ediate
followers, who retired into a tower, where they defended themselves
until the following day; then Fienne being seriously wounded, the
little party also surrendered. As Douglas had no personal quarrel
with the garrison of Roxburgh such as he bore with those who occupied
his ancestral castle, he abstained from any unnecessary cruelties,
and allowed the garrison to withdraw to England, where Fienne soon
afterwards died of his wounds.

The castle was as usual levelled to the ground, and as the stronghold
of Carlaverock soon afterwards surrendered, the districts of Tweeddale
and Galloway were now completely cleared of the English, with the
exception of the Castle of Jedburgh, which they still held.

Randolph had been created Earl of Moray, and after establishing
himself in his new earldom he had returned with his feudal followers
and laid siege to Edinburgh, whose castle was considered all but
impregnable. It had been in the possession of the English ever since
it was captured by Edward I in 1296, and was strongly garrisoned
and well provisioned.

Even when joined by Archie Forbes and his retainers Randolph felt
that the castle could not be captured by force. The various attempts
which he made were signally foiled, and it was by stratagem only
that he could hope to carry it. The news of the capture of Roxburgh
by Douglas increased his anxiety to succeed. Accompanied by Archie
he rode round the foot of the steep rock on which the castle stands,
eagerly scanning its irregularities to see if by any possibility
it could be scaled.

"I would give a brave reward," he said to Archie, "to any who could
show us a way of climbing those rocks, which, methinks, even a goat
could scarcely manage to ascend."

"I can tell you of a way," a Scotch soldier who was standing a few
paces off when he made the remark, said, saluting the earl. "It
needs a sure foot and a stout heart, but I can lead a score of
men with such qualifications to the foot of yonder walls;" and he
pointed to the castle rising abruptly from the edge of the rocks.

"If you can make good your word, my brave fellow," Randolph said,
"you may ask your own reward, and I pledge you my word, that if it
be aught in reason it shall be granted. But who are you, and how
did it come that you know of a way where none is supposed to exist?"

"My name is William Francus," the soldier said. "I was at one time,
before the king took up arms, a soldier in the castle there