she could sit comfortably. Elspie mounted
with her. 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 approaching 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
sixteen and eighteen. They had originally been stronger, but some
of the elders had already joined Wallace's followers.

"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 shall not tell him, that you shall form a
sort of bodyguard 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--remember that boys' tricks and play
are out of place among men engaged