Chapter XVII
The King's Blood Hound
The only other event which occurred throughout the winter was thearrival of a fishing boat with a messenger from one of the king'sadherents, and the news which he brought filled them with sorrowand dismay. Kildrummy had been threatened with a siege, and thequeen, Bruce's sisters Christine and Mary, his daughter Marjory,and the other ladies accompanying them, deemed it prudent to leavethe castle and take refuge in the sanctuary of St. Duthoc, in Rossshire.
The sanctuary was violated by the Earl of Ross and his followers,and the ladies and their escort delivered up to Edward's lieutenantsand sent to England. The knights and squires who formed the escortwere all executed, and the ladies committed to various placesof confinement, where most of them remained in captivity of thestrictest and most rigorous kind until after the battle of Bannockburn,eight years later. The Countess of Buchan, who had crowned Bruceat Scone, and who was one of the party captured at St. Duthoc,received even fouler treatment, by Edward's especial orders,being placed in a cage on one of the turrets of Berwick Castle soconstructed that she could be seen by all who passed; and in thiscruel imprisonment she was kept like a wild beast for seven longyears by a Christian king whom his admirers love to hold up as amodel of chivalry.
Kildrummy had been besieged and taken by treachery. The king'sbrother, Nigel Bruce, was carried to Berwick, and was there hangedand beheaded. Christopher Seaton and his brother Alexander, theEarl of Athole, Sir Simon Fraser, Sir Herbert de Moreham, Sir DavidInchmartin, Sir John Somerville, Sir Walter Logan, and many otherScotchmen of noble degree, had also been captured and executed,their only offence being that they had fought for their country.
In all the annals of England there is no more disgraceful page thanthat which chronicles the savage ferocity with which King Edwardbehaved to the Scottish nobles and ladies who fell into his hands.The news of these murders excited the utmost fury as well as griefamong the party at Rathlin, and only increased their determinationto fight till the death against the power of England.
The spring was now at hand, and Douglas, with Archie Forbes anda few followers, left in a boat, and landed on the Isle of Arran.In the bay of Brodick was a castle occupied by Sir John Hastingsand an English garrison. The Scots concealed themselves near thecastle, awaiting an opportunity for an attack. A day or two aftertheir arrival several vessels arrived with provisions and arms forthe garrison. As these were being landed Douglas and his followerssallied out and captured the vessels and stores. The garrison ofthe castle made a sortie to assist their friends, but were drivenin with slaughter, and the whole of the supplies remained in thehands of the Scots, causing great rejoicing to the king and therest of the party when a few days later they arrived from Rathlin.
Bruce now proposed an immediate descent upon Carrick, there, in themidst of his family possessions, to set up his banner in Scotland.The lands had been forfeited by Edward and bestowed upon some ofhis own nobles. Annandale had been given to the Earl of Hereford,Carrick to Earl Percy, Selkirk to Aymer de Valence. The castle ofTurnberry was occupied by Percy with three hundred men. Bruce senton his cousin Cuthbert to reconnoitre and see whether the peoplewould be ready to rise, but Cuthbert found the Scots sunk indespair. All who had taken up arms had perished in the field oron the scaffold. The country swarmed with the English, and furtherresistance seemed hopeless. Cuthbert had arranged to light a beaconon a point at Turnberry visible at Lamlash Bay in Arran, where theking, with his two hundred men and eighty-three boats, awaited thesight of the smoke which should tell them that circumstances werefavourable for their landing.
Cuthbert, finding that there was no chance of a rising, did notlight the bonfire; but as if fortune was determined that Bruceshould continue a struggle which was to end finally in the freedomof Scotland, some other person lit a fire on the very spot whereCuthbert had arranged to show the signal. On seeing the smoke theking and his party at once got into their boats and rowed acrossto the mainland, a distance of seventeen miles. On reaching landthey were met by Cuthbert, who reported that the fire was not of hiskindling, and that the circumstances were altogether unfavourable.Bruce consulted with his brother Edward, Douglas, Archie, and hisprincipal friends as to what course had better be pursued. Edwarddeclared at once that he for one would not take to sea again; andthis decision settled the matter.
The king without delay led his followers against the villageoutside the castle, where a considerable portion of the garrisonwere housed. These were assailed so suddenly that all save onewere slain. Those in the castle heard the sounds of the conflict,but being unaware of the smallness of the assailant's force, didnot venture to sally out to their assistance.
Percy, with his followers, remained shut up in the castle, whileBruce overran the neighbouring country; but an English force underSir Roger St. John, far too powerful to be resisted, advanced toTurnberry, and Bruce and his followers were obliged to seek refugein the hills. Thomas and Alexander, the king's brothers, with SirReginald Crawford, had gone to the islands to beat up recruits, andreturning in a vessel with a party who had joined them, landed atLoch Ryan. They were attacked at once by Macdowall, a chieftainof Galloway, and routed. The king's brothers, with Sir ReginaldCrawford, were carried to Carlisle severely wounded, and deliveredover to King Edward, who at once sent them to the scaffold.
These wholesale and barbarous executions saddened the Scots, and,as might be expected, soon roused them to severe reprisals. Brucehimself, however, although deeply stirred by the murder of histhree brothers and many dear friends, and by the captivity andharsh treatment of his wife and female relatives, never attemptedto take vengeance for them upon those who fell into his hands,and during the whole of the war in no single instance did he put aprisoner to death. He carried magnanimity, indeed, almost to theextent of impolicy; for had the nobles of England found that thoseof their number who fell into Bruce's hands suffered the penaltyof death, which Edward inflicted upon the Scotch prisoners, theywould probably have remonstrated with the king and insisted uponhis conducting the war in a less barbarous and ferocious fashion.
Sir James Douglas was so stirred by the murder of the three Bruces andso many of his friends and companions, that he resolved henceforthto wage an exterminating war against the English, and by the recaptureof his own stronghold, known as Castle Douglas, began the seriesof desperate deeds which won for him the name of the Black Douglas,and rendered his name for generations a terror among the English onthe Border. The castle had been conferred by Edward on Sir Robertde Clifford, and was occupied by an English garrison. Douglasrevealed his intention only to Archie Forbes, who at once agreedto accompany him. He asked leave from the king to quit their hidingplace for a time, accompanied by Archie, in order to revisit DouglasHall, and see how it fared with his tenants and friends. The kingacquiesced with difficulty, as he thought the expedition a dangerousone, and feared that the youth and impetuosity of Douglas might leadhim into danger; before consenting he strongly urged on Archie tokeep a strict watch over the doings of the young noble.
Accompanied by but one retainer, the friends set out for Douglasdale.When they arrived there Douglas went to the cottage of an old andfaithful servant named Thomas Dickson, by whom he was joyfullyreceived. Dickson went out among the retainers and revealed to suchas could be most surely depended upon the secret of their lord'spresence, and one by one took them in to see him. The friendshad already determined upon their course, and the retainers allpromised to take part in the scheme. They were not numerous enoughto assault the castle openly, but they chose the following Sundayfor the assault. This was Palm Sunday and a festival, and most ofthe garrison would come to the Church of St. Bride, in the villageof the same name, a short distance from the castle.
Dickson with some of his friends went at the appointed time, witharms concealed under their clothes, to the church; and after theservice had commenced Douglas and some of his followers gatheredoutside. Unfortunately for the plan, some of those outside setup the shout,
"A Douglas!" prematurely before the whole party hadarrived and were ready to rush into the church. Dickson with hisfriends at once drew out their arms and attacked the English; butbeing greatly outnumbered and for a time unsupported, most of them,including their leader, were slain. Sir James and his followers thenfought their way in, and after a desperate fight all the garrisonsave ten were killed.
The party then proceeded to the castle, which they captured withoutresistance. Douglas and his companions partook of the dinner whichhad been prepared for the garrison; then as much money, weapons,armour, and clothing as they could carry away was taken from thecastle. The whole of the vast stores of provisions were carriedinto the cellar, the heads struck out of the ale and wine casks,the prisoners were slain and their bodies thrown down into the mass,and the castle was then set on fire. Archie Forbes in vain beggedDouglas to spare the lives of the prisoners, but the latter wouldnot listen to him. "No, Sir Archie," he exclaimed; "the King ofEngland held my good father a prisoner in chains until he died;he has struck off the heads of every one of our friends who havefallen into his hands; he has wasted Scotland from end to end withfire and sword, and has slain our people in tens of thousands. Solong as this war continues, so long will I slay every prisoner whofalls into my hands, as King Edward would slay me did I fall intohis; and I will not desist unless this cruel king agrees to showquarter to such of us as he may capture. I see not why all themassacreing and bloodshed should be upon one side."
Archie did not urge him further, for he too was half beside himselfwith indignation and grief at the murder of the king's brothersand friends, and at the cruel captivity which, by a violation ofthe laws of sanctuary, had fallen upon the ladies with whom he hadspent so many happy hours in the mountains and forests of Athole.
Douglas and Archie now rejoined the king. For months Bruce ledthe life of a hunted fugitive. His little following dwindled awayuntil but sixty men remained in arms. Of these a portion werewith the king's brother in Galloway, and with but a handful of menBruce was lying among the fastnesses of Carrick when Sir Ingramde Umfraville, with a large number of troops sent by the Earl ofPembroke from Edinburgh, approached. Wholly unable to resist solarge a force, Bruce's little party scattered, and the king himself,attended only by a page, lay hidden in the cottage of a peasant.The English in vain searched for him, until a traitorous Scot wentto Umfraville and offered, for a reward of a grant of land to thevalue of 40 pounds annually, to slay Bruce.
The offer was accepted, and the traitor and his two sons made theirway to Bruce's place of concealment. As they approached, Brucesnatched his bow from his page and shot the traitor through theeye. One son attacked him with an axe, but was slain with a blowfrom the king's sword. The remaining assailant rushed at him witha spear; but the king with one blow cut off the spearhead, andbefore the assailant had time to draw his sword, stretched himdead at his feet. After this the king with his adherents eludedthe search of the English and made their way into Galloway. Thepeople here who were devoted to the English cause determined to hunthim down, and two hundred men, accompanied by some blood hounds,set off towards the king's retreat; but Bruce's scouts were onthe watch and brought him news of their coming. The king with hisparty retired until they reached a morass, through which flowed arunning stream, while beyond a narrow passage led through a deepquagmire.
Beyond this point the hunted party lay down to rest, while theking with two followers returned to the river to keep watch. Afterlistening for some time they heard the baying of the hounds comingnearer and nearer, and then, by the light of a bright moon, sawtheir enemies approaching.
The king sent his two followers to rouse the band. The enemy,seeing Bruce alone, pressed forward with all haste; and the king,knowing that if he retired his followers would be attacked unprepared,determined alone to defend the narrow path. He retired from theriver bank to the spot where the path was narrowest and the morassmost impassable, and then drew his sword. His pursuers, crossingthe river, rode forward against him; Bruce charged the first, andwith his lance slew him; then with a blow with his mace he stretchedhis horse beside him, blocking the narrow passage. One by one hisfoes advanced, and five fell beneath his blows, before his companionsran up from behind. The Galloway men then took to flight, but ninemore were slain before they could cross the ford.
The admiration and confidence of Bruce's followers were greatlyaroused by this new proof of his courage and prowess. Sir JamesDouglas, his brother Edward, and others soon afterwards returnedfrom the expeditions on which they had been sent, and the kinghad now 400 men assembled. This force, however, was powerless toresist an army of English and Lowland Scots who marched againsthim, led by Pembroke in person. This force was accompanied by John,son of Alexander MacDougall of Lorne, with 800 of his mountaineers.While the heavy armed troops occupied all the Lowlands, Lorne andhis followers made a circuit in the mountains so as to inclose theroyal fugitive between them.
Bruce, seeing that resistance was impossible, caused his party toseparate into three divisions, and Douglas, Edward Bruce, and SirArchibald Forbes were charged to lead their bands, if possible,through the enemy without fighting. The king tried to escape by adifferent route with a handful of men. John of Lorne had obtainedfrom Turnberry a favourite blood hound belonging to Bruce, andthe hound being put upon the trace persistently followed the king'sparty. Seeing this, Bruce ordered them all to disperse, and,accompanied only by his foster brother, attempted to escape byspeed.
As they sped along the mountain side they were seen by Lorne, whodirected his henchman, with four of his bravest and swiftest men,to follow him. After a long chase the MacDougalls came up withBruce and his foster brother, who drew their swords and stood on thedefence. The henchman, with two of his followers, attacked Bruce,while the other two fell on his foster brother. The combat was adesperate one, but one by one the king cut down his three assailants,and then turned to the assistance of his foster brother, whowas hardly pressed. The king's sword soon rid him of one of hisassailants, and he slew the other. Having thus disembarrassedthemselves of the whole of their immediate assailants, Bruce and hiscompanion continued their flight. The main body of their hunters,with the hound, were but a short distance away, but in a wood thefugitives came upon a stream, and, marching for some distance downthis, again landed, and continued their flight.
The hound lost their scent at the spot where they had entered thewater, and being unable to recover it, Lorne and his followersabandoned the chase. Among the king's pursuers on this occasionwas his nephew Randolph, who had been captured at the battle ofMethven, and having again taken the oath of allegiance to Edwardhad been restored to that monarch's favour, and was now fightingamong the English ranks.
The search was actively kept up after Bruce, and a party of threemen-at-arms came upon him and his foster brother. Being afraid toattack the king, whom they recognized, openly, they pretended theyhad come to join him.
The king suspected treachery; and when the five lay down for thenight in a cottage which they came upon he and his companion agreedto watch alternately. Overcome by fatigue, however, both fell asleep,and when they were suddenly attacked by the three strangers, thefoster brother was killed before he could offer any resistance.The king himself, although wounded, managed to struggle to hisfeet, and then proved more than a match for his three treacherousassailants, all of whom, after a desperate struggle, he slew.
The next morning he continued his way, and by nightfall succeededin joining the three bands, who had safely reached the rendezvoushe had appointed.
A few hours after this exploit of Bruce, Archie with two or threeof his followers joined him.
"This is indeed a serious matter of the hound," Archie said whenBruce told him how nearly he had fallen a victim to the affectionof his favourite. "Methinks, sire, so long as he remains in theEnglish hands your life will never be safe, for the dog will alwayslead the searchers to your hiding places; if one could get nearenough to shoot him, the danger would be at an end."
"I wo
uld not have him shot, Archie, for a large sum. I have had himsince he was a little pup; he has for years slept across my door,and would give his life for mine. 'Tis but his affection now thatbrings danger upon me."
"I should be sorry to see the dog killed myself," Archie said, "forhe is a fine fellow, and he quite admitted me to his friendshipduring the time we were together. Still, sire, if it were a questionbetween their lives and yours, I would not hesitate to kill anynumber of dogs. The whole future of Scotland is wrapped up in you;and as there is not one of your followers but would gladly givehis life for yours, it were no great thing that a hound should dothe same."
"I cannot withstand you in argument, Archie," the king said smiling;"yet I would fain that my favourite should, if possible, be spared.But I grant you, should there be no other way, and the hound shouldcontinue to follow me, he must be put to death. But it would grieveme sorely. I have lost so many and so dear friends in the lastyear, that I can ill spare one of the few that are left me."
Archie was himself fond of dogs, and knowing how attached Brucewas to his faithful hound he could quite understand how reluctanthe was that harm should come to him. Still, he felt it was necessarythat the dog should, at all hazards, be either killed or takenfrom the English, for if he remained in their hands he was almostcertain sooner or later to lead to Bruce's capture. He determinedthen to endeavour to avert the danger by abstracting the dog fromthe hands of the English, or, failing that, by killing him. To dothis it would be absolutely necessary to enter the English camp.There was no possibility of carrying out his purpose without runningthis risk, for when in pursuit of the king the hound would be heldby a leash, and there would be many men-at-arms close by, so thatthe difficulty of shooting him would be extremely great, and Archiecould see no plan save that of boldly entering the camp.
He said nothing of his project to Bruce, who would probably haverefused to allow him to undertake it; but the next morning whenhe parted from him--for it was considered advisable that thefugitives should be divided into the smallest groups, and that onlyone or two of his retainers should remain with Bruce--he startedwith his own followers in the direction of Pembroke's camp. Hepresently changed clothes with one of these, and they then collecteda quantity of firewood and made it into a great faggot. Archie gavethem orders where they should await him, and lifting the faggot onhis shoulders boldly entered the camp. He passed with it near thepavilion of Pembroke. The earl was standing with some knights atthe entrance.
"Come hither, Scot," he said as Archie passed.
Archie laid his bundle on the ground, and doffing his bonnet strodewith an awkward and abashed air toward the earl.
"I suppose you are one of Bruce's men?" the earl said.
"My father," Archie replied, "as well as all who dwell in thesedales, were his vassals; but seeing that, as they say, his landshave been forfeit and given to others, I know not whose man I amat present."
"Dost know Bruce by figure?"
"Surely," Archie said simply, "seeing that I was employed in thestables at Turnberry, and used to wash that big hound of his, whowas treated as a Christian rather than a dog."
"Oh, you used to tend the hound!" Pembroke said. "Then perhapsyou could manage him now. He is here in camp, and the brute is sosavage and fierce he has already well nigh killed two or three men;and I would have had him shot but that he may be useful to us. Ifhe knows you he may be quieter with you than others."
"Doubtless he would know me," Archie said; "but seeing that I havethe croft to look after, as my father is old and infirm, I trustthat you will excuse me the service of looking after the hound."
"Answer me not," Pembroke said angrily. "You may think yourselflucky, seeing that you are one of Bruce's retainers, that I do nothave you hung from a tree.
"Take the fellow to the hound," he said to one of his retainers,"and see if the brute recognizes him; if so, put him in charge ofhim for the future. And see you Scot, that you attempt no tricks,for if you try to escape I will hang you without shrift."
Archie followed the earl's retainer to where, behind his pavilion,the great dog was chained up. He leapt to his feet with a savagegrowl on hearing footsteps approaching. His hair bristled and hetugged at his chain.
"What a savage beast it is!" the man said; "I would sooner facea whole company of you Scots than get within reach of his jaws.Dickon," he went on as another soldier, on hearing the growl, issuedfrom one of the smaller tents which stood in rear of the pavilion,"the earl has sent this Scot to relieve you of your charge of thedog; he is to have the care of him in future."
"That is the best turn the earl has done me for a long time," theman replied. "Never did I have a job I fancied less than the tendingof that evil tempered brute."
"He did not use to be evil tempered," Archie said; "but was a quietbeast when I had to do with him before. I suppose the strangenessof the place and so many strange faces have driven him half wild.Beside, he is not used to being chained up. Hector, old fellow,"he said approaching the dog quietly, "don't you know me?"
The great hound recognized the voice and his aspect changedat once. The bristling hair lay flat on his back; the threateningjaws closed. He gave a short deep bark of pleasure, and then beganleaping and tugging at his chain to reach his acquaintance. Archiecame close to him now. Hector reared on his hind legs, and placedhis great paws on his shoulders, and licked his face with whinesof joy.
"He knows you, sure enough," the man said; "and maybe we shall geton better now. At any rate there may be some chance of sleep, forthe brute's howls every night since he has been brought here havekept the whole camp awake."
"No wonder!" Archie said, "when he has been accustomed to be pettedand cared for; he resents being chained up."
"Would you unchain him?" the man asked.
"That would I," Archie replied; "and I doubt not that he will staywith me."
"It may be so," the man replied; "but you had best not unchain himwithout leave from the earl, for were he to take it into his headto run away, I would not give a groat for your life. But I will goand acquaint the earl that the dog knows you, and ask his ordersas to his being unchained."
In two or three minutes he returned.
"The earl says that on no account is he to be let free. He has toldme to have a small tent pitched here for you. The hound is to bechained to the post, and to share the tent with you. You may, ifyou will, walk about the camp with him, but always keeping him ina chain; but if you do so it will be at your peril, for if he getsaway your life will answer for it."
In a short time two or three soldiers brought a small tent anderected it close by where the dog was chained up. Archie unloosedthe chain from the post round which it was fastened, and ledHector to the tent, the dog keeping close by his side and wagginghis tail gravely, as if to show his appreciation of the change, tothe satisfaction of the men to whom hitherto he had been a terror.Some heather was brought for a bed, and a supply of food, bothfor the dog and his keeper, and the men then left the two friendsalone. Hector was sitting up on his haunches gazing affectionatelyat Archie, his tail beating the ground with slow and regular strokes.
"I know what you want to ask, old fellow," Archie said to him; "whyI don't lead you at once to your master? Don't you be impatient,old fellow, and you shall see him ere long;" and he patted thehound's head.
Hector, with a great sigh expressive of content and satisfaction,lay down on the ground by the side of the couch of heather on whichArchie threw himself--his nose between his forepaws, clearlyexpressing that he considered his troubles were over, and could nowafford to wait until in due time he should be taken to his master.That night the camp slept quietly, for Hector was silent. For thenext two days Archie did not go more than a few yards from his tent,for he feared that he might meet some one who would recognize him.