In Freedom's Cause : A Story of Wallace and Bruce

by G. A. Henty

  Chapter VIII

  The Council at Stirling

  Archie had been mounted on the march from the camp, and his horsebeing now brought, he started with Bruce, young Nigel and the ladiessaluting him cordially.

  "I trust," the former said, "that Wallace will succeed in convertingmy brother. I am envious of you, Sir Archie. Here are you, manyyears younger than I am, and yet you have won a name throughoutScotland 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 Robertwill but join our cause, heart and soul, the battle is as good aswon."

  The journey passed without adventure until they arrived within twomiles of Lanark, where Archie found Wallace was now staying. Onthe road Bruce had had much conversation with Archie, and learnedthe details of many adventures of which before he had only heardvaguely by report. He was much struck by the lad's modesty andloyal patriotism.

  "If ever I come to my kingdom, Sir Archie," he said, "you shallbe one of my most trusted knights and counsellors; and I am wellassured that any advice you may give will be ever what you thinkto be right and for the good of the country, without self seekingor in the interest of any; and that is more than I could look forin most counsellors. And now methinks that as we are drawing nearto Lanark, it will be well that I waited here in this wood, underthe guard of your followers, while you ride forward and informWallace that I am here. I care not to show myself in Lanark, forbusy tongues would soon take the news to Edward; and as I know notwhat may come of our interview, it were well that it should not beknown to all men."

  Archie agreed, and rode into the town.

  "Why, where have you been, truant?" Sir William exclaimed as Archieentered the room in the governor's house which had been set apartfor the use of Wallace since the expulsion of the English. "SirRobert Gordon has been here several times, and tells me that theyhave seen nought of you; and although I have made many inquiries Ihave been able to obtain no news, save that you and your band havedisappeared. I even sent to Glen Cairn, thinking that you mighthave been repairing the damages which the fire, lighted by theKerrs, did to your hold; but I found not only that you were notthere yourself, but that none of your band had returned thither.This made it more mysterious; for had you alone disappeared I shouldhave supposed that you had been following up some love adventure,though, indeed, you have never told me that your heart was in anyway touched."

  Archie laughed. "There will be time enough for that, Sir William,ten years hence; but in truth I have been on an adventure on myown account."

  "So, in sober earnest, I expected, Archie, and feared that yourenterprise might lead you into some serious scrape since I deemedthat it must have been well nigh a desperate one or you would nothave hidden it from my knowledge."

  "It might have led to some blows, Sir William, but happily it didnot turn out so. Knowing the importance you attached to the adhesionof the cause of Scotland of Robert the Bruce, I determined to fetchhim hither to see you; and he is now waiting with my band for yourcoming, in a wood some two miles from the town."

  "Are you jesting with me?" Wallace exclaimed. "Is the Bruce reallywaiting to see me? Why, this would be well nigh a miracle."

  "It is a fact, Sir William; and if you will cause your horse tobe brought to the door I will tell you on the road how it has comeabout."

  In another five minutes Sir William and his young follower wereon their way, and the former heard how Archie had entrapped RobertBruce while riding to Crossraguel Abbey.

  "It was well done, indeed," the Scottish leader exclaimed; "andit may well prove, Archie, that you have done more towards freeingScotland by this adventure of yours than we have by all our monthsof marching and fighting."

  "Ah! Sir William, but had it not been for our marching and fightingBruce would never have wavered in his allegiance to Edward. It wasonly because he begins to think that our cause may be a winningone that he decides to join it."

  The meeting between Wallace and Bruce was a cordial one. Eachadmired the splendid proportions and great strength of the other,for it is probable that in all Europe there were no two moredoughty champions; although, indeed, Wallace was far the superiorin personal strength while Bruce was famous through Europe for hisskill in knightly exercise.

  Archie withdrew to a distance while the leaders conversed. Hecould see that their talk was animated as they strode together upand down among the trees, Wallace being the principal speaker. Atthe end of half an hour they stopped, and Wallace ordered the horsesto be brought, and then called Archie to them.

  "Sir Robert has decided to throw in his lot with us," he said, "andwill at once call out his father's vassals of Carrick and Annandale.Seeing that his father is at Edward's court, it may be that manywill not obey the summons. Still we must hope that, for the loveof Scotland and their young lord, many will follow him. He willwrite to the pope to ask him to absolve him for the breach of hisoath of homage to Edward; but as such oaths lie but lightly on men'sminds in our days, and have been taken and broken by King Edwardhimself, as well as by Sir William Douglas and other knights who arenow in the field with me, he will not wait for the pope's reply,but will at once take the field. And, indeed, there is need forhaste, seeing that Percy and Clifford have already crossed theBorder with an English army and are marching north through Annandaletowards Ayr."

  "Goodbye, my captor," Bruce said to Archie as he mounted his horse;"whatever may come of this strife, remember that you will alwaysfind a faithful friend in Robert Bruce."

  Wallace had, at Archie's request, brought six mounted men-at-armswith him from Lanark, and these now rode behind Bruce as his escortback to his castle of Turnberry. There was no time now for Archieand his band to take the rest they had looked for, for messengerswere sent out to gather the bands together again, and as soon asa certain portion had arrived Wallace marched for the south. TheEnglish army was now in Annandale, near Lochmaben. They were fartoo strong to be openly attacked, but on the night following hisarrival in their neighbourhood Wallace broke in upon them in thenight. Surprised by this sudden and unexpected attack, the Englishfell into great confusion. Percy at once ordered the camp to beset on fire. By its light the English were able to see how smallwas the force of their assailants, and gathering together soonshowed so formidable a front that Wallace called off his men, butnot before a large number of the English had been killed. Many oftheir stores, as well as the tents, were destroyed by the conflagration.The English army now proceeded with slow marches towards Ayr. AtIrvine the Scotch leaders had assembled their army--Douglas,Bruce, The Steward, Sir Richard Loudon, Wishart, Bishop of Glasgow,and others. Their forces were about equal to those of the Englishmarching against them. Wallace was collecting troops further north,and Archie was of course with him.

  "I fear," the lad said one day, "that we shall not be able to reachIrvine before the armies join battle."

  "Sir William Douglas and Bruce are there, and as it lies in theircountry it were better to let them win the day without my meddling.But, Archie, I fear there will be no battle. News has reachedme that messengers are riding to and fro between Percy's army andthe Scots, and I fear me that these half hearted barons will makepeace."

  "Surely that cannot be! It were shame indeed to have taken up thesword, and to lay it down after scarce striking a blow."

  "Methinks, Archie, that the word shame is not to be found in thevocabulary of the nobles of this unhappy land. But let us hope forthe best; a few days will bring us the news."

  The news when it came was of the worst. All the nobles, headed byWishart, Douglas, and Bruce, with the exception only of Sir AndrewMoray of Bothwell, had made their submission, acknowledging theirguilt of rebellion, and promising to make every reparation requiredby their sovereign lord. Percy, on his part, guaranteed their lives,lands, goods, and chattels, and that they should not be imprisonedor punished for what had taken place.

  Sir William Douglas and Bruce were ordered to f
ind guarantees fortheir good conduct; but Sir William Douglas, finding himself unableto fulfil his engagements, surrendered, and was thrown into prisonin Berwick Castle, and there kept in irons until he died, his deathbeing 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 beyondthe indignation excited by their conduct, the treaty of Irvine didnothing towards ensuring peace, and indeed heightened the confidenceof the people in Wallace. The movement spread over the wholeof Scotland. Skirmishes and unimportant actions took place inall quarters. The English were powerless outside the walls of thefortresses, and in Berwick and Roxburgh alone was the English powerparamount. Most of the great nobles, including Comyn of Buchan,Comyn of Badenoch, and twenty-six other powerful Scottish lords,were at Edward's court, but many of their vassals and dependantswere in the field with Wallace.

  About this time it came to the ears of the Scotch leader that SirRobert Cunninghame, a Scotch knight of good family, who had hithertoheld aloof from any part in the war, had invited some twelve othersresident in the counties round Stirling, to meet at his house inthat city that they might talk over the circumstances of the times.All these had, like himself, been neutral, and as the object ofthe gathering was principally to discover whether some means couldnot be hit upon for calming down the disorders 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 causeof their country, there is no fear that any will be base enoughto betray me; and surely if I can get speech with them I may rousethem to cast in their lot with us."

  "It were a dangerous undertaking, Sir William, to trust yourselfwithin the walls of Stirling," Archie said gravely. "Remember howmany are the desperate passes into which your adventurous spirithas brought you, and your life is of too great a consequence toScotland to be rashly hazarded."

  "I would not do it for a less cause," Sir William said; "but thegain may be greater than the risk. So I shall go, Archie, your wisecounsel notwithstanding, and you shall journey with me to see thatI get not into scrapes, and to help me out of them should I, inspite of your care, fall into them."

  "When is the day for the meeting?" Archie asked.

  "In three days' time. The day after tomorrow we will move in thatdirection, 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, asthere were numbers of boys who deemed it the highest honour to beenrolled 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 yourcare, and may call for your bravery. Sir William Wallace purposesto enter Stirling in disguise, to attend a meeting of nobles to beheld at the residence of Sir Robert Cunninghame. I am to accompanyhim thither. I intend that the band shall watch over his safety,and this without his having knowledge of it, so that if nought comesof it he may not chide me for being over careful of his person. Youwill both, with sixteen of the band, accompany me. You will choosetwo of your most trusty men to carry out the important matter ofsecuring our retreat. They will procure a boat capable of carryingus all, and will take their place in the bend of the links ofForth 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. Theground is low and swampy, and if we get a fair start even mountedmen would scarce overtake us across it. I think, William, that thelast recruit who joined was from Stirling?"

  "He was, Sir Archie. His parents reside there. They are vendors ofwood, as I have heard him say."

  "It could not be better," Archie replied; "and seeing that theyhave allowed their son to join us, they must surely be patriots. Mypurpose is, that on the morning of the interview you shall appearbefore the gates with a cart laden with firewood, and this you shalltake to the house of Campbell's father. There you will unload thefirewood, and store the arms hidden beneath it, placing them sothat they may be readily caught up in case of necessity. In twosand threes, carrying eggs, fowls, firewood, and other articles,as for sale, the rest of the band will come into the town, joiningthemselves with parties of country people, so that the arrival ofso many lads unaccompanied will not attract notice. James Campbellwill 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 guidethem there, so that they will know where to run for their arms shouldthere be need. You must start tomorrow, so as to enter Stirling onthe next day and arrange with his father for the keeping of thearms. His mother had best leave the town that evening. Shouldnought occur she can return unsuspected; but should a tumult arise,and the arms have to be used, his father must leave the town withus. He shall be handsomely rewarded, and provision made for himin the future. When you see me enter with Sir William, bid JockFarrell follow me at a little distance; he will keep me always insight, and if he see me lift my hand above my head he will run withall speed to give you the news. On his arrival, you, Andrew, withthe half you command, will hurry up to my assistance; while you,William, with the others, will fall suddenly upon the guard at thegate, and will at all hazards prevent them from closing it, and socutting off our retreat, until we arrive. Seize, if you can, themoment when a cart is passing in or out, and slay the horse in theshafts, so that as he falls the cart will prevent the gate frombeing closed, and so keep the way open, even should you not be ableto resist the English until we come up. Have all the band outsideStirling on the night before, so that you will be able to make everyarrangement and obtain a cart in readiness for taking in the woodand arms in the morning. Let all bring their bows and arrows, inaddition to pike and sword, for the missiles may aid us to keep thesoldiers at bay. Now, Andrew, repeat all my instructions, so thatI may be sure that you thoroughly understand my wishes, for anysmall error in the plan might ruin the whole adventure."

  On the morning of the day fixed for the meeting Sir William Wallace,accompanied by Archie, entered the gates of Stirling. Both wereattired as young farmers, and they attracted no special attentionfrom the guards. For a time they strolled about the streets. Theysaw the gentlemen who had been invited by Sir Robert Cunninghamearrive one by one. Others, too, known as being specially attachedto the English party, rode in, for the governor had invited thosewho assembled at Cunninghame's to meet him afterwards in the castlein order that he might hear the result of their deliberations; andhe had asked several others attached to the English party to bepresent.

  When most of the gentlemen invited had entered Sir Robert Cunninghame'sWallace boldly followed them; and Archie sat down on a doorstepnearly opposite. Presently he saw two figures which he recognizedriding up the street, followed, as the others had been by fourarmed retainers. They were Sir John Kerr and his son. Archie roseat once, and turned down at a side street before they came up, asa recognition of him would be fatal to all their plans. When theyhad passed up the street to the castle he returned and resumedhis seat, feeling more uneasy than before, for the Kerrs had seenWallace in the affray at Lanark, and a chance meeting now wouldbetray him. An hour and a half passed, and then Archie saw theKerrs riding down the street from the castle. Again he withdrewfrom sight, this time down an archway, whence he could still seethe door on the opposite side. Hitherto he had been wishing to seeit open and for Wallace to appear; and now he dreaded this aboveall things. His worst fears were realized, for just as the horsemenreached the spot the door opened, and Wallace stepped out. Hisfigure was too remarkable to avoid notice; and no sooner did Sir JohnKerr's eye fall upon him than he exclaimed, "The traitor Wallace!Seize him, men; there is a high reward offered for him; and KingEdward will give honour and wealth to all who capture him."

  As Sir John spoke Archie darted across the street
and placed himselfby Wallace's side, holding his hand high above his head as he didso; and at the instant he saw Jock Farrell, who had been loungingat a corner a few yards away, dart off down the street at the topof his speed.

  Sir John and his retainers drew their swords and spurred forward;but the horses recoiled from the flashing swords of Wallace andhis companion.

  "Dismount," Sir John shouted, setting the example; "cut them bothdown; one is as bad as the other. Ten pounds to the man who slaysthe young Forbes."

  Wallace cut down two of the retainers as they advanced againstthem, and Archie badly wounded a third. Then they began to retreatdown the street; but by this time the sound of the fray had calledtogether 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 joinedin the fight. As they came running up from both sides, Wallaceand Archie could retreat no further, but with their backs againstthe wall kept their foes at bay in a semicircle by the sweep oftheir swords.

  The fight continued by two or three minutes, when a sudden shoutwas heard, and William Orr, with eight young fellows, fell upon theEnglish soldiers with their pikes. The latter, astonished at thissudden onslaught, and several of their number being killed beforethey 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 sufficientfor the line, and the other five shot between them. So hard andfast flew their arrows that several of the English soldiers wereslain, and the others drew back from the assault.

  Andrew Macpherson's sudden attack at the gate overpowered the guard,and for a while he held possession of it, and following Archie'sinstructions, slew a horse drawing a cart laden with flour in theact of entering. Then the guard rallied, and, joined by othersoldiers who had run up, made a fierce attack upon him; but hisline of pikes drawn up across the gate defied their efforts to breakthrough. Wallace and his party were within fifty yards of the gatewhen reinforcements from the castle arrived. Sir John Kerr, furiousat the prospect of his enemies again escaping him, headed them intheir furious rush. Wallace stepped forward beyond the line andmet him. With a great sweep of his mighty sword he beat down SirJohn's guard, and the blade descending clove helmet and skull, andthe knight fell dead in his tracks.

  "That is one for you, Archie," Wallace said, as he cut down aman-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 gavethe order, and the party turning burst through the English who wereattacking its defenders and united with them.

  "Fall back!" Wallace shouted, "and form without the gates. Yourleader and I will cover the retreat."

  Passing between the cart and the posts of the gates, the wholeparty fell back. Once through, Wallace and Archie made a stand, andeven the bravest of the English did not venture to pass the narrowportals, where but one could issue at a time.

  The band formed in good order and retreated at a rapid step. Whenthey reached a distance of about 300 yards, Wallace and Archie,deeming that sufficient start had been gained, sprang away, andrunning at the top of their speed soon rejoined them.

  "Now, Archie, what next?" Sir William asked; "since it is you whohave conjured up this army, doubtless your plans are laid as to whatshall next be done. They will have horsemen in pursuit as soon asthey remove the cart."

  "I have a boat in readiness on the river bank, Sir William. Onceacross and we shall be safe. They will hardly overtake us ere weget there, seeing how swampy is the ground below."

  At a slinging trot the party ran forward, and soon gained thelower ground. They were halfway across when they saw a large bodyof horsemen following in pursuit.

  "A little to the right, Sir William," Archie said; "you see thatcoat flying from an oar; there is the boat."

  As Archie had expected, the swampy ground impeded the speed ofthe horsemen. In vain the riders spurred and shouted, the horses,fetlock deep, could make but slow advance, and before they reachedthe bank the fugitives had gained the boat and were already halfwayacross the stream. Then the English had the mortification of seeingthem land and march away quietly on the other side.