaving the country. The an- nouncement was received with exclamations of surprise and regret. " Surely, Sir William," Archie exclaimed, " you cannot mean it. You are our only leader; in you we have unbounded confidence, and in none else. Had it not been for the treachery of Comyn the field of Falkirk would have been ours, for had the horse charged when the English were in confusion round our squares they had assuredly been defeated. Moreover, your efforts have retri. -^ed that disastrous field, and have driven the Eng- lish across the Border." " My dear Archie," Wallace said, " it is because I am the only leader in whom you have confidence that I must needs go. I had vainly hoped that when the Scottish nobles ^d,w what great things the commonalty were able to do, and how far, alone and unaided, they had cleared Scotland of her tyrants, they would ha/e joined us with their vassals; but you see it is not so. The successes that I have gained have but excited their envy against me. Of them all only Grahame, Stewart, and Macduflf stood by my side, while all the great earls and barons either held aloof or were, like Bruce, in the ranks of Edward's army, or like Comyn and his friends, joined me g'^'lely to betray me. I am convinced now that it is only a united Scot- land can resist the power of England, and it is certain that 80 long as I remain here Scotland never can be r: ■ f 1*1 A TRUB PATRIOT. 149 be year with a Falkirk Wallace th him, lardian- The an- surprise 1 canliot nre have not been •k would rhen the bhey had frts have |the Eng- ise I am i,t I must Scottish rere able cleared us with ises that linst me. iff stood Iher held 's army, betray id Scot- certain can be united. Of Bruce I have no longer any hope; but if I retire Comyn may take the lead, and many at least of the Scottish nobles will follow him. Had we but horsemen and archers to support our spearmen, I would not fear the issue; but it is the nobles alone who can place mounted men-at-arms in the field. Of bowmen we must always be deficient, seeing that our people take not naturally to this arm as do the English; but with spearmen c> break the first shock of Eng-lish chivalry, and with horsemen to charge them when in confusion, we may yet succeed, but horsemen we shall never get so long as the nobles hold aloof. It is uselcsss to try and change my decision, my f rienda Sore grief though it will be to me to sheathe my sword and to stand aloof when Scotland struggles for freedom, I am convinced that only by my doing so has Scotland a chance of ultimate success in the struggle. Do not make it harder for me by your pleadings. I have thought long over this, and my mind is made up. My heart is well-nigh broken by the death of my dear friend and brother-in-arms. Sir John Grahame, and I feel able to struggle no longer against the jealousy and hostility of the Scottish nobles." Wallace's hearers were all in tears at his decision, but they felt that there was truth in his words, that the Scottish nobles were far more influenced by feelings of personal jealousy and pique than by patriotism, and that so long as "Wallace remained the guardian of Scotland they would to a man side with the English. The next day Wallace assembled all his followers, and in a few words announced his determination, and the reasons which had driven him to take it He urged them to let no feelings of resentment at the treatment he had experi- enced, or any wrath at the lukewarmness and treachery which had hitherto marked tlie Scottish nobles, overcome 150 COMYN APPOINTED GUARDIAN. I I I their feeling of patriotism, but to follow these leaders should they raise the banner of Scotland, as bravely and devotedly as they had followed him. Then he bade them farewell, and mounting his horse rode to the sea-coast and passed over to France. Although he had retired from Scotland, Wallace did not- cease from war against the English; but being warmly received by the French king fought against them both by sea and land, and won much renown among the French. After returning to England, Edward, finding that the F^cottish leaders still profesr.cd to recognize Baliol as king, sent him to the pope at Rome, having first confis- cated all his great possessions in England and bestowed them upon hia own nephew, John of Brittany; and dur- Uig the rest of his life Baliol lived in obscurity in Rome. A portion of the Scotch nobles assembled and chose John Comyn of Badenoch and John de Soulis as guardians of the kingdom. In the autumn of the following year Edward again assembled a great army and moved north, but it was late; and in the face of the approaching winter, and the diflBculty of forage, many of the barons refused to advance. Edward himself marched across the Border; but seeing that the Scots had assembled in force, and that at such a season of the year ho could not hope to carry his designs fully into execution, he retired witho"' strik- ing a blow. Thereupon the castle of Stirling, which was invested by the Scots, seeing no hope of relief, surren- dered, and Sir William Oliphant was appointed governor. The next spring Edward again advanced with an army even greater than that with which he had before entered Scotland. With him were Alexander of Baliol, son of the late king, who wa^ devoted to the English ; Dunbar, Eraser, Ross, and other Scottish nobles. The vast army first laid siege to the little castle of Carlaverock, which, leaden ily and horse ice did jvarmly Doth by 'ranch, hat the 3,liol as ; confis- Bstowed nd dur- a Rome. »se John lardians ng year d north, winter, refused Border; nd that to carry f*^ strik- lich was I surren- ^vemor. j,n army entered son of )unbar, army which, FRESH INVASION& 161 I although defended by but sixty men, resisted for some time the "xisaults of the whole anny, but was at last cap- tured. The Scots fell back as Edward advanced, renew- ing Wallace's tactics of wasting the country, and Edward could get no further than Dumfries. Here, finding the enormous difficulties which beset him, he made a pretence of yielding with a good grace to the entreaties of the pope and the King of France that he would spare Scotland; he retired to England and disbanded his army, having accomplished nothing in the campaign save the capture of Carlaverock. The following summer he again advanced with the army, this time supported by a fleet of seventy ships. The Scots resorted to their usual strategy, and, when winter came, the invaders had penetrated no further than the Forth. Edward remained at Linlithgow for a time, and then returned to England. Sir Simon Eraser, who had been one of the leaders o2 the English army at Car- laverock, now imitated Comyn's example, and, deserting the English cause, joined his countrymen. The greater part of the English army recrossed the Border, and the Scots captured many of the garrisons left in the towns. Sir John Seagrave next invaded Scot- land with from 20,000 to 30,000 r^en, mostly cavalry. They reached the neighbourhood Edinburgh, when Comyn and Eraser advanced against them with 8000 men, chiefly infantry. The English army were advancing in three divisions, in order better to obtain provisions and forage. After a rapid night march the Scotch came upon one of them, commanded by Seagrave in person; and conceiving himself sufficiently strong to defeat the Scots unaided by any of the other divisions. Sir John Seagrave immediately gave battle. As at Falkirk, the English cavalry were unable to I i 15S THE BATTLE Of R0S8LTM. break through the Scottish pikes. Great numbers were killed or taken prisoners, Seagrave himself being severely wounded and captured, with twenty distinguished knights, thirty esquires, and many soldiers. Scarcely was the battle over when the second English division, even stronger than the first, arrived on the field. Encumbered by their prisoners, the Scots were at a disadvantage; and fearing to be attacked by these in the rear while engaged in front, they slaughtered the greater portion of the prisoners, and arming the camp-followers, prepared to resist the English onslaught. This failed as the first had done; the cavalry were defeated with great loss by the spearmen, and many prisoners again taken — among them Sir Ralph Manton. The third English division now appeared; and the Scots, worn out by their long march and the two severe conflicts they had endured, were about to fly from the field when their leaders exhorted them to one more efibri The second batch of prisoners were slaughtered, and the pikemen again formed, line to resist the English charge. Again were the cavalry defeated. Sir Robert Neville, their leader, slain, with many others, and the whole dispersed and scattered. Sir Robert Manton, who was the king's treasurer, had had a quarrel with Eraser, when the latter was in Edward's service, regarding his pay; and Eraser is said by some historians to have now revenged himself by slaying his prisoner. Other ac- counts, however, represent Manton as having escaped. The slaughter c»f the prisoners appears, although cruel, to have been unavoidable; as the Scots, having before them a well-appointed force fully equal to their own in number, could not have risked engaging, with so large a body of prisoners in their rear. None of the knights or other leaders were slain, these being subsequently ex- , SOOTLAND DIVA8TATED. 163 changed or ransomed, as we afterwards find them fighting in the English ranks. Seeing by this defeat that a vast effort was necessary to conquer Scotland, King Edward advanced in the spring of 1308 with an army of such numbers tha^ the historians of the time content themselves with saying that " it was great beyond measure." It consisted of English, Welsh, Irish, Giiscons, and Savoyards. One division, under the Prince of Wales, advanced by the west coast; that of the king, by the east; and the two united at the Forth. Without meeting with any serious resistance the great host marched north through Perth and Dundee to Bre- chin, where the castle, under the charge of Sir Thomas Maille, resisted for twenty days; and it was only after the death of the governor that it surrendered. The English then marched north through Aberdeen, Banff, and Moray into Caithness, carrying utter destruc- tion everywhere; towns and hamlets, villages arid farm- houses were alike destroyed; crops were burned, forests and orchards cut dowa Thus was the whole of Scot- land wasted; and even the rich abbeys of Abberbredok and Dunfermline, the richest and most famous in Scot- land, were destroyed, and the whole levelled to the ground. The very fields were as far as possible injured — the intention of Edward being, as Fordun says, to blot out the people, and to reduce the land to a condition of irrecoverable devastation, and thus to stamp out for ever any further resistance in Scotland. During the three years which had elapsed since the departure of Wallace, Archie had for the most part re- mained quietly in his castle, occupying himself with the comfort and well-being of his vassals. He had, each time the E^.glish entered Scotland, taken the field with a portion of his retainers, in obedience to the summons of 154 A SUBTERRANEAN PASSAGE. Comyn. The latter was little disposed to hold valid the grants made by Wallace, especially in the case of Archie Forbes, the Kerrs being connections of his house; but the feeling of the people in general was too strongly in favour of the companion of Wallace for him to venture to set it aside, especially as the castle could not be captured without a long-continued siege. Archie and many of the nobles hostile to the claims of Comyn obeyed his orders, he being the sole possible leader, at present, of Scotland. Edward, however, had left them no alternative, since he had, in order to induce the English nobles to follow him, formally divided among them the lands of the whole of the Scotch nobles, save those actually fighting in his ranks. Archie was now nearly three-and-twenty, and his frame had fully borne out the promise of his youth. He was over the average height, but appeared shorter from the extreme breadth of his shoulders; his arms were long and sinewy, and his personal strength immense. From the time of his first taking possession of Aber- fiUy he had kept a party of men steadily engaged in excavating a passage from the castle towards a wood a mile distant. The ground was soft and offered but few obstacles, but the tunnel throughout its whole length had to be supported by massive timbers. Wood, however, was abundant, and the passage had by this time been completed. Whenever, from the length of the tunnel, the workmen began to suffer from want of air, ventilation was obtained by running a small shaft up to the surface; in this was placed a square wooden tube of six inches in diameter, round which the earth was again filled in — a few rapidly -growing plants and bushes being planted round the orifice to prevent its being noticed by any passer-by. ' ilid the Archie but the L favour 3 to set aptured y of the J orders, icotland. since he ow him, le of the ranks, lis frame He was :rom the long and L ►f Aber- raged in wood a but few igth had lowever, ne been inel. the bion was face; in iches in in — a [planted by any CHAPTER XL ROBERT THE BRUCE. T the last great invasion by Edward, Archie did not take the field, seeing that Comyn, in despair of opposing so vast a host, did not call out the levies. Upon the approach of the English army under the Prince of Wales he called the whole of his tenants into the castle. Great stores of provisions had already been collected. The women and children were sent away up into the hills, where pro- visions had also been garnered, and the old men and boys accompanied them. As the Prince of Wales passed north, bands from his army spreading over the country de- stroyed every house in the district. Archie was sum- moned to surrender, but refused to do so; and the prince, being on his way to join his father on the Forth, after himself surveying the hold, and judging it far too strong to be carried without a prolonged siege, marched forward, promising on his return to destroy it. Soon afterwards Archie received a message that Wallace had returned. He at once took with him fifty men, and leaving the castle in charge of Sandy Graham, with the rest of his vassals, two hundred and fifty in number, he rejoined his former leader. Many others gathered round Wallace's standard; and throughout Edward's march to the north and his I 166 THE SIEOE OF STIRLING OASTLB. )l';: return to the Forth Wallace hung upon his flanks, cutting off and slaying great numbers of the marauders, and striking blows at detached bands wherever these were in numbers not too formidable to be coped with. Stirling was now the only great castle which remained in the hands of the Scotch, and King Edward prepared to lay siege to this. Save for the band of Wallace there was no longer any open resistance in the field. A few holds like those of Archie Forbes still remained in the hands of their owners, their insignificance, or the time which would be wasted in subduing them, having pro- tected them from siege. None of the nobles now re- mained in arms. Bruce had for a short time taken the field; but had, as usual, hastened to make his peace with Edward. Comyn and all his adherents surrendered upon promise of their lives and freedom, and that they should retain their estates, subject to a pecuniary fine. All the nobles of Scotland were included in this capitulation, save a few who were condemned to suffer temporary banish- ment. Sir William Wallace alone was by name specially exempted from the surrender. Stirling Castle was invested on the 20th of April, 1304, and for seventy days held out against all the efforts of Edward's army. Warlike engines of all kinds had been brought from England for the siege. The religious houses of St. Andrews, Brechin, and other churches were stripped of lead for the engines. The sheriff's of London, Lincoln, York, and the governor of the Tower were ordered to collect and forward all the mangonels, quarrels, and bows and arrows they could gather; and for seventy days missiles of all kinds, immense stones, leaden balls, and javelins were rained upon the castle; and Greek fire ~-a new and terrible mode of destruction — was also used ' tHE BtmiAYAL OF WALLACE. 167 cutting rs, and were in smained repared se there A few [ in the he time ng pro- now re- )ut had, Edward. promise pL retain e nobles save a mnish- pecially in the siege. But it was only when their provisions ana other resources were exhausted that the garrison capitu- lated; and it was found that the survivors of the garrison which had defended Stirling Castle for upwards of three months against the whole force of England numbered, including its governor, Sir William Oliphant, and twenty- four knights and gentlemen, but a hundred and twenty soldiers, two monks, and thirteen females. During the siege Wallace had kept the field, but Archie had, at his request, returned to his castle, which being but a day's march from Stirling, might at any moment be besieged. Several times, indeed, parties ap- peared before it, but Edward's hands ;vere too full, and he could spare none of the necessarj ei:gines to under- take such a siege; and when Stirling at length fell he and his army were in too great haste to return to Eng- land to undertake another prolonged siege, especially as Aberfilly, standing in a retired position, and com- manding none of the principal roads, was a hold of no political importance. A short time afterwards, to Archie's immense grief, Sir William Wallace was betrayed into the hands of the English. Several Scotchmen took part in this base act, the principal being Sir John Menteith. Late historians, in their ardour to whitewash those who have for ages been held up to infamy, have endeavoured to show that Sir John Menteith was not concerned in the matter; but the evidence is overwhelming the other way. Scotch opinion at the time, and for generations afterwards, uni- versally imputed the crime to him. Fordun, who wrote in the reign of Kobert Bruce, Bowyer, and Langtoft, all Scotch historians, say that it was he who betrayed Wal- lace, and their account is confirmed by contemporary English writings. The Chronicle of Lanercost, the 158 A JUDICIAL IIURDER. Arundel MSS., written about the year 1320, and the Scala Chronica, all distinctly say that Wallace was seized by Sir John Menteith; and finally, Sir Francis Palgrave has discovered in the memoranda of the busi- ness of the privy-council that forty marks were bestowed upon the young man who spied out Wallace, sixty marks were divided among some others who assisted in his capture, and that to Sir John Menteith was given land of the annual value of one hundred pounds — a very large amount in those days. The manner in which Wallace was seized is uncertain; but he was at once handed by Sir John Menteith to Sir John Seagrave, and carried by him to London. He was taken on horseback to Westminster, the mayor, sheriffs, and aldermen, with a great number of horse and foot, accompanying him. There the mockery of a trial Mjas held, and ho was in one day tried, condemned, and exe- cuted. He defended himself nobly, urging truly that, as a native-born Scotsman, he had never sworn fealty or allegiance to England, and that he was perfectly justified in fighting for the freedom of his country. Every cruelty attended his execution. He was drawn through the streets at the tails of horses; he was hung for some time by a halter, but was taken down while yet alive; he was mutilated and disembowelled, his head then cut off, his body divided in four, his head impaled over London Bridge, and his quarters distributed to four principal towns in Scotland. Such barbarities were com- mon at executions in the days of the Noi"man kings, who have been described by modern writers as chivalrous monarchs. A nobler character than Wallace is not to be found in history. Alone, a poor and landless knight, by his per- sonal valour and energy he aroused the spirit of his coun- . ' ind in ^s per- coun- ' A NOBLE CHARACTER. 169 trymen, and in spite of the opposition of the whole of the nobles of his country banded the people in resistance against England, and for a time wrested all Scotland from the hands of Edward. His bitter enemies the Eng- lish were unable to adduce any proofs that the epithets of ferocious and bloodthirsty, with which they were so fond of endowing Mm, had even a shadow of foundation, and we may rather believe the Scotch accounts that his gentle- ness and nobility of soul were equal to his valour. Of his moderation and wisdom when acting as governor of Scot- land there can be no doubt, while the brilliant strategy which first won the battle of Stirling, and would have gained that of Falkirk had not the treachery and cow- ardice of the cavalry ruined his plans, show that under other circumstances he would have taken rank as one of the greatest commanders of his own or any age. He first taught his countrymen, and indeed Europe in general, that steady infantry can repel the assaults even of mail-clad cavalry. The lesson was foUovyed at Bannock- burn by Bruce, who won under precisely the same circum- stances as those under which Wallace had been defeated, simply because at the critical moment he had 500 horse at hand to charge the disordered mass of the English, while at Falkirk Wallace's horse, who should have struck the blow, were galloping far away from the battlefield. Nor upon his English conquerors was the lesson lost, for at Cressy, when attacked by vastly superior numbers, Edward III. dismounted his army, and ordered them to fight on foot, and the result gave a death-blow to that mailed chivalry which had come to be regarded as the only force worth reckoning in a battle. The conduct of Edward to Wallace, and later to many other distinguished Scotch- men who fell into his hands, is a foul blot upon the memory of one of the greatest of the kings of England. 160 THE SETTLEMENT OF SCOTLAND. Edward mjght now well have believed that Scotland was crushed for ever. In ten years no less than twelve great armies had marched across the Border, and twice the whole country had been ravaged from sea to sea, the last time so effectually, that Edward had good ground for his belief that the land would never again raise its head from beneath his foot. He now proceeded, as William of Normandy after Hastings had done, to settle his conquest, and appointed thirty -one commissioners, of whom twenty- one were English and ten so-called Scotch, among them Sir John Menteith, to carry out his ordinances. All the places of strength were occupied by English garrisons. The high officers and a large proportion of the justiciaries and sheriffs were English, and Edward ruled Scotland from Westminster as he did England. Among the commissioners was Robert Bruce, now. through the death of his father, Lord of Annandale and Carrick; and Edward addressed a proclamation to him, headed, "To our faithful and loyal Robert de Bruce, Earl of Carrick, and all others who are in his company, greet- ing;" and went on to say that he possessed the king's fullest confidence. But though Scotland lay prostrate, the spirit of resistance yet lingered in the hearts of the com- monalty. Although conquered now the memory of their past successes still inspired them, but until some leader presented himself none could stir. It was in August that Wallace had been executed. Archie had received several summonses from the English governors of Stirling and Lanark to come in and do homage to Edward, but he had resolutely declined, and the task of capturing his castle was too heavy a one to be undertaken by any single gar- rison; still he saw that the time must come, sooner or iater, when he would have to choose between surrender ARCHIE'S RESOLVE. 161 Scotland a twelve id twice I sea, the ound for its head dy after ppointed ne were Sir John places of rhe high tries and md from ace, now. idale and 1 to him, uce. Earl ly, greet- le king's .rate, the ;he com- of their e leader rust that several [ing and he had s castle ;le gar- loner or Irrender and death. When mattars settled down it was certain that a great effort would be made to root out the one recalcitrant south of the Forth. For some time he re- mained gloomy and thoughtful, a mood most unusual to him, and his mother, who was watching him anxiously, was scarcely surprised when one day he said to her: " Mother, I must leave you for a time. Matters can no longer continue as they are. Surrender to the English I will not, and there remains for me but to defend this castle to the last, and then to escape to France; or to cross thither at once, and enter the service of the French king, as did V.^allace, Of these courses I would fain take the latter, seeing that the former would bring ruin and death upon our vassals, who have ever done faithful service when called upon, and whom I would not see suffer for my sake. In that case I should propose that you should return and live quietly with Sir Robert Gordon until times change." Dame Forbes agreed with her son, for she had long felt that further resistance would only bring ruin upon him. " There is yet one other course, mother, and that I am about to take; it is well-nigh a desperate one, and my hopes of success are small, yet would I attempt it before I leave Scotland and give AberfiUy back again to the Kerrs. Ask me not what it is, for it were best that if it fail you should not know of it. There is no danger in the enterprise, but for a month I shall be absent. On my return you shall hear my final resolve." Having attired himself as a lowland farmer, Archie proceeded to Edinburgh, and there took ship for London; here he took lodgings at an inn, which he had been told in Edinburgh was much frequented by Scotchmen who had to go to London on business. His first care was to CM7) L I I 162 TUB INTIRVIBW. purchase the garments of an English gentleman of moderate means, so that he could pass through the streets without attracting attention. He was greatly impressed with the bustle and wealth of London. " It is wonderful," he said to himself, "that we Scots, vrho ""vere after all but an army of peasants, could for nigh ten years have supported a war against such a country as this, and it seems madness to adventure farther in that way. If my present errand fails I will assuredly hold firm to my resolve and seek a refuge in France." Archie ascertained that Robert the Bruce lodged at Westminster, and that great gaieties were taking place at the court for joy at the final termination of hostilities with Scotland, now secured by the execution of Wal- lace. He despatched a letter to the earl by a messenger from the inn, saying that one who had formerly known him in Scotland desired earnestly to speak to him on matters of great import, and begging him to grant a private interview with him at his lodging at as early an hour as might be convenient to him. The man returned with a verbal reply, that the earl would see the writer, at his lodging at nine o'clock on the following mor- ning. At the appointed time Archie presented himself at the house inhabited by Bruce. To the request of the earl's retainer for his name and business he replied that his name mattered not, but that he had received a message from the earl appointing him a meeting at that hour. Two minutes later he was ushered into the private cabinet of Robert Bruce. The latter was seated writing, and looked up at his unknown visitor. "Do you remember me, Sir Robert Bruce?" Archie asked. 'I tieman of the streets nd wealth we Scots, i for nigh I country arther in assuredly ance." odged at ; place at hostilities of Wal- lessenorer 7 known him on grant a early an 'eturned e writer, ig mor- f at the le earl's hat his nessage >ur. private I'riting, Archie i ll n ll ll K il ll ■' i 1 1 1 1 J 1 ! ' [ <2 b I I ARORIB'8 APl'EAL. 163 "Methinks I know your face, sir," the earl replied, "but I cannot recall whore 1 liave Hcen it." "It is live years since," Archie said, "and as that time has changed me from a youth into a man I wonder not that njy face has escaped you." " I know you nowl" the earl exclaimed, rising suddenly from his seat. " You are Sir Archibald Forbes?" "I am," Archie replied, "anIing far and wid(>, and whih) hoforo it waM but in a fow counties of the h)wiand.s that tho tiauie of roNiNtaiiCx) really burnt, thin tinio, bcliovo nto, that all Scothuul, Havu ixThap.H tho (^oinyn.s and thoir ad- liorcntH, would riHu at tho call. 1 Hay not that nuccohb would at once attend yow, for, forgive n»o for Haying ho, the connuoiuilty wouhi not at lirHt trust you; but when thoy saw that you wore lighting for Scotland as wtdl as for your own crown, that you had, by your action, definitely and for ev(>r broken witli tho Knglinh, and had this time entered heart and houI into tho cause, I am sure they would not hoKl back. Your own vaasals of Carrick and Annandalo are a goodly array in themselves, and the young Doughus nught bo counted on to bring his dalosmon to your banner. Thoro aro all tho lords who Imve favouroil your cauvso, and so stood aloof from Oomyn. You will have a good array to connnence with ; but above all, even if unsuccessful at first, all Scotland would coino in time to regard you as her king and champion. Resis- tance will never cease, for oven as Wallace wjvs ever able to assond)le bands and make head against the Kngliuh, so will it be with you, until at last freedom is achieved, and you will reign a free king over a free Scotland, and your name will be honoured to all time as the chan\pion and deliverer of tmr country. Think not, sir," he wont on earnestly as Bruce paced up and down tho little room, "that it is too late. Other Scotchmen, Frasor and many others, who have warred in tho Engliah ranks, have boon joyfully received when at length thoy drew sword for Scotland. Only do you sttuid forth as our champion, THI DIB IS CART. 166 bo<1y, at n to hor 1(1 of the aid \\u» it WIIH tiaino of tliat all )uir iu\' i HUCCOHS iyin« Ne*: the fray -^as over; "but I would give my right hand had I aot .«la:n Comyn in my passion; however, it is too late to hesitat*> now. Gather together, my friends, all your rct:J>»ors, :m\ let us hurry at once to attack the justiciaries. In a few minutes Kirkpatrick brought together those who had accompanied him a' his companiona to :he town, and they at once mov against the court-house. The news of Bruce's arriva aiid of the fray with the Comyns had already reache the justiciaries, and with their retainers and friends tl ey had made hasty prepara- tions for defence; but seei that Bruce's follovyera out- numbered them, and that a defence might cost them their lives, they held parley and agreed to surrender upon Bruce promising to allow them to depart at once for England. Half an hour later the English had left Dumfries. Bruce called a council of hi^ ".ompaniona " My friends," he said, " we have been hurried into a 172 THE PROCLAMATION. terrible strife, and deeply do I regret that by my own mad passion at the treachery of Comyn I have begun it by an evil deed; but when I tell you of the way in which that traitor sought to bring me to an English block, you will somewhat absolve me for the deed, and will grant that, unhappy and unfortunate as it was, my passion was in some degree justified." He then informed them of the bond into which he and Comyn had entered, and of its betrayal by Comyn to Edward. " Thus it is," he said, " that the deed has taken place, and it is too late to mend it. We have before us a despe- rate enterprise, and yet I hope that we may succeed in it At anyrate, thi^ time there can be no drawing back, and we must conquer or die. It was certain in any case that Comyn and his party would oppose me, but now their hostility will go to all lengths, while Edward will never forgive the attack upon his justiciaries. Still we shall have some breathing time. The king will not hear for ten days of events here, and it will take him two months at least before he can assemble an army on the Border, and Comyn's friends will probably do nought till the English approach. However, let us hurry to Lochmaben Castle; there we shall be safe from any sudden attack by Comyn's friends in Galloway. First let us draw out papers setting forth the cause of my enmity to Comyn, and of the quarrel which led to his death, and telling all Scotchmen that I have now cut myself loose for ever from England, and that I have come to free Scotland and to win the crown which belongs to me by right, or to die in the attempt." Many of these documents being drawn out, messengers were despatched with them to Bruce's friends throughout the countrv, and he and his followers rode lo Lochmaben. Archie Forbes went north to his own estate, and at once i \ igers thout iben. I once 1 SIR JAMES DOUGLAS. 173 gave notice to his retainers to prepare to take the field, and to march to Glasgow, which Bruce had named as the rendezvous for all well disposed towards him. From time to time messages came from Bruce, telling him that he was receiving many promises of support; the whole of the vassals of Annandale and Carrick had assembled at Loch- maben, where many small landowners with their retainers also joined him. As soon as his force had grown to a point when he need fear no interruption on his march towards Glasgow, Bruce left Lochmaben. On his way he was joined by the first influential nobleman who had es- poused his cause; this was Sir James Douglas, whose father, Sir William, had died in an English prison. At the time of his capture his estates had been bestovred by Edward upon Lord Clifford, and the young Douglas, then but a lad, had sought refuge in France. After a while he had re- turned, and was living with Lamberton, Bishop of Si Andrews, who had been one of Wallace's most active sup- porters. The young Douglas, on receiving the news that Bruce was marching north, at once mounted, rode off^, and joined him. He was joyfully received by Bruce, as not only would his own influence be great among his father's vassals of Douglasdale, but his adhesion would induce many others to join. Receiving news of Bruce's march, Archie moved to Glasgow with hi^ retainers. The English garrison and adherents in Glasgow fled at his approach. Upon arriving there Bruce solemnly proclaimed the in- dependence of Scotland, and sent out notices to all the nobles and gentry, calling upon them to join him. Fortunately the Bishop of St. Andrews, and Wishart, Bishop of Glasgow, another of Wallace's friends, at once declared strongly for him, as did the Bishop of Moray and the Abbot of Scone. The adhesion of these prelates was 174 KINO OF SCOTLAND. I I of immense importance to Bruce, as to some extent the fact of their joining him showed that the church felt no overwhelming indignation at the act of sacrilege which he had committed, and enabled the minor clergy to ad- vocate his cause with their flocka Many of the great nobles hostile to the Comyn faction also joined him; among these were the Earls of Athole, Lennox, Errol, and Menteith; Christopher Seaton, Sir Simon Fraser, David Inchmartin, Hugh de la Haye, Walter de Somerville, Robert Boyd, Robert Fleming, David Barclay, Alexander Fraser, Sir Thomas Randolph, and Sir Neil Campbell. Bruce's four brothers, Edward, Nigel, Thomas, and Alexander, were, of course, with him. Bruce now moved from Glasgow to Scone, and was there crowned King of Scotland on the 27th of March, 1306, six weeks after his arrival at Dumfries. Since the days of Malcolm Canmore the ceremony of placing the crown on the head of the monarch had been performed by the representative of the family of Macduff, the earls of Fife; the present earl was in the service of the English; but his sister Isobel, wife of Comyn, Earl of Buchan, rode into Scons with a train of followers upon the day after the coronation, and demanded to perform the office which was the privilege of the family. To this Bruce gladly assented, seeing that many Scotchmen would hold the coronation to be irregular from its not having been performed by the hereditary functionary, and that as Isobel was the wife of Comyn of Buohan, her open ad- hesion to him might influence some of that faction. Ac- cordingly on the following day the ceremony was again performed, Isobel of Buchan placing the crown on Bruce's head, an act of patriotism for which the unfortunate lady was afterwards to pay dearly. Thus, although the great majority of the Scotch nobles still held aloof, Bruce was KINO EDWARD'S PREPARATIONS. 176 igrain t-uce's lady rreat was now at the head of a considerable force, and he at once proceeded to overrun the country. The numerous English who had come across the Border, under the belief that Scotland was finally conquered, or to take possession of lands granted them by Edward, were all compelled either to take refuge in the fortified towns and castles held by English garrisons, or to return hastily to Eng- land. When the news of the proceedings at Dumfries and the general rising in the south of Scotland reached Eld ward he was at the city of Winchester. He had been lately making a sort of triumphant passage through the country, and the unexpected news that Scotland which he had believed crushed beyond all possibility of further resis- tance was again in arms, is said for a time to have driven him almost out of his mind with rage. Not a moment was lost. Aylmer de Valence, Earl of Pembroke, was at once commissioned to proceed to Scot- land, to " put down the rebellion and punish the rebels," the whole military array of the northern counties was placed under his orders, and Clifford and Percy were asso- ciated with him in the commission. Edward also applied to the pope to aid him in punishing the sacrilegious rebels who had violated the sanctuary of Dumfries. As Clement V. was a native of Guienne, and kept his court at Bordeaux within Edward's dominions, his re- quest was, of course, promptly complied with, and a bull issued, instructing the Archbishop of York and the Bishop of Carlisle to excommunicate Bruce and his friends, and to place them and their possessions under an interdict. It was now that the adhesion of the Scottish prelates was of such vital consequence to Bruce. Had the interdict been obeyed, the churches would have been closed, all religious ceremonies suspended, the rites of the church 176 THE INTERDIOT. would have been refused even to dying men, and the dead would have been buried without service in unconsecrated ground. So terrible a weapon as this was almost always found irresistible, and its terrors had compelled even the most powerful monarchs to yield obedience to the pope's orders; but the Scotch prelates set the needs of their country above the commands of the pope, and in spite of repeated bulls the native clergy continued to perform their functions throughout the whole struggle, and thus nullified the effect of the popish anathema. King Edward was unable himself to lead his army against the Scots, for he was now sixty-seven years old, and the vast fatigues and exertions which ho had under- gone in the cburse of a life spent almost continually in war had told upon him. He had partially lost the use of his limbs, and was forced to travel in a carriage or litter; but when he reached London from Winchester a grand ceremony was held, at which the order of knighthood was conferred by the king upon the Prince of Wales, and three hundred aspirants belonging to the principal families of the country, and orders were given that the whole mili- tary array of the kingdom should, in the following spring, gather at Carlisle, where Edward himself would meet thorn and accompany them to Scotland. The Earl of Pembroke, with Clifford and Percy, lost no time in following the orders of Edward, and with the military power of the northern counties marched into Scotland. They advanced unoppose 1 to the Forth, and crossing this river proceeded towards Perth, near which town the Scottish army were gathered. Archie Forbes, who stood very high in favour with Bruce, had urged upon him the advantage of carrying out the tactics formerly adopted by Wallace, and of com- pelling the enemy to fall back by cutting oflf all food THE BVB OF THE BATTLE. 177 le dead jcrated always ^en the pope's I their jpite of »erforni id thus 3 army ars old, under- lally in B use of r litter; I grand )od was d three lilies of e mili- spring, it them lost no ith the jd into th, and which r with Trying >f com- 1 food supplies, but Bruce would not, in this instance, be guided by his counsel. " When the king advances next spring with his great army, Sir Archie, 1 will assuredly adopt the course which you point out, seeing that we could not hope to withstand so great an array in a pitched battle; but the case is different now. In the first place all the castles and towns are in the hands of the English, and from them Pembroke can draw such provision as he needs. In the second place his force is not so superior to our own but that we may fight him with a fair hope of victory; and whereas Wallace had never any cavalry with him, save at Falkirk when they deserted him at the beginning of the battle, we have a strong body of mounted men-at-arms, the retainers of the nobles with me, therefore I do not fear to give them battle in the open field." In pui'suance of this determination Bruce sent a chal- lenge to Pembroke to meet him with his army in the open field next day. Pembroke accepted the challenge, and promised to meet his opponent on the following morning, and the Scotch retired for the night to the wood of Methven, near Perth. Here many of them set out on foraging excursions, the knights laid aside their armour, and the army prepared for sleep. Archie Forbes was much dissatisfied at the manner in which Bruce had hazarded all the fortunes of Scotland on a pitched battle, thereby throwing away the great advantage which their superior mobility and knowledge of the country gave to the Scots. He had disarmed like the rest, and was sitting by a fire chatting with William Orr and Andrew Macpherson, who, as they had been his lieutenants in the band of lads he had raised seven years before, now occupied the same position among his re- tainers, each having the command of a hundred men. (847) u W \T ^ IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) /q 1.0 ^1^ 1^ I.I lit m 12.2 IS 2.0 — 1 '-"^ lllll'-^ ^ ^ 6" ► 'V 9> Photographic Sciences Corporation ^^ ^i^ ^ <^ 33 WIST MAIN STREIT WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580 (716) 872-4503 ■^ 1T8 THE SURPllISE. Suddenly one who had been wandering outside the hues in search of food among the farmhouses ran hastily in, shouting bhat the whole English army was upon them. A scene of the utmost confusion took place. Bruce and his knights hastily armed, and mounting their horses rode to meet the enemy. There was no time to form ranks or to make any order of battle. Archie sprang to his horse. He bade his lieutenants form the men into a compact body and move forward, keeping the king's banner ever in sight, a"^d to cut their way to it whenever they saw it was in danger. Then, followed by his two mounted squires, he rode after the king. The contest of Methven can scarce be called a battle, for the Scots were defeated, before it began. Many, as has been said, were away; great numbers of the footmen instantly took flight and dispersed in all directions. Here and there small bodies stood and fought desperately, but being unsupported were overcome and slain. The king with his knights fought with desperate bravery, spurring hither and thither and charging furiously among the English men-at-arms. Three times Bruce was unhorsed and as often remounted by Sir Simon Eraser. Once he was iso entirely cut off from his companions by the des- peration with which he had charged into the midst of the English, that he was surrounded, struck from his horse, and taken prisoner. "The king is taken I" Archie Forbes shouted; "ride in, my lords, and rescue him." Most of the Scotch knights were so hardljr pressed that they could do nothing to aid the king; but Chris- topher Seaton joined Archie, and the two knights charged into the midst of the throng of English and cut their way to Bruce. Sir Philip Mowbray, who was beside the captured monarch, was overthrown, and several others w A DISASTROUS FRAY. 179 the lines Eistily in, them. . Bruce ir horses to form prang to aen into le king's whenever his two I contest [le Scots een said, tly took id there it being ng with jpurring ong the nhorsed )nce he the des- of the horse, ride in, pressed Chris- harged jir way de the others cut down. Bruce leapt into his saddle again and the three for a time kept at bay the circle of foemen; but such a conflict could have but one end. Archie Forbes vied with the king in the strength and power of his blows, and many of his opponents went down before him. There was, however, no possibility of extricating them- selves from the mass of their foes, and Bruce, finding the conflict hopeless, was again about to surrender when a great shout was heard, and a close body of Scottish spear- men threw themselves into the ranks of the English horse. Nothing could withstand the impetuosity of the assault. The horsemen recoiled before the levelled spears, and the pikemen, sweeping onward, surrounded the king and his companions. "Well done, my brave fellows!" Archie cried; "now keep together in a close body and draw off the field." The darkness which had at first proved so disastrous to the Scots was now favourable to them. The English infantry knew not what was going on. The cavalry tried in vain to break through the ranks of the spearmen, and these, keeping closely together, regained the shelter of the wood, and drew oflf by way of Dunkeld and Eillie- crankie to the mountains of Athole. On their way they were joined by Edward Bruce, the Earl of Athole, Sir Neil Campbell, Gilbert de la Haye, and Douglas, and by many scattered footmen. To his grief Bruc« learned that Randolph, Inchmartin, Somerville, Alexander Eraser, Hugh de la Haye, and others had been captured, but the number killed had been small. When once safe front pursuit a council was held. It was agreed at once that it was impossible that so large a body could find subsistence in the mountains of Athole, cooped up as they were by their foes. The lowlands swarmed with the English; to the north waa 180 A WILD LIFE. Badenoch, the district of their hitter enemies the Comyns; while westward lay the territory of the Mac- Dougalls of Lome, whose chieftain, Alexander, was a nephew hy marriage of the Comyn killed by Bruce, and an adherent of the English. Beyond an occasional deer, and the fish in the lochs and streams, the country afforded no means of subsistence, it was therefore decided to disband the greater portion of the force, the knights and nobles, with a few of their 'mmediate retainers, alone remaining with the king, while the main body dispersed and regained their homes. This was done; but a few days later a messenger came saying that the queen, with the wives of many of the gentlemen, had arrived 'at Aberdeen and sought to join the king. Although an accession of numbers was by no means de- sirable, and the hardships of such a life immense for ladies to support, there was no other resource but for them to join the party, as they would otherwise have speedily fallen into the hands of the English. Therefore Bruce, accompanied by some of his followers, rode to Aberdeen and escorted the queen and ladies to his mountain retreat. It was a strange life that Bruce, his queen, and his little court led. Sleeping in rough arbours formed of boughs, the party supported themselves by hunting and fishing. Gins and traps were set in the streams, and Douglas and Archie were specially active in this pursuit; Archie's boyish experience at Glen Cairn serving him in good stead. Between him and Sir James Douglas a warm friendship had sprung up. Douglas was four years his junior. As a young boy he had heard much of Archie's feats with Wallace, and his father had often named him to him as conspicuous for his bravery, as well as his youth. The young Douglas therefore entertained the t ) 847 bruce's struggle with the macuougalls. TIIE ATTACK BTTHE MACDOUOALLS. 181 i:>i^ highest admiration for him, and had from the time of his joining Bruce become his constant companion. Bruce himself was the life and soul of the party. He was ever hopeful and in high spirits, cheering his followers by his gaiety, and wiling away the long evenings by tales of adventure and chivalry, told when they were gathered round the fire. Gradually the party made their way westward along Loch Tay and Glen Dochart until they reached the head of StrathfiUan; here, as they were riding along a narrow pass, they were suddenly attacked by Alexander Mac- Dougall with a large gathering of his clansmen. Several of the royal party were cut down at once, but Bruce with his knights fought desperately. Archie Forbes with a few of the others rallied round the queen and her ladies, and repelled every effort of the wild clansmen to break through, and continued to draw off gradually down the glen. Bruce, with Douglas, De la Haye, and some others, formed the rearguard and kept back the mass of their opponents. De la Haye and Douglas were both wounded, but the little party continued to show a face to their foes until they reached a spot where the path lay between a steep hill on one side and the lake on the other. Then \Bruce sent his followers ahead, and himself covered the rear. Suddenly three of the MacDougalls, who had climbed the hillside, made a spring upon him from above. One leapt on to the horse behind the king, and attempted to hold his arms, another seized his bridle rein, while the third thrust his hand between Bruce's leg and the saddle to hurl him from his horse. The path was too narrow fo^* Bruce to turn his horse, and spurring forward he pressed his leg so close to the saddle that he imprisoned the arm of the assailant beneath it and dragged him along Ls. 182 THB BROOCH OF LOHNI. with him, while with a blow of his sword he smote off the arm of him who grasped the rein. Then, turning in his saddle, he seized his assailant who was behind him and by main strength wrenched him round to the pommel of the saddle and there slew him. Then he turned and hav- ing cut down the man whose arm he held beucath his leg, he rode on and joined his frienda ^ In the course of the struggle the brooch which fastened his cloak was lost. This was found by the MacDougalls and carried home as a trophy, and has been preserved by the family ever since, with apparently as much pride as if it had been a proof of the fidelity and patriotism of their ancestors, instead of being a memento of the time when, as falsd and disloyal Scotchmen, they fought with England against Scotland's king and deliverer. '' e off the tg in his tiim and mmel of Lnd hav- cath his fastened Dougalls jrved by pride as Lotism of the time ght with ! I CHAPTER XIII. THE CASTLE OF DUNSTAFFNAGE. RUCE'S party were now more than ever strait- ened for provisions, since they had to depend almost entirely upon such fish as they might catch, as it was dangerous to stray far away in pursuit of deer. Archie, however, with his bow and arrows ventured several times to go hunt- ing in order to relieve the sad condition of the ladies, and succeeded two or three times in bringing a deer home with him. He had one day ventured much further away than usual. He had not succeeded in finding a stag, and the ladies had for more than a week subsisted entirely on fish. He therefore determined to continue the search, however long, until he found one. He had crossed several wooded hills, and was, he knew, leagues away from the point where he had left his party, when, sud- denly emerging from a wood, he came upon a road just at the moment when a party some twenty strong of wild clansmen were traversing it. On a palfrey in their centre was a young lady whom they were apparently escorting. They were but twenty yards away when he emerged from the wood, and on seeing him they drew their claymores and rushed upon him. Perceiving that 184 A FRI80NER. flight from these swift-footed mountaineers would be impossible, Archie threw down his bow and arrows, and, drawing his sword, placed his back against a tree, and pre- pared to defend himself until the last Parrying the blows of the tirst two who arrived he stretched them dead upon the ground, and was then at once attacked by the whole of the party together. Two more of his assailants fell by his sword; but he must have been soon overpowered and slain, when the young lady, whose cries to her followers to cease had been un- heeded in the din of conflict, spurred her palfrey forward and broke into the ring gathered round Archie. The clansmen drew back a pace, and Archie lowered his sword. ' "Desist," she cried to the former in a tone of com- mand, " or my uncle Alexander will make you rue the day when you disobeyed my orders. I will answer for this young knight. And now, sir," she said, turning to Archie, " do you surrender your sword to me, and yield yourself up a prisoner. Further resistance would be mad- ness; you have done too much harm already. I promise you your life if you will make no further resistance." "Then, lady," Archie replied, handing his sword to her, " I willingly yield myself your prisoner, and thank you for saving my life from the hands of your savage followers." The young lady touched the hilt of his sword, and motioned him to replace it in its scabbard. " You must accompany me," she said, " to the abode of my uncle Alexander MacDougall. I would," fhe con- tinued, as, with Archie walking beside her palfrey, while the Highlanders, with sullen looks, kept close behind, muttering angrily to themselves at having been cheated by the young lady of their vengeance upon the man who k ould b6 )ws, and, and pre- rived he then at sr. Two he must le young been un- forward lowered of com- , rue the svver for rning to nd yield be mad- promise nee." word to thank savage 3rd, and 3,bode of he con- y, while behind, cheated lan who THE MAODOUOALL'8 NIECE. 185 I had slain four of their number, " that I could set you at liberty, but my authority over my uncle's clansmen does not extend so far; and did I bid them let you go free they would assuredly disobey me. You are, as I can see by your attire, one of the Bruce's followers, for no other knight could be found wandering alone through these woods." " Yes, lady," Archie id, " I am Sir Archibald Forbes, one of the few followers of the King of Scotland." The lady gave a sudden start when Archie mentioned his name, and for some little time did not speak again. "I would," she said at last in a low voice, "that you had been any other, seeing that Alexander MacDougall has a double cause of enmity against you — firstly, as being a follower of Bruce, who slew his kinsman Comyn, and who has done but lately great harm to himself and his clansmen; secondly, as having dispossessed Allan Kerr, who is also his relative, of his lands and castle. My uncle is a man of violent passions, and" — she htsitated. " And he may not, you think," Archie went on, " re- spect your promise for my life. If that be so, lady — and from what I have heard of Alexander MacDougall it is like enough — I beg you to give me back my surrender, for I would rather die here, sword in hand, than be put to death in cold blood in the castle of Dunstaffnage." " No," the lady said, " that cannot be. Think you I could see you butchered before mine eyes after having once surrendered yourself to me. No, sir. I beseech you act not so rashly — that were certain death; and I trust that my uncle, hostile as he may be against you, will not inflict such dishonour upon me as to break the pledge I have given for your safety." Archie thought from what he had heard of the Mac- Dougall that his chance was a very slight one. Still, as 186 ALEXANDER Of LORN& the young ever cling to hope, and as he would assuredly be slain by the clansmen, he thought it better to take the chance, small as it was, and so continued his march by the side of his captor's palfrey. After two hours' journey they neared the castle of Alexander of Lome. Archie could not repress a thrill of apprehension as he looked at the grim fortress and thought of the character of its lord; but his bearing showed no fear, us, conversing with the young lady, he approached the entrance. The gate was thrown open, and Alexander of Lome himself issued out with a number of retainers. " Ah, Marjory 1" he said, " I am glad to see your bonny face at Dunstatfnage. It is three months since you left us, and the time has gone slowly; the very dogs have been pining for your voice. But who have we here?" he exclaimed, as his eye fell upon Archie. " It is a wandering knight, uncle," Marjory said lightly, "whom I captured in the forest on my way hither. He fought valiantly against Murdoch and your followers, but at last he surrendered to me on my giving him my pledge that his life should be safe, and that he should be treated honourably. Such a pledge I am sure, uncle," she spoke earnestly now, " you will respect." Alexander MacDougall's brow was as black as night, and he spoke in Gaelic with his followers. " What!" he said angrily to the girl; '* he has killed four of my men, and is doubtless one of Bruee's party who slipped through my fingers the other day and killed so many of my kinsmen and vassals. You have taken too much upon yourself, Marjory. It is not by you that he has been made captive, but by my men, and you had no power to give such promise as you have made. Who is this young springall?" TUE SENTENOI. 187 ssureJly to take iS march uistle of thrill of 'ess and bearing lady, he m open, with a ir bonny you left )gs have ere?" he i lightly, ^er. He irera, but y pledge treated 6 spoke 9 night, led four ty who illed so cen too ihat he had no Who is "I am Sir Archibald Forbes," Archie said proudly— " a name which may have reached you even here." "Archibald Forbes 1" exclaimed MacDougall furiously. " What! the enemy and dospoilcr of the Kerrs! Had you a hundred lives you should die. Didst know this, Mar- jory?" he said furiously to the girl. "Didst know who this young adventurer was when you asked his life of me?" "I did, uncle," the girl said fearlessly. "I did not know his name when he surrendered to me, and after- wards, when he told me, what could I do? I had given my promise, and I renewed it; and I trust, dear uncle, that you will respect and not bring dishonour upon it." " Dishonour 1" MacDougall said savagely; "the girl has lost her senses. I tell you he should die if every woman in Scotland had given her promise for his life. Away with him!" he said to his retainers; "take him to the chamber at the top of the tower ; I will give him till to- morrow to prepare for death, for by all the saints I swear he shall hang at daybreak. As to you, girl, go to your chamber, and let me not see your face again till this matter is concluded. Methinks a madness must have fallen upon you that you should thus venture to lift your voice for a Forbes." The girl burst into tears as Archie was led away. His guards took him to the upper chamber in a turret, a little room of some seven feet in diameter, and there, having deprived him of his arms, they left him, barring and bolting the massive oaken door behind them. Archie had no hope whatever that Alexander MacDougall would change his mind, and felt certain that the follow- ing dawn would be his last. Of escape there was no possibility; the door was solid and massive, the window a mere narrow loophole for archers, two or three inches 188 VISITORS. "i: M f wide; and even had he time to enlarge the opening he would be no nearer freedom, for the moat lay full eighty feet below. "I would I had died sword in hand!" he said bitterly; "then it would have been over in a moment." Then he thought of the girl to whom he had surren- dered his sword. "It was a sweet face and a bright one," he said; "a fairer and brighter I never saw. It is strange that I should meet her now only when I am about to die." Then he thought of the agony which his mother would feel at the news of his death and at the extinction of their race. Sadly he paced up and down his narrow cell till night fell. None took the trouble to bring him food — con- sidering, doubtless, that he might well fast till morning. When it became dark he lay down on the hard stone, and, with his arm under his head was soon asleep — his last determination being that if possible he would snatch a sword or dagger from the hand of those who came to take him to execution, and so die fighting; or if that were impossible, he would try to burst from them and to end his life by a leap from the turret. He was awakened by a slight noise at the door, and *jprang to his feet instantly, believing that day was at }.ao.l and his hour had come. To his surprise a voice, t-;;: :».king scarcely above a whisper, said: " Hush ! my son, make no noise ; I am here as a friend." ihen the doo • clo%a, and Archie's visitor produced a lighted lantern from the folds of his garments, and Archie saw that a priest stood before him. "I thank you, father," he said gratefully; "you have doubtless come to shrive me, and I would gladly listen to your ministrations. I would fnin intrust you, too, with a message to my mother if you will take it for me; A WILFUL LADY. 189 ning he .1 eighty bitterly; surren- said; "a i that I ." Then i feel at eir race, ill night d — eon- noming. d stone, isleep — e would ose who g; or if m them oor, and was at a voice, friend." luced a Archie m have listen )u, too, for me; and I would fain also that you told the Lady Marjory that she must not grieve for my death, or feel that she is in any way dishonoured by it, seeing that she strove to her utmost to keep her promise, and is in no way to blame that her uncle has overriden her." "You can even give her your message yourself, sir knight," the priest said, " seeing that the wilful girl has herself accompanied me hither." Thus saying, he stepped aside, and Archie perceived, standing behind the priest, a figure who, being in deep shadow, he had not hitherto seen. She came timidly for- ward, and Archie, bending on one knee, took the hand she held out and kissed it. "Lady," he said, "you have heard my message; blame not yourself, I beseech you, for my death. Remember that after all you hr.ve lengthened my life and not short- ened it, seeing that but for your interference I must have been slain as I stood, by your followers. It was kind and good of you thus to come to bid me farewell." " But I have not come to bid you farewell. Tell him, good Father Anselm, our purpose here." "'Tis a mad-brain busineis," the priest said, shrugging his shoulders; "and, priest though I am, I shall not care to meet MacDougall in the morning. However, since this wilful girl wills it, what can I do? I have been her instructor since she was a child; and instead of being a docile and obedient pupil, she har? :een a tyrannical mas- ter to me; and I have been so accustomed to do her will in all things that I cannot say her nay now. I held out as long as I could; bat what can a poor priest do against sobs and tears ? So at last I have given in and consented to risk the MacDougall's anger, to bring smiles into her face again. I have tried in vain to persuade her that since it is the chief's doing, your death will bring no dis- 190 MEANS OF ESCAPE honour upon her. I have offered to absolve her from the promise, and if she has not faith in my power to do so, to write to the pope himself and ask for his absolation for any breach that there may be; but I might as well have spoken to the wind. When a young lady makes up her mind, stone walls are less ditlicult to move; so you see here we are. Woimd round my waist are a Imntlred feet of stout rope, with knots tied three feet apart. We have only now to ascend the stairs to the platform above and fix the rope, and in an hour you will be far away among the woods." Archie's heart bounded with joy with the hope of life and freedom; but he said quietly, "I thank you, dear lady, with all my lieart for your goodness; but I could not accept life at the cost of bringing your uncle's anger upon you." "You need not fear for that," the girl replied. "My uncle is pixssionate and headstrong — unforgiving to his foes or those he deems so, but affectionate to those h« loves. I have always been his pet; and though, doubtless, his anger will be hot just at first, it will pass away after a time. Let no scruple trouble you on that score ; and I would rather put up with a hundred beatings than live with the knowledge that one of Scotland's bravest knights came to his end by a breach of my promise. Though my uncle and all my people side with the English, yet do not I; and 1 think the good father here, though from prudence he says but little, is a true Scotsman also. I have heard of your name from childhood as the companion and friend of Wallace, and as one of the champions of our country; and though by blood I ought to hate you, my feelings have been very different. But now stand talking no longer; the castle is sound asleep, but I tremble lest some mischance should mar our plans." i i i'om the do so, to ition for ell have Eikes up so you hundred it. We in above ar away e of life ou, dear I could j's anger 1. " My g to his ihose h« Dubtless, ay after i; and I lan live knights ugh my t do not rudence e heard I friend ountry; feelings ting no st some THE OAOK 191 "That is good sense," Father Anselm said; "ai^d re- member, not a word must be spoken when we have once left this chamber. There is a sentry at the gate; and although the night is dark, and I deem not that he can see us, yet must we observe every precaution." "Holy father," Archie said, "no words of mine can thank you for the part which you are playing to-night. Believe me, Archie Forbes will ever feel grateful for your kindncps and aid ; and should you ever quit Dunstaffnage you will be welcomed at Aberfilly Castle. As to you, lady, henceforth Archie Forbes is your knight and servant. You have given me my life, and henceforth I regard it as yours. Will you take this ring as my token? Should you ever send it to me, in whatever peril or difficulty you may be, I will come to your aid instantly, even should it reach me in a stricken battle. Think not thaf I speak the language of idle gallantry. Hitherto my thoughts have been only on Scotland, and no maiden has ever for an instant drawn tlaem from her. Henceforth, though I fight for Scot- land, yet will my country have a rival in my heart; and even while I charge into the ranks of the English, the fair image of Marjory MacDougall will be in my thoughts." Father Anselm gave a slight start of surprise as Archie concluded, and would have spoken had not the girl touched him lightly. She took the pledge from Archie and said, "I will keep your ring, Sir Archibald Forbes; and should I ever have occasion for help I will not forget your promise. As to your other words, I doubt not that you mean them now; but it is unl'kely, though I may dwell in your thoughts, that you will ever in the flesh see Marjory MacDougall, between whose house and yours there is, as you know, bitter enmity." "There! there!" Father Anselra said impatiently; 192 FREE I * enough, and more than enough of talk. Go to the door, Sir Archibald, and prepare to open it directly I have blown out the light The way up the stairs lies on your right hand as you go out." Not another word was spoken. Noiselessly the little party made their way to the roof; there one end of the rope was quickly knotted round the battlement. Archie grasped the good priest's hand, and kissed that of the girl; and then, swinging himself off the battlement, dis- appeared at once in the darkness. Not a sound was heard for some time, then the listening pair above heard a faint splash in the water. The priest laid his hands on the rope and found that it swung slack in the air; he hauled it up' and twisted it again round his waist. As he passed the door of the cell he pushed it to and replaced the bai-s and bolts, and then with his charge regained the portion of the castle inhabited by the family. A few vigorous strokes took Archie across the moat, and an hour later he was deep in the heart of the forest. Before morning broke he was far beyond the risk of parsuit; and, taking the bearings of the surrounding hills, he found himself, after some walking, at the spot where he had left the royal party. As he had expected, it was deserted; he, however, set out on the traces of the party, and that night overtook them at their next en- campment. With the reticence natural to young lovers Archie felt a disinclination to speak of what had happened or of the services which Marjory MacDougall had rendered him. As it was naturally supposed that he had lost his way in the woods on the previous day, and had not reached the encampment in the morning, until after they had started, few questions were asked, and indeed the thoughts of the whole party were occupied with the approaching separa- « I THB PASSAGE OF LOCH LOMOND. 193 bha door, I have on your ^he little id of the Archie it of the aent, dis- ras heard heard a hands on e air; he it. As he • replaced ained the ;he moat, he forest, e risk of ounding the spot xpected, es of the next en- cchie felt lor of the ?iim. As way in Iched the started, Its of the separa* tion which the night before they had agreed was absolutely necessary. The ladies were worn out with their fatigues •and hardships, and the Earl of Athole.and some of the other elder men, were also unable longer to support it Winter was close at hand, and the hardships would increase ten- fold in severity. Therefore it was concluded that the time had come when they must separate, and that the queen and her companions, accompanied by those who could still be mounted, should seek shelter in Bruce's strong castle of Kildrummy. The Earl of Athole and the king's brother Nigel were in charge of the party. Bruce with his remaining companions determined to proceed into Kintyre, the country of Sir Neil Campbell, and thence to cross for a time to the north of Ireland. Sir Neil accordingly started to obtain the necessary ves- sels, and the king and his company followed slowly. To reach the Frith of Clyde it was necessary to cross Loci* Lomond. This was a difficult undertaking; but after great search Sir James Douglas discovered a small boat sunk beneath the surface of the lake. On being pulled out it was found to be old and leaky, and would hold at best but three. With strips torn from their garments they stopped the leaks as best they could, and then started across the lake. There were two hundred to cross, and the passage occupied a night and a day; those who could not swim being taken over in the boat, while the swimmers kept alongside and when fatigued rested their hands on her gunwales. They were now in the Lennox country, and while Bruce and his friends were hunting, they were de- lighted to come across the Earl of Lennox and some of his companions, who had found refuge there after the battle of Methven. Although himself an exile and a fugi- tive the earl was in his own country, and was therefore able to entertain the king and his companions hospitably, (M7) N 194 THE ISLE OF RATHLIN. and the rest and feeling of security were welcome indeed after the past labours and dangera After a time Sir Neil Campbell arrived with the vessels, and, accompanied by the Earl of Lennox, Bruce and his companions embarked at a point near Cardross. They sailed down the Clyde and round the south end of Arran, until, after many adventures and dangers, they reached the Castle of Dunaverty, on the south point of the Mull of Kintyre, belonging to Angus, chief of Isla. Here they waited for come time, but not feeling secure even in this secluded spot from the vengeance of their Eng- lish and Scottish foes, they again set sail and landed at the Isle of Eathlin, almost midway between Ireland and Scotland. Hitherto Robert Bruce had received but little of that support which was so freely given to Wallace by the Scotch people at large; nor is this a matter for surprise. Baliol and Comyn had in turn betrayed the country to the English, and Bruce had hitherto been regarded as even more strongly devoted to the English cause than they had been. Thus the people viewed his attempt rather as an effort to win a throne for himself than as one to free Scotland from English domination. They had naturally no confidence in the nobles who had so often betrayed them, and Bruce especially had, three or four times already, after taking up arms, made his peace with England and fought against the Scots. Therefore, at first the people looked on at the conflict with comparative in- difference. They were ready enough to strike for free- dom, as they had proved when they had rallied round Wallace, but it was necessary before they did so that they should possess confidence in their leaders. Such confidence they had certainly no cause whatever to feel in Bruce. The time was yet to come when they should recognize in A HOT PURSUIT. 19ft lecure even him a leader as bold, as persevering, and as determined as Wallace himself. The people of Rathlin were mie and ignorant, but simple and hospitable. The island contained nothing to attract either adventurers or traders, and it was seldom, therefore, that ships touched there, consequently there was little fear that the news of the sojourn of the Scotch king and his companions would reach the mainland, and indeed the English remained in profound ignorance as to what had become of the fugitives, and deemed them to be still in hiding somewhere among the western hills. Edward had in council issued a proclamation command- ing " all the people of the country to pursue and search for all who had been in arms and had not surrendered, also all who had been guilty of other crimes, and to deliver them up dead or alive, and that whosoever were negligent in the discharge of this duty should forfeit their castles and be imprisoned." Per.ibroke, the guardian, was to punish at his discre- tion all who harboured offenders. Those who abetted the slayers of Comyn, or who knowingly harboured them or their accomplices, were to be "drawn and hanged," while all who surrendered were to be imprisoned during the king's pleasure. The edict was carried out to the letter, and the English soldiery, with the aid of the Scotch of 'their party, scoured the whole country, putting to the sword all who were found in arms or under circumstances of suspicion. m 'fi I CHAPTER XIV. COLONSAY. ^^ RCHIE, having little else to do, spent much of hia time in fishing. As a boy he had learned to bo fond of the sport in the stream of Glen Cairn; but the sea was new to him, and whenever the weather permitted he used to go out with tho natives in their boats. The Irish coast was but a few miles away, but there was little traffic between Rathlin and the mainland. The coast there is wild and forbidding, and extremely dangerous in case of a northerly gale blowing up suddenly. The natives were a wild and savage race, and many of those who had fought to the last against the English refused to submit when their chiefs laid down their arms, and took refuge in the many caves and hiding-places afforded in the wild and broken country on the north coast. Thus no profitable trade was to be carried on with the Irish mainland. The people of Rathlin were themselves primitive in their ways. Their wants were few and easily satisfied. The wool of their flocks furnished them with clothing, and they raised sufficient grain in sheltered spots to supply them with meal, while an abundance of food could be always obtained from the sea. In fine weather they took more than sufficient for their needs, and dried the ■*»1 THE ISLAND FISHERMEN. 197 oveiplus fco serve them when the winter winds kept their boats from putting out. Once or twice in the year their largest craft, laden with dried fish, would make across to Ayr, and there disposing of its cargo would bring back such articles as were needed, and, more precious ill, the news of what was passing in the world, of which the simple islanders knew so little. Even more than fishing, Archie loved when the wind blew wildly to go down to the shore and watch the great waves rolling in and dashing themselves into foam on the rocky coast. This to him was an entirely new pleasure, and he enjoyed it intensely. Perched on some project- ing rock out of reach of the waves, he would sit for hours watching the grand scene, sometimes alone, sometimes with one or two of his comrades. The influx of a hun- dred visitors had somewhat straitened the islanders, and the fishermen were forced to put to sea in weather when they would not ordinarily have launched their boats, for in the winter they seldom ventured out unless the previous season had been unusually bad, and the stores of food laid by insufficient for winter consumption. Archie generally went out with an old man, who with two grown- up sons owned a boat. They were bold and skilful fisher- men, and often put to sea when no other boat cared to go out. One evening the old man, as usual before going to sea, came into the hut which Archie and Sir James Douglas inhabited, and told him that he was going out early the next morning. " Fish are scarce," he said, " and it would be a disgrace on us islanders if our guests were to run short of food." " I shall be ready, Donald," Archie replied, " and I hope we shall have good sport." " I can't see what pleasure you take. Sir Archie," the 198 THB JOY OF STRIFE. t I'M young Douglas said when the fisherman had left, "in being tossed up and down on the sea in a dirty boat, especially when the wind is high and the sea rough." "I like it best then," Archie replied; "when the men are rowing against the wind, and the waves dash against the boat and the spray comes over in blinding showers, I feel very much the same sort of excitement as I do in a batMe. It is a strife with the elements instead of with men, but the feeling in both cases is akin, and I feel the blood dancing fast through my veins and my lips set tightly together, just as when I stand shoulder to shoulder with my retainers, and breast the wave of English horse- men." " Well, each to his taste, I suppose," Douglas said laugh- ing; "I havG not seen much of war yet, and I envy you with all my heart the fights which you have gone through; but I can see no amusement in getting drenched to the skin by the sea. I think I can understand your feeling, though, for it is near akin to my own when I sit on the back of a fiery young horse, who has not yet been broken, and feel him battle with his will against mine, and bound, and rear, and curvet in his endeavours to throw me, until at last he is conquered and obeys the slightest touch of the rein." "No doubt it is the same feeling," Archie replied; "it is the joy of strife in another form. For myself, I own I would rather fight on foot than on horseback; I can trust myself better than I can trust my steed, can wheel thrice while he is turning once, can defend both sides equally well; whereas on horseback, not only have I to defend myself but my horse, which is far more difficult, and if he is wounded and falls I may be entangled under him and be helpless at the mercy of an opponent." "But none acquitted them better on horseback at I •i THE RISE OF INFANTRY. 199 Methven than you did, Sir Archio," the young fellow said admiringly. "Did you not save the king, and keep at bay his foes till your retainers came up with their pikes and carried him off from the centre of the English chivalry?" " I did my best," Archie said, " as one should always do; but I felt even then that I would rather have been fighting on foot." "That is because you havei so much skill with your weapon, Sir Archie," Douglas said. " On horseback with mace or battle-axe it is mainly a question of sheer strength, and though you are very strong there are others who are as strong as you. Now, it is allowed that none of the king's knights and followers are as skilful as you with the sword, and even the king himself, who is re- garded as the second best knight in Europe, owns that on foot and with a sword he has no chance against you. That we all saw when you practised for the amusement of the queen and her ladies in the mountains of Lennox. None other could even touch you, while you dinted all our helmets and armour finely with that sword of yours. Had we continued the sport there would not have been a whole piece of armour among us save your own harness." Archie laughed. "I suppose, Douglas, we all like best that in which we most excel. There are many knights in the English army who would assuredly overthrow me either in the tilting ring or in the field, for I had not the train- ing on horseback when quite young which is needed to make a perfect knight, while I had every advantage in the learning of sword-playing, and I stick to my own trade. The world is beginning to learn that a man on foot is a match for a horseman — Wallace taught Europe that lesson. They are slow to believe it, for hitherto armed knights have deemed themselves invincible, and have held in contempt all foot-soldiers. Stirling, and Falkirk, 200 OMINOUS WEATHER. and Loudon Hill have taught thom the difference, but it will be a long time before they fairly own a fact so mortifying to chivalry; but the time will come, be well assured, when battles will bo fought almost with infantry alone. Upon thom the brunt of the day will fall, and by them will victory be decided, while horsemen will be used principally for pursuing the foe when he is broken, for covering the retreat of infantry by desperate charges, or by charging into the midst of a fray when the infantry are broken." " All the better for Scotland," James Douglas said cheer- fully. " We are not a nation of horsemen, and our moun- tains and hills, our forests and morasses, are better adapted for infantry than cavalry; so if ever the change you predict come to pass we shall be gainers by it." At daybreak next morning Archie went down to the cove where his friend the fisherman kept his boat. The old man and his two sons were already there, but had not launched their craft. "I like not the look of the weather," the fisherman said when Archie joined him. "The sky is dull and heavy, the sea is black and sullen, but there is a sound in the waves as they break against the rocks which seems to tell of a coming storm. I think, however, it will be some hours before it breaks, and if we have luck we may get a ).'tiul or two before it comes on." "I am ready to go or stay," Archie said; "I have no experience in your weather here, and would not urge you against your own judgment, whatever it be; but if you put out I am ready to go with you." " We will try it," the fisherman said, " for food is run- ning short; but we will not go far from the shore, so that we can pull back if the weather gets worse." The boat was soon launched, the nets and oars were snce, bul a fact so come, be lost with day will borsemen hen he is desperate •ay when lid cheer- ur moun- re better le change it." m to the )at. The but had isherman id heavy, [d in the iS to tell be some may get I have no irge you |t if you is run- ^, SO that Lrs were A GOOD HAUL 301 tl already on board, and they quickly put out from the shore. The boat carried a small square sail, which was used when running before the wind. In those days the art of navigation was in its infancy, and the art of tacking against a wind had scarcely begun to be under- stood; indeed, so high were the ships out of water, with their lofty poops and forecastles, that it was scarce pos- sible to sail them on a wind, so great was the leeway they made. Thus when contrary winds came mariners anchored and waited as patiently as they might for a chp.nge, and a voyage to a port but two days' sail with a favouring wind was a matter of weeks when it was foul. After rowing a mile from land the nets were put out, and for some time they drifted near these. From time to time the old fisherman cast an anxious eye at the sky. " We must get in our nets," he said at last decidedly; " the wind is rising fast, and is backing from the west round to the south. Be quick, lads, for ere long the gale will be on us in its strength, and if 'tis from the south we may well be blown out to sea." Without a moment's delay the fishermen set to work to get in the nets, Archie lending a hand to assist them. The younger men thoroughly agreed in their father's opinion of the weather, but they knew too well the respect due to age to venture upon expressing an opinion until he had firet spoken. The haul was a better one than they had expected, considering that the net had been down but two hours. " *Tis not so bad," the fisherman said, " and the catch will be right welcome — that is," he added as he looked towards the land, " if we get it safely on shore." The wind was now blowing strongly, but if it did not rise the boat would assuredly make the land. Archie took the helm, having learned somewhat of the steering on I i Pi: !< I 202 TEE BURSTING OP THE GALE. m 'i :i ft previous excursions, and the three fishermen tuggea at the oars. It was a cross sea, for although the wind now blew nearly in thoir teeth, it had until the last half hour been from the west, and the waves were rolling in from the Atlantic. The boat, however, made fair progress, and Archie began to think that the doubts of the fishermen as to their making the shore were in no wise justified, when suddenly a gust, far stronger than those they had hitherto met, struck the boat. "Keen her head straight!" the fisherman shouted. " Don't let the wind take it one side or the other. Stick to it, boys; row your hardest; it is on us now and in earnest, I fear." The three men bent to their oars, but Archie felt that they were no longer making headway. The boat was wide and high out of the water; a good sea boat, but very hard to row against the wind. Although the men strained at the oars, till Archie expected to see the tough staves frack under their efforts, the boat did not seem to move. Indeed it appeared to Ai-chie that in the brief space when ihe oars were out of the water the wind drove her further back than the distance she had gained in the last stroke. He hoped, however, that the squall was merely temporary, and that when it subsided there would still be no difficulty in gaining the land. His hope was not realized. Instead of abating, the wind appeared each moment to increase in force. Clouds of spray were blown on the top of the wa\es, so that at times Archie could not see the shore before him. For nearly half an hour the fishermen strug- gled on, but Archie saw with dismay that the boat was receding from the shore, and that they had already lost the distance they had gained before the squall struck them. The old fisherman looked several times over his shoulder. BLOWN TO SEA. 203 "It is of no use," he said at last; "we shall never make Rathlin, and must even run before the gale. Put up the helm, young sir, and take her round. Wait a moment till the next wave has passed under us — now!" In an- other ninute the boat's head was turned from land, and she was speeding before the gale. " In with your oars, lads, and rig the mast, reef down the sail to the last point; we must show a little to keep her dead before the wind; we shall have a tremendous sea when we are once fairly away from the shelter of the island. This gale will soon knock up the sea, and with the cross swell from the Atlantic it will be as much as we can do to carry through it." The mast v/as stepped and a mere rag of sail hoisted, but this was sufficient to drive the boat through the water at a great speed. The old fisherman was steering now, and when the sail was hoisted the four men all gathered in the stern of the boat " You will go between Islay and Jura, I suppose," one of the younger men said. "Ay," his father said briefly; "the sea will be too high to windward of Islay." "Could we not keep inside Jura?" Archie suggested; "and shelter in some of the harbours on the coast of Argyle." "Ay," the old man said; "could we be sure of doing that it would be right enough, but, strong as the wind is blowing her, it will be stronger still when we get in the narrow waters between the islands and the mainland, and it would be impossible to keep her even a point off the wind; then if we missed making a harbour we should be driven up through the Strait of Corrievrekan, and the biggest ship which sails from a Scottish port would not live in the sea which will be running there. No, it will 204 SGUDDINO BEFORE TIIE GALE. I 'II be bad enough passing between Islay and Jura; if we get safely through that I shall try to run into the narrow strait between Colonsay and Oronsay; there we should have good and safe shelter. Tf we miss that, we must run inside Mull — for there will be no getting without it — and either shelter behind Lismore island fur up the strait, or behind Kerara, or into the passage to Loch Etive." " It will not be the last, I hope," Archie said, "for there stands Dunstatrnage Castle, and the lands all belong to the MacDougalls. It is but two months back I was a prisoner there, and though I then escaped, assuredly if I again get within its walls I shall never go out again. As well be drowned here." "Then we will hope," the fisherman said, "that 'tis into some other harbour that this evil wind may blow us; but as you see, young sir, the gale is the master and not we, and we must needs go where it ciiooses to take us." Fiercer and fiercer blew the gale; a tremendous cross sea was now running, and the boat, stout and buoyant as she was, seemed every moment as if she would be engulfed in the chaos of water. Small as the sail had been it had been taken down and lashed with ropes to the yard, so that now only about three square feet of canvas was set. " We can show a little more," the fisherman shouted in Archie's ear, "when we get abreast of Islay, for we shall then be sheltered from the sea from tlie west, and can run more boldly with only a following sea; but till we get out of this cross tumble we must not carry on, we only want steerage- way to keep lier head straight." Never before had Archie Forbes seen a great gale in all its strength at sea, for those which had occurred while at Rathlin were as nothing to the present; and although on the hillside round Glen Cairn the wind sometimes blew with a i'orce which there was no withstanding, PAST ISLAY. 205 a; if we a narrow e should wo must tout it — he strait, bive." for there jelong to I was a edly if 1 gain. As 'that 'tis blow us; ' and not -ke us." ous cross oyant as engulfed n it had yard, so was set. outed in we shall and can 1 till we J on, we gale in id while Ithough netimes sanding, there was nothing to impress the senses as did this wild confusion and turmoil of water. Buoyant as was the boat, heavy seas often broke on board her, and two hands were constantly einploycd in baling; still Archie judged from the countenance of the men that they did not deem the position desperate, and that they believed the craft would weather the gale. Towards mid-daj'", although the wind blew as strongly as ever, there was a sensible change in the ixiotion of the boat. She no longer was tossed up and down with jerky and sudden motion, as the waves seemed to rise directly under her, but rose and fell on the following waves with a steady and regular motion. " We are well abreast of Islay," the old fisherman said when Archie remarked on the change to him. "There! do you not see that dark bank through the mist ; that is Islay. We have no longer a cross sea, ind can show a little more sail to keep her from being pooped. We will bear a little off towards the land — we must keep it in sight, and not too far on our left, otherwise v.re may miss the straits and run on to Jura." A little more sail was accordingly shown to the gale, and the boat scudded along at increased speed. " How far is it to Colonsay ?'' Archie asked. "Between fifty and sixty miles from Rathlin," the fisher- man said. "It was eight o'clock when we started, ten when the squall struck us, it will be dark by four, and fast as we are running we shall scarcely be in time to catch the last gleam of day. Come, boys," he said to his sons, "give her a little more canvas still, for it is life and death to reach Colonsay before nightfall, for if we miss it we shall be dashed on to the Mull long before morning:." A little more sail was accordingly shown, and the boat 206 THE STRAIT OF JURA. tore through the water at whut seemed to Archie to be tremendous speed; but she was shipping but little water now, for though the great waves as they neared her stern seemed over aiid over again to Archie as if they would break upon her and send her instantly to the bottom, the stout boat always lifted lightly upon them until he at length felt free from apprehension on that score. Presently the fisherman pointed out a dark mass over their other bow. "That is Jura," he said; "we are fair for the channel, lads, but you must take in the sail again to the smallest rag, for the wind will blow through the gap between the islands with a force fit to tear the mast out of her." Through the rest of his life Archie Forbes regarded that passage between Islay and Jura as the most tremen- dous peril he had ever encountered. Strong as the wind had been before, it was as nothing to the force with which it swept down the strait — the height of the waves was prodigious, and the boat, as it passed over the crest of a wave, seemed to plunge down a very abyss. The old fisherman crouched low in the boat, holding the helm, wiiile the other three lay on the planks in the bottom. Speech was impossible, for the loudest shouts would have been drowned in the fury of the storm. In half an hour the worst was over. The}^ were through the straits and out in the open sea again, but Islay now made a lee for them, and the sea, high as it was, was yet calm in com- parison to the tremendous waves in the Strait of Jura, More sail was hoisted again, and in an hour the fisherman said, "Thank God, there are the islands." The day was already; fading, and Archie could with diflBculty make out the slightly dark mass to which the helm pointed. "Is that Colonsay?" he asked. " It is Oronsay," the fisherman said. " The islands are IN SHELTER. 207 close together and seem as if they had once been one, but have been cleft asunder by the arm of a giant. The strait between them is very narrow, and once within it we shall be perfectly sheltered. We must make as close to the point of the island as we can well go, so as not to touch the rocks, and then turn and enter the strait. If we keep out any distance we shall be blown past the entrance, and then our only remaining chance is to try and run her on to Colonsay, and take the risk of being drowned as she is dashed upon the rocks." The light had almost faded when they ran along at the end of Oronsay, Archie shuddered as he saw the waves break upon the rocks and fly high up into the air, and felt how small was the chance of their escape should they be driven on a coast like that. They were but fifty yards from the point when they came abreast of its extremity; then the fisherman put down the helm and turned her head towards the strait, which opened on their left. " Down with the sail and mast, lads, and out with your oars; we must row her in." Not a moment was lost, the sail was lowered, the mast unstepped, and the oars got out, with a speed which showed how urgent was the occasion. Archie, who did not feel confidence in his power to manage her now in such a sea, took his seat by the man on the stroke thwart, and double-banked his oar. Five minutes desperate row- ing and they were under shelter of Oronsay, and were row- ing more quickly up the narrow strait and towards the shore of Colonsay, where they intended to land. A quarter of an hour more and they stepped ashore. The old fisherman raised his hat reverently. " Let us thank God and all the saints," he said, "who have preserved us through such great danger. I have been nigh fifty years at sea, and never was out in so wild a gale." 208 A HOSPITABLE RECEPTION. For a few minutes all stood silent and bare-headed, returning fervent thanks for their escape. "It is well," the old man said, as they moved inland, "that I have been so far north before; there are but few in Rathlin who have even been north of Islay, but some- times when fish have been very plentiful in the island, and the boat for Ayr had already gone, I have taken up a boat-load of fish to the good monks of Colonsay, who, although fairly supplied by thair own fishermen, were yet always ready to pay a good price for them. Had you been in a boat with one who knew not the waters, assuredly we must have perished, for neither skill nor courage could have availed us. There! do you see that light ahead ^ That is the priory, and you may be sure of a welcome there." The priory door was opened at their ring, and the monk who unclosed it, greatly surprised at visitors on such a night, at once bade them enter when he heard that they were fishermen whom the storm had driven to shelter on the island. The fishermen had to lend their aid to the monk to reclose the door, so great was the power of the wind. The monk shot the bolts, saying, "We need expect no further visitors to-night;" and led them into the kitchen, where a huge fire was blazing. "Quick, brother Austin," he said to the monk who acted as cook, "warm up a hot drink for these poor souls, for they must assuredly be well-nigh perished with cold, seeing that they have been wet for many hours and exposed to all the violence of this wintry gale." Archie and his companions were, indeed, stiff* with cold and exposure, and could scarce answer the questions which the monks asked them. "Have patience, brother! have patience!" brothei Austin said. "When their tongues are unfrozen doubtless i THE PRIOR OF COLONSAY. 209 headed, inland, but few it some- ) island, iken up ly, who, n, were 3ad you waters, kill nor see that be sure and the jitors on ard that iven to d their Iwas the saying, land led sing. Ink who |or souls, ith cold, lurs and fith cold which I brother )ubtless i 'm they will tell you all that you want to know. Only wait, I pray you, till they have drunk this posset which I am preparing." The monk's curiosity was not, how'ever, destined to be so speedily satisfied, for just as the voyagers were finish- ing their hot drinks a monk entered with a message that the prior, having heard that some strangers had arrived, would fain welcome and speak with them in his apart- ment. They rose at once. " When the prior has done questioning you," brother Austin said, "return hither at once. I will set about preparing supper for you, for I warrant me you must need food as well as drink. Fear not but, however great your appetite may be, I will have enough to satisfy it ready by the time you return." " Welcome to Colonsay!" the prior said as the four men entered his apartment; "but stay — I see you are drenched to the skin; and it were poor hospitality, indeed, to keep you standing thus even to assure you of your welcome. Take them," he said to the monk, " to the guest chamber at once, and furnisu them with changes of attire. When they are warm and comfortable return with them hither." In ten minutes Archie and his companions re-entered the prior's room. The prior looked with some astonish- ment at Ar hie; for in the previous short interview he had not noticed the difference in their attire, and had sup- posed thera to be four fishermen. The monk, however, had marked the difference; and on inquiry, finding that Archie was a knight, had furnished him with appropriate attire. The good monks kept a wardrobe to suit guests of all ranks, seeing that many visitors came to the holy priory, and that sometimes the wind and waves brought them to shore in such sorry plight that a change of gar- ments was necessary. (247) ,\i I I ( I i] 210 THE INTERVIEW. "Ah!" the prior said in surprise; "I crave your pardon, sir knight, that I noticed not your rank when you first entered. The light is somewhat dim, and as you stood there together at the doorway I noticed not that you were of superior condition to the others.'* " That might well be, holy prior," Archie said, " seeing that we were more like drowned beasts than Christian men. We have had a marvellous escape from the tem- pest — thanks to God and his saints! — seeing that we were blown off Rathlin, and have run before the gale down past Islay and through the Straits of Jura. Next to the protection of God and his saints, our escape is due to the skill and courage of my brave companions here, who were as cool and calm in the tempest as if they had been sitting by the ingle-fires at home." "From Kathlin!" the prior said in surprise, "and through the strait 'twixt Islay and Jura! Truly that was a marvellous voyage in such a gale — and as I sup- pose, in an open boat But how comes it, sir knight — if I may ask the question without prying into your private att'airs — that you, a knight, were at Rathlin? In so wild and lonely an island men of your rank are seldom to be found." " There are many there now, holy prior, far higher in rank than myself," Archie replied, "seeing that Robert the Bruce, crowned King of Scotland, James Douglas, and others of his nobles and knights, are sheltering there with him from the Entjlish bloodhounds." "Tlie Bruce at Rathlin!" the prior exclaimed in sur- prise. •' The last ship which came hither from the main- land told us that he was a hunted fugitive in Lennox; and we deemed that seeing the MacDougalls of Lome and all the surrounding chiefs were hostile to him, and the English scattered thickly over all the low country, r.R I AN INDIGNANT GHUROHMAN. 211 he must long ere this have fallen into the hands of his enemies." " Thanks to Heaven's protection,** Archie said devoutly, "the king with a few followers escaped and safely reached Rathlin!" " Thou shouldst not speak of Heaven's protecUon," the prior said sternly, "seeing that Bruce has violated the sanctuary of the church, has slain his enemy within her walls, has drawn down upon himself the anathema of the pope, and has been declared excommunicated and ac- cursed." "The pope, holy father," Archie replied, "although supreme in all holy things, is but little qualified to judge of the matter, seeing that he draws his information from King Edward, under whose protection he lives. The good Bishops of St. Andrews and Glasgow, with the Abbot of Scone, and many other dignitaries of the Scot- tish church, have condoned his offence, seeing that it was committed in hot blood and without prior intent. The king himself bitterly regrets the deed, which preys sorely upon his mind; but I can answer for it that Bruce had no thought of meeting Comyn at Dumfries." "You speak boldly, young sir," the prior said sternly, " for one over whose head scarce two-and-twenty years can have rolled; but enough now. You are storm-staid and wearied; you are the guests of the convent. I will not keep you further now, for you have need of food and sleep. To-morrow I will speak with you again." So saying, the prior sharply touched a bell which stood on a table near him. The monk re-entered. The prior waved his hand: "Take these guests to the refectory and see that they have all they stand in need of, and that the bed-chambers are prepared. In the morning I would speak to them again." '^i 1 ■• 1 hi CHAPTER XV. A MISSION TO IRELAND. •^^^[ ATHER AUSTIN was as good as h's word, and it was long indeed since Archie had sat down to such a meal as that which was spread for him. Hungry as he was, however, he could scarce keep his eyes open to its conclusion, so great was the fatigue of mi d and body; and on retiring to the chamber which the monks had prepared for him, he threw himself on a couch and instantly fell asleep. In the morning the gale still blew violently, but with somewhat less fury than on the preceding evening. He joined the monks at their morning meal in the refectory, and after their repast they gathered round him to listen to his news of what was doing in Scotland; for although at ordinary times pilgrims came not unfrequently to visit the holy isle of Colonsay, in the present stormy times men stirred but little from home, and it was seldom that the monks obtained news of what was passing on the mainland. Presently a servitor brought word that the prior would see Archie. "It was ill talking last night," the prior said, "with a man hungry and worn-out; but I gathered from what you said that you are not only a follower of Bruce, but that you were with him at that fatal day at Dumfries ■ i A CHANOX OF TONE, 213 ord, and at down for him. d scarce ;reat was retiring : him, he . In the )mewhat ined the nd after to his ough at to visit times om that on the ;hat the "with a m what uce, but Dumfries y when he drew his dagger upon Comyn in the sanc- tuary." "I was there, holy father," Archie replied, "and can testify that the occurrence was wholly unpremeditated; but Bruce had received sufficient provocation from the Comyn to aftbrd him fair reason for slaying him where- soever they might meet. But none can regret more than he docs that that place of meeting was in a sanctuary. The Comyn and Bruce had made an agreement together whereby the former relinquished his own claims to the throne of Scotland on condition that Bruce, on attaining the throne, would hand over to him all his lordships in Carrick and Annandale." " It were a bad bargain," the prior said, "seeing that Comyn would then be more powerful than his king." ' So I ventured to tell the Bruce," Archie replied. ■'Thou?" the prior said; "you are young, sir, to be in a position to offer counsel to Robert Bruce." "I am young, holy prior," Archie said modestly; "but the king is good enough to overlook my youth in con- sideration of my fidelity to the cause of Scotland. My name is Archibald Forbes." "Sir Archibald Forbes!" the prior repeated, rising; "and are you really that loyal and faithful Scottish knight who fought ever by the side of Wallace, and have almost alone refused ever to bow the knee to the English? Even to this lonely isle tales have come of your valour, how you fought side by side with Wallace, and were, with Sir John Grahame, his most trusty friend and confidant. Many of the highest and noblest of Scotland have for centuries made their way to the shrine of Colonsay, but none more worthy to be our guest. Often have I longed to see so brave a champion of our country, little thinking that you would one day I 214 Archie's taul ! i II fi come a storm-driven guest. Truly am I glad to see you, and I say it even though you may have shared in the deed at Dumfries, for which I would fain hope from your words there is fairer excuse to be made than I had hitherto deemed. I have thought that the Bishops of St. Andrev/s and Glasgow were wrong in giving their countenance to a man whom the holy father had condemned — a man whose prior history gives no ground for faith in his patriotism, who has taken up arms, now for, now against, the English, but has ever been ready to make terms with the oppressor, and to parade as his courtier at West- minster. In such a man I can have no faith, and dcenx that, while he pretends to fight for Scotland, he is in truth but warring for his own aggrandizement. But since you, the follower and friend of the disinterested and intrepid champion of Scotland, speak for the Bruce, it may be that my judgment has been too severe upon him." Archie now related the incident of his journey to London to urc^e Bruce to break with Edward and to head the national movement. He told how, even before the dis- covery of his agreement with Comyn, brought about by the treachery of the latter, Bruce had determined definitely to throw in his cause with that of Scotland; how upon that discovery he had fled north, and, happening to meet Comyn at Dumfries, within the limits of the sanctuary, had, in his indignation and ire at his treachery, drawn and slain him. Then he told the tale of what had taken place after the rout of Methven, how bravely Bruce had borne himself, and had ever striven to keep up the hearts of his companions; how cheerfully he had supported the hardships, and how valiantly he had borne himself both at Methven and when attacked by the MacDougalls of Lome. "Whatever his past may have been," Archie con- h II ■ I I' THE DEPARTURE 2\b .1 J.v eluded, " I hold that now the Bruce w as earnest in the cause of Scotland as was even my def.r loader Wallace. In strength and in courage ho rivals that valiant knight, for though I hold that Wallucj was far more than a match for any man of his time, yet Bruce is a worthy second to him, for assuredly no one in Scotland could cross swords with him on equal chances. That he will succeed in his enterprise it were rash to say, for mighty indeed are the odds against him ; but if courage, perseverance, and en- durance can wrest Scotland from the hands of the English, Robert Bruce will, if he lives, accomplish the task." " Right glad am I," the prior replied, " to hear what you have told me. Hitherto, owing to my memory of his past and my horror at his crime — for though from what you tell me there was much to excuse it, still it was a grievous crime — I have had but little interest in the struggle, but henceforth this jvill be changed. You may tell the king that from this day, until death or victory crown his efforts, prayers will be said to heaven night and day at Colonsay for his success." It was four days before the storm was over and the sea sufficiently calmed to admit of Archie's departure. During that time he remained as the honoured guest of the priory, and the good monks vied with the prior in their attentions to the young knight, the tales of whose doings, as one of Scotland's foremost champions, had so often reached their lonely island. At the end of that time, the sea being now calm and smooth, with a light wind from the north, Archie bade adieu to his hosts and sailed from Colonsay. Light as the wind was, it sufficed to fill the sail; and as the boat glided over the scarce rippled water Archie could not but contrast the quiet sleepy motion with the wild speed at which the boat had torn through the water )iitn Wm It MTU UN It) ttATMMN. ^1 iS! r '4t OM ItiM no\(lttMn wny. Id whm nod niidil iti«» (oltowtiig tt\(m>.iH;i ihhj ItMlltlin ii^ttUit oiitMo ill nl"tid. Artliioltonl \V(iM MiMMi ii|t|iroit.it>K jtiovloiiMly. dl»»> Mnjr. ho»i}>lMM,niiil dlio »"i\Md \\( hi^ lollowoiM mmlo dlioir vviiy duvvii lu dltn nliitro; nn«i ItMitl Wiin dito rtlioud ol' wiOomiiio witirli iiroMn wlioil ■\«^>l\lo wd* »»l up M\\\ WMvrd lii'i Imml. "Voiily, Aioliio I'\mIhvm." ()>o Kiii^j MiiitI hm Iio sviuinly «Mul»i«o«»*l tho yomiji Knijjlid. " I mIuiII I»i>}!Ih do dliliiK diuid *' »^ r»»lilo4 pi>^*o do |m,«\l^h iv« \\u\\\y luoro, mIio, In your mM*vio«\" Awliio Nl," lU'uoo it*)*!!*^!; " lor id woio liu nvll \U^V ior u\o M\\\ Tor Soodliu\«l (l>nd«n\v y«»u lAII; Itud lionco- t\M(h I >\ill 1\\^d tuMu\>i>t» oouoovniu}^ yt>u. Yi»u «,louo ol' WrtUfUN^'M «S'>rly o\MMp»vniou(» luvvo Murvivi»«l. You jj^od iVoo <\\M»\ Uvu\s(«0\\n,v»\^ l>y fu luivo iu>vor t\\Uy oxj^huutsl (o u\<\ «t\\l now id \voul»t,*' A\v)\io s{U»l tuovo f^nvvt^ly, " dluid dlio old »{V^\ \ng is u\>t tr\io \\\ \\\y o«n<\ nnd dluii luinjiiuj^ is r.od U\ \m> u\> trtt<\ AsMUVvilv id will l>o tr I ovor ImII indo dlio h!\t\ so oI'diMi in \v;^ttU\ U\'\ds luo to tl(;>t oruol oud «t last." '^ \ trust t\v>t ii\do » vlisluuiourivMo doutlj wlu^n x«*\> »n.'»nv vNt' Sv^^tl.•^nd\s lH\sd jnul bravosd hsivo sullorod id at U)« lvivgU»h hanvK Uowcvor. T cannot but think thut TIIM KfNU'M Vll «, Nvhon o Iio tiiarii«'ut tlio iiioMt tliou^lit tliikt you would i'ountlor lon^^ oro you caiiiM in H.^lit ol' tliM land," Ai'.roiiipaiiyiii^ tlin Uin^ with \m principal (toriipan- ioiiH to tlio hut which lio occiipind, Anrhio rolatod tho in- cidi'iitM of tho voya^o and of ihoir iinal nd'ugo at (loloUHiiy. " It WMM fi woiidorful oMcapo," tho Icin^ waid whon hft llniMlx^d, "and tho holy Vii>;in and tho naintH niUMt tm- Huiodly havo had you in thcjr cMpMcial vura. You havo coMt UM wril nij^^h a rortun(\ Tor not ono ol* um liut vowod oHoriiif^H Tor y; and I e coun- i, where, ih have and 'tis |s of our lese you this and we can of our A PRIMniVF. PEOPLE 225 ^^1 seeing that the visit was a friendly one, had set to work, and bringing up drift-wood from below, piled it round the little blaze which Ronald had commenced, and poon had a great fire lighted. They then produced the carcass of a sheep which they had the evening before carried off. Ronald had brc ght with him a large pile of oaten-cakes, and a meal wr , speedily prepared. Archie could not but look with surprise at the wild figures around him, lit up by the dancing glare of the fire. Their hair lay in tangled masses on their necks; their attire was of the most primitive description, consist- ing but of one garment secured round the waist by a strap of untanned leather; their feet and legs were bare. Their hair was almost black; their eyes small and glitter- ing, with heavy overhanging brows; and they differed alto- gether in appearance even from the wildest and poorest of the Scottish peasantry. In their belts all bore long knives of rough manufacture, and most of them carried slings hanging from the belt, in readiness for instant use. In spite of the wildness of their demeanour they seemed kindly and hospitable; and many were the ques- tions which they asked Ronald concerning the King of Scotland and his knights who were in refuge at Rathlin. When the meal was over all stretched themselves on the sand like so many animals, and without further pre- paration went off to sleep. Archie, knowing that nothing could be done until nightfall, followed their example The fire had by this time burned low, and soon perfect stillness reigned in the great cavern, save that far away at its mouth the low thunder of the waves upon the rocks came up in a confused roar. < i others, r (M7) CHAPTER XVL AN IRISH RISING. 'hen night came on Archie started for the west, accompanied by Ronald and two of the Irish as guides. They crossed the country without question or interference, and reached the wild mountains of Donegal in safety. Archie had asked that his conductors should lead him to the abode of the principal chieftain of the district. The miserable appearance of the sparsely scat- tered villages through which they had passed had prepared him to find that the superiors of such a people would be in a very different position from the feudal lords of the Highlands of Scotland. He was not surprised, therefore, when his attendants pointed out a small hold, such as would appertain to a small landowner on the Scottish Border, as the residence of the chief. Around it were scattered a number of low huts composed of turf, roofed with reeds. From these, when the approach of strangers was reported, a number of wild-looking figures poured out, armed with weapons of the most primitive description. A shout from Archie's guides assured these people that the new-comer was not, as his appearance betokened him, a Norman knight, but a visitor from Scotland who sought a friendly interview with the chief. 1 I € i e V F t a J' '} A chieftain's hold. 227 were )ofed igers out, . A the m, a hta I Insignificant as was the hokl, it was evident that some- thing like feudal discipline wa« kept up. Two men, armed with pikes, were stationed on the wall, while two others leant in careless fashion against the posts of the open gate. On the approach of Archie an elderly man, with a long white beard, came out to meet them. Ronald explained to him that Archie was a knight who had come as an emissary from the King of Scotland to the Irish chieftains, and desired to speak with the great Fergus of Killeen. The old man bowed deeply to Archie, and then escorted him into the house. The room which they entered occupied the whole of the ground-floor of the hold, and was some thirty feet wide by forty long. As apparently trees of sufficient length to form the beams of so wide an apartment could not be obtained, the floor above was supported by two rows of roughly- squared posts extending down from end to end. The walls were perfectly bare. The beams and planks of the ceiling were stained black by the smoke of a fire which burned in one corner; the floor was of clay beaten hard. A strip some ten feet wide, at the further end, was raised eighteen inches above the general level, forming a sort of dais. Here, in a carved settle of black wood, sat the chief. Some females, evidently the ladies of his family, were seated on piles of sheepskins, and were plying their distaffs; while an aged man was seated on tlie end of the dais with a harp of quaint form on his knee; his fingers touched a last chord as Archie entered, and he had evidently been playing while the ladies worked. Near him on the dais was a fire composed of wood embers, which were replenished from time to time with fresh glowing pieces of charcoal taken from the fire at the other end of the room, so that the occupants of the dais should not be annoyed by the smoke arising close to them. 228 FERGUS or KILLEEN. The chief was a fine-looking man about fifty years old. He was clad in a loose-fitting tunic of soft dark- green cloth, confined at the waist by a broad leathern band with silver clasp and ornaments, and reaching to his knees. His arms were bare; on his feet he wore sandals, and a heavy sword rested against the wall near his hand. The ladies wore dresses of similar material and of somewhat similar fashion, but reaching to the feet. They wore gold armlets; and the chief's wife had a light band of gold round her head. The chief rose when Archie entered; and upon the seneschal informing him of the rank and mission of his visitor he stapped from the dais, and advancing, greeted him warmly. Then he led him back to the dais, where he presented to him the ladies of his family, ordering the retainers, of whom about a score were gathered in the hall, to place two piles of sheepskins near the fire. On one of these he sat down, and mo- tioned to Archie to take his place on the other — his own chair being removed to a corner. Then, through the medium of Ronald, the conversation began. Archie related to the chief the efforts which the Scotch were making to win their freedom from England, and urged in the king's name that a similar effort should be made by the Irish; as the forces of the English, being thereby divided and distracted, there might be better hope of success. The chief heard the communication in grave silence. The ladies of the family stood behind the chief with deeply-interested faces; and as the narrative of the long-continued struggle which the Scots were making for freedom continued it was clear, by their glowing cheeks and their animated faces, how deeply they sympathized in the struggle. The wife of the chief, a tall and stately lady, stood immediately behind him with her two daughters, girls i? \i 1 i I , TRISH MAIDENS. 229 J years t dark- eathern g to his sandals, lear his I and of . They bt band Archie of the he dais, led him adies of i a score sepskins Lnd mo- his own igh the Scotch nd, and ould be being er hope n grave le chief of the ing for cheeks athized jy stood :s, girls of some seventeen or eighteen years of age, beside her. As Ronald was translating his words Archie glanced frequently at the group, and thought he had never seen one fairer or more picturesque. There was a striking likeness between mother and daughters; but the expres- sion of staid dignity in the one was in the others replaced by a bright expression of youth and happiness. Their beauty was of a kind new to Archie. Their dark glossy hair was kept smoothly in place by the fillet of gold in the mother's case, and by purple ribbons in that of the daughters. Their eyebrows and long eyelashes were black, but their eyes were gray, and as light as those to which Archie was accustomed under the fair tresses of his countrywomen. The thing that struck him most in the faces of the girls was their mobility, the expression changing as it seemed in an instant from grave to gay — flushing at one moment with interest at the tale of deeds of valour, paling at the next at the recital of cruel oppression and wrong. When Archie had finished his narrative he presented to the chief a beautifully wrought chain of gold as a token from the King of Scotland. The chief was silent for some time after the interpreter con- cluded Archie's nariiitive; then he said: "Sir knight, it almost seems to me as if I had been listening to the tale of the wrongs of Ireland, save that it appears that the mastery of the English here has been more firmly established than with you. This may be from the nature of the countiy; our hills are, for the most part, bare, while yours, you say, are covered with forest. Thus the Normans could more easily, when they had once gained the upper hand, crush out the last vestiges of opposition than they could with you. As I judge from what you say, the English in Scotland hold all the fortresses, and when the people rise they remain ! ' 230 TEE STATE OF IRELANIX f . 1^ sheltered in them until assistance comes from England. With us it is different First they conquer all the country; then from a wide tract, a third perhaps of the island, they drive out the whole of the people, and establish themselves firmly there, portioning the land among the soldiery and repeopling the country with an English race. Outside this district the Irish chieftains, like myself, retain something of independence; wvj pay a tribute, and are in the position of feudatories, being bound to furnish so many men for the King of England's wars if called upon to do so. The English seldom come beyond their pale so long as the tribute is paid, and the yoke, therefore, weighs not so heavy upon us; but were we to rise, the English army would pour out from its pale and carry fire and sword throughout the country. "We, like you, have been without one who would unite us against the common enemy. Our great chiefs have, for the most part, accepted English titles, and since their power over the minor chiefs is extended, rather than de- creased by the changed circumstanct^, they are well con- tent, for they rule now over their districts, not only as Irish chieftains, but as English lieutenants. You have seen, as you journeyed here, how sparse is the population of our hills, and how slight would be the opposition which we could offer, did the Earl of Ulster sweep down upon us with trained English soldiers. "Were there a chance of success, Fergus of Killeen would gladly draw the sword again; but I will not bring ruin upon my family and people by engaging in a hopeless enterprise. Did I raise my standard, all Donegal would take up arms; but Donegal alone is powerless against England. I know my people — they are ready for the fray, they would rush to battle and porish in thousands to win victory, but one great defeat would crush them. ' THE chief's answer. 231 The story of the long fight which your Wallace, with a small following, made against the power of England, will never be told of an Irish leader. We have bravery and reckless courage, but we have none of the stubborn obstinacy of your Scottish folk. Were the flag raised the people would flock to it, and would fight desperately; but if they lost, there would be utter and comolete collapse. The fortitude to support repeated defeats, to struggle on when the prospect seems darkest, does not beloi.j to my people. "It is for this reason that I have no hope that Ireland will ever regain its independence. She may struggle against the yoke, she may blaze out again and again in bloody risings, our sons may die in tens of thousands for her; but never, I believe, as long as the men of the two countries remain what they are, will Ireland recover her independence, for, in the long run, English perseverance and determination will overcome the fitful courage of the Irish. I grieve that I should say it. I mourn that I feel it my duty to repress rather than to encourage the eager desire of my people to draw the sword and strike for freedom ; but such is my conviction. "But understand, sir knight, that whatever I may think, I shall not be backward in doing my part. If Ireland again rises, should the other nittive chieftains determine to make one more effort to dri^re the English across the channel, be sure that Fergus of liilleen and the men of Donegal will be in the front of the battle. No heart beats more warmly for freedom than mine ; and did I stand alone I would take to the bogs and join those who shelter there, defying the might of England. But I have my people to think of. I have seen how the English turn a land to desolation as they sweep across it, and I will not bring fire and sword into these ipountain valleys 232 AN UNANSWERABLE ARGUMENT. unless all Ireland is banded in a common effort You have seen Scotland wasted from sea to sea, her cities burned, her people slain by thousands, her dales and valleys wasted ; and can you tell me that after these years of struggle you have gained any such advantage as would warrant your advising me to rise against Eng- land?" Archie was silent. Thinking over the struggle in which he had taken part for so many years, and remembering the woes that it had brought on Scotland, and that, after fighting so long, Bruce and the handful of fugitives at Rathlin were the sole survivors of the patriotic party, he could not but acknowledge at heart the justice of the chief's word. His sole hope for Scotland now rested in the perseverance and personal valour of the king, and the stubborn character of the people, which he felt assured would lead them to rise again and again, in spite of disaster and defeat, until freedom was won. The Irisli possessed no Bruce ; their country was less defendible than Scotland; and if, as Fergus said, they had none of that indomitable perseverance which enabled the S otch people again and again to rise against the yoke, what hope could there be of final success, how could he be justified in urging upon the chieftain a step which would bring fire and sword into those quiet valleys! For some time, there- fore, after Ronald had translated the chief's speech he remained silent. "I will not urge you further, sir," he said, "for you are surely the best judge of what is good for your people, and I have seen such ruin and desolation in Scotland, so many scores of ruined towns and villages, so many thousands of levelled homesteads, that I will not say a single word to urge you to alter your resolution. It is enough for me that you have said that if Ireland rises I i A FEW QUIET DAYS. 233 are )ple, c, so ^any ly a [t is dses yon will also draw the sword. I must carry out my instructions, and hence shall travel south and visit other chiefs; they may view matters differently, and may see that what Ireland cannot do alone she may do in conjunc- tion with Scotland." "So be it!" Fergus said. "Believe me, if you raise a flame through the west the north will not hang back. And now I trust that you will remain here for a few days as my guest. All that I have is yours, and my wife and daughters will do their best to make the time pass pleasantly for you." Archie remained three days at the chief's hold, where the primitive life interested him greatly. A lavish hospitality was exercised. Several sheep were killed and roasted each day, and all comers were free to join the repast. The cliief's more immediate retainers, some twenty in number, ate, lived, and slept in the great hall; while tables were spread outside, at which all who came sat down without question. The upper rooms of the hold were occupied by the chief, the ladies of his family, and the female domestics. Here they retired when they felt disposed, but their meals were served on the dais. In the evening the harper played and sang legends of deeds of bravery in the day of Ireland's in- dependence; and as Ronald translated the songs to him Archie could not but conclude privately that civil war, rapine, strife, and massacre must have characterized the country in those days. At the conclusion of his stay Fergus appointed two of the retainers to accompany Archie south, and to give assurance to the various wild people through whom he might pass, that Archie's mission was a friendly one to Ireland, and that he was an honoured friend and guest of the chief of Killeen. 234 UNSTABLE MATERIAL. On his arrival in Mayo Archie found matters more favourable to his mission. An insurrection had already broken out, headed* by some of the local chieftains, originating in a broil between the English soldiers of a garrison and the natives. The garrison had been surprised and massacred, and the wild Irish were flocking to arms. By the chieftains here .Archie, on explaining his mission, was warmly welcomed. As they were already in arms no urging on his part was needed, and they despatched messengers throughout the country, saying that an emis- sary from Scotland had arrived, and calling upon all to rise and to join with the Scotch in shaking off the yoke of England. Archie had therefore to travel no farther, and decided that he could best carry out his mission by assisting to organize and lead the Irish forces. These he speedily discovered were beyond all comparison inferior, both in arms, in discipline, and in methods of lighting, to the Scots. For a dashing foray they would be excellent. Hardy, agile, and full of impetuosity, they would bear down all resistance instantly, were that resistance not too strong; but against stubborn and well-armed troops they would break like a wave against a rock. Archie saw that with such troops anything like regular war would be impossible, and that the struggle must be one of constant surprises, attacks, and forays, and that they could succeed only by wearing out and not by defeating the enemy. With such tactics as these they might by long perseverance succeed; but this was just what Fergus had warned him they would not practise, and that their courage was rather of a kind which would lead them to dash desperately against the line of levelled spears, rather than continue a long and weary struggle under apparently hopeless circumstances. I i AN IRISH RISING. 235 The chiefs, hearing from Archie that he had acted as one of Wallace's lieutenants in battles where the English had been heavily defeated, willingly consented that he should endeavour to instil the tactics by which those battles had been won into their own followers; but when they found that he proposed that the men should remain stationary to withstand the English charges, they shook their heads, " That will never do for our people," they said. " They must attack sword in hand. They will rush fearlessly down against any odds, but you will never get them steadily to withstand a charge of men-at-arms." Archie, however, persuaded them to allow him to or- ganize a band of two hundred men under his immediate orders. These were armed with long pikes, and were to form a sort of reserve, in order that if the wild charge of the main body failed in its object these could cover a re- treat, or serve as a nucleus around which they could rally. The army swelled rapidly ; every day fresh chiefs arrived with scores of wild tribesmen. Presently the news came that an English force was advancing from the Pale against them. A council was held at which Archie was present. Very strongly he urged his views upon the chieftains, namely: that they should altogether decline a pitched battle; but that, divided into numerous parties, they should enter the Pale, destroying weak garrisons and ravaging the country, trying to wear out the English by constant skirmishes and night attacks, but refusing always to allow themselves to be tempted into an engagement. " The English cannot be everywhere at once," he urged. "Let them hold only the ground on which their feet stand. As they advance or retire, close ever in on their rear, drive off their cattle and destroy their crops and gran- aries in the Pale; force them to live wholly in their 236 A WILD GATHBRINa walled towns, and as you gain in strength capture these one by one, as did we in Scotland. So, and so only, can you hope for ultimate success." His advice was received with a silence which he at once saw betokened disapproval. One after another of the Irish chieftains rose and declared that such a war could not e sustained. "Our retainers," they said, "are ready to fight, but after fighting they will want to return to their homes; besides, we are fifteen thousand strong, and the English men-at-arms marching against us are but eight hundred; it would be shameful and cowardly to avoid a battle, and were we willing to do so our followers would not obey us. Let us first destroy this body of English, then we shall be joined by others, and can soon march straight upon Dublin." Archie saw that it was hopeless to persevere, and set out the following day with the wild rabble, for they could not be termed an army, to meet the English. The leaders yielded so far to his advice as to take up a position where they would fight with the best chance of success. The spot lay between a swamp extending a vast distance, and a river, and they were thus open only to an attack in front, and could, if defeated, take refuge in the bog, where horsemen could not follow them. On the following morning the English were seen ap- proaching. In addition to the 800 men-at-arms were 1000 lightly-equipped footmen, for experience had taught the English commanders that in such a country lightly- armed men were necessary to operate where the wide extending morasses prevented the employment of cavalry. The English advanced in solid array: 300 archers led the way; these were followed by 700 spearmen, and the men-at-arms brought up the rear. The Irish were formed VSBLSSS BRAVERY. 237 ap- rere fght tly- ride Ithe Ithe led in disordered masses, each under its own chieftain. The English archers commenced the fight with a shower of arrows. Scarcely had these began to fall when the Irish with a tremendous yell rushed forward to the as- sault. The English archers were swept like chaff before them. With reckless bravery they threw themselves next upon the spearmen. The solid array was broken by ^he onslaught, and in a moment both parties were mixed !ip in wild confusion. The sight was too much for Archie's band to view un- moved, and these, in spite of his shouts, left their ground and rushed at full speed after their companions and threw themselves into the fight. Archie was mounted, having been presented with a horse by one of the chiefs, and he now, although hopeless of the final result, rode forward. Just as he joined the confused and struggling mass the English men-at-arms burst down upon them. As a torrent would cleave its way through a mass of loose sand, so the English men-at- arms burst through the mass of Irish, trampling and cutting down all in their path. Not unharmed, however, for the Irish fought desperately with axe and knife, hew- ing at the men-at-arms, stabbing at the horses, and even trying by sheer strength to throw the riders to the ground. After passing through the mass the men-at-arms turned and again burst down upon them. It was a repetition of the first charge. The Irish fought desperately, but it was each for himself; there was neither crder nor cohesion, and each man strove only to kill a foe before being him- self slain, Archie and the chiefs, with the few mounted men among the retainers, strove in vain to stem the torrent. Under the orders of their leaders the English kept in a compact mass, and the weight of the horses and armour bore down all opposition. Four times did 238 TUB llOUT. the inon-ai-anu8 burMt fchrongh the Hirugpflin^ masH of Irisli. As thoy t'oniuul to cluirgu tho lil'tli tiniu thu latter lost heart, and aH it' acting iiiiilor a BiiniiltanuouH in- fluoncu thoy turned and Hod. The Knglish horuc burst ilown on tho rear of tho mass of fugitives, hewing thoui down in hundrcdH. Those nearest to tho rivor daahetl in, and nuMd)ers wore drowned in striving to cross it. Tho main body, however, made for tho swamp, and thougli in the crush many sank in and perished nuserably here, tho great majority, leaping lightly from tuft to tul't, gained the heart of tho ntorass, the pursuing horse reining up on its edge. Ronald had kept near Archie in tho tight, and whon all was lost ran along by the side of his horse, holding fast to tho stirrup leather. Tho horsemen still pressed along between the rivor and the morass, and Archie, fol- lowing the oxanjple of several of tho chiefs, alighted from his saddle, and with his companion entered *he swamp It was with the greatest tlitliculty that ho nuute his way across it, and his lightly-armed companion did him good service in assisting several times to drag him from tho treacherous mire when ho began to sink in it At last they reached ti' nier ground in the heart of tho swamp, and here some 5000 or (1000 fugitives were gathered. At leust 4000 had fallen on tho Held. Many had escaped across tho river, although numbers had lost their lives in the attempt. Others scattered and lied in various direc- tit)ns. A few of the chiefs were gathered in council when Archie arrived. They agreed that all was lost and there was nothing to do but to scatter to their homes. Archie took no part in the discussion. That day's expe- rience had convinced him that nothing like a permanent and detenuined insurrectit)n wjis possible, and only by such a movemeut could the Scottish cause be aided, by < A LOST OAUBK. 239 forcing? the Knglinh to Hcrul rcinforcomcnts acroas St. (jror^e's Clmnnol. After Htieing the Hlanghtor which had takun place, ho wan rejoiced at heart that the riHing had coniincnced before he joined it, and WfiH in no way the rcHult of his iiiisHion, hut waH one of tlio sporadic insur- rections which fr(Miu(!ntIy broke out in Ireland, ordy to be iuHtiintly and Hteinly represHod. " Wo have failed, Sir Kni«^djt," one of tlie chiefs said to hiui, " but it was not for want of courage on the part of our men." " No, indi!od," Archie replied through his interpreter; "never did 1 see men fight more liercely, but without discipline and organization victory is well-nigh impos- sible for lightly-armed footmen against heavy mail-clad cavalry." "The tactics you advised were doubtless good," the chief said; "1 ste their wisdoni, but they are well-nigh im- possible to carry out with such following as ours. They are over impatient for the fray, but quickly weariod by eflbrt; rca