rn everybody about and call all
the surrounding gentlemen "that had speedie dogs" to hunt with him,
appointing the meeting next morning at seven o'clock, "for he was
determined to slay ane deare or two for his pleasure." Pitscottie is
very particular in his description, and places the economy of the little
castle before us, among its woods--with its simplicity, its precautions,
the homeliness of the household. The King desired to have "his
disjeuner" at four in the morning, and bade James Douglas "gang the
sooner to his bed that night that he might rise the sooner in the
morning," and after he had supped, called for a drink and drank to
Douglas, saying that they should see good hunting on the morn, and
warning him not to be late; from which it may be guessed that Captain
James was not fond of early hours. The captain saw as he thought the
King go to bed, and having set the watch, and arranged everything for
the night, went to bed himself, as the boy had laughingly bidden him to
do. As soon as all was quiet, eluding the watch without apparent
difficulty, the King, attended only by "Jockie Hart, a yeoman of the
stable," and another "secret servant," escaped in the stillness of the
night into the freedom of the sleeping country. It is said by one
authority to have been in June that this evasion was made, but in June
there is scarcely any night at all in Scotland, and the brief darkness
could scarcely have served as a screen for the fugitives; probably it
was earlier in the year, when the night was more to be calculated upon.
One can imagine the breathless excitement and delight of the long ride,
with the fresh breeze in his face, and one of the richest valleys in
Scotland coming softly into sight in the midst of the morning, as the
young King full of spirit, ambition, and all the rising impulses of
manhood, left behind him the gentle shadow of the Lomond hills, and
swept round the base of the Ochils towards the castle, high-standing on
its rock, where freedom and his crown and all the privileges of royal
life and independence were awaiting him. He reached Stirling in the
breaking of the day, and galloping across the bridge, caused its gates
to be closed after him, that no pursuer might cross the river; and was
received with great rejoicing in the castle, where everything had been
prepared for his coming, and where the captain, having let down the
portcullis and made all secure, "laid the King in his bed, because he
had ridd