The Scottish Chiefs

larger levy. Murray proceeded to the apartment of Lord Mar, to inform him how far he had executed his commands, and to learn his future orders. HE found the veteran earl surrounded b

the dragon12 of England has burned up your harvests, and laid our homes in ashes,

en dragon-a very ancient British standa

beyond the room. But the earl had hardly uttered these words, when the double-doors of the apartment were abruptly opened, and all eyes were bl

m an illegitimate daughter of Alexander II. Soulis was a traitor to his country, and so notoriously wicked, that tradition endows him

. "Lord Soulis! what is the occ

" replied he; "you are my prisoner; and in the name of K

rl, "while there is a

our insurgents on Bothwell Moor. The castle is surrounded, and resistance impossible. Throw down your arms!" cried h

who stood near him, "must be the enemy of Edw

w their most horrible blast through the chamber; and the half-frantic Mar beheld his brave Scots at one moment victorious, and in the next the floor strewed with their dead bodies. A new succession of blood-hounds had rushed in at every door; and before the exterminating sword was allowed to rest, the whole of his faith

he victors, became so intolerable that De Valence, for his ow

her bed, to seek a few minutes' repose; and having watched th

e was given in the fall of the young Scot, he slid behind the canopy of his uncle's couch; and lifting the arras by a back door which led to some private rooms, hastily made way to the chamber of his cousin. As he hurried along, he heard a fea

le is full of armed men, led hither by the English commander, Aymer de Valence, and the e

error. "Where is my fat

longer be in the power of a parent to preserve your person from the outrages of his eager and avengeful passion! If you had seen Soulis' threatening eyes -" He was interru

, to impel her failing steps, his eyes

e first cellar, to which a dim light was admitted through a small grating near the top, he looked round for the archway that contained the avenue of their release. Having descried it, and raised one of the large

d Lady Mar? This flight, while they ar

prisoners; and even that injury shall be of short duration. I will soon join

ing Halbert; "should he be discovered to have belonged to

main in this darkness alone? If so, I w

s concerning the old man to be withheld. "Should I be delayed in coming back," said he, recollecting the possibility of himself being attacked and slain, "go forward

o saying, she swiftly retraced with him her steps to the bottom of the stone stairs by which they had descen

e to the private stairs), when he saw the great gates of the cellar open, and a large party of English soldiers enter. They were

loading a dozen of the men with flasks for the refreshment of their masters above, the rest were helping themselves from the adjacent catacombs. Some left the cellars with their booty, and others remained

vain, for nothing was uttered by these intoxicated banditti, but loud boastings of the number each had slain in the earl's apartment; execratio

ng his return, and perhaps already suffering dreadful alarms from such extraordinary uproar, restrained him; and unable to move from his hiding-place without p

nd flew with the lightness of air to the secret door. As he laid his hand on it, it opened from without, and two persons appeared. By the few rays which gleamed from the expiring torches of the sleepers, he could see that the first wore English armor. Murray made a spring, and caught the man by the throat; when some one seizing his arm, exclaimed, "Stop, my Lord Murray! it is the faithful Grimsby." Murray le

the vault, a man descending in English armor), echoed through the cellars. Two of the soldiers jumped upon their feet, and rushed upon Murray. He had let the flag drop behind him; but still remaining by it, in case of an opportunity to escape, he received the strokes of their weapons upon his target, and returned them with equal rapidity. One assailant lay gasping at his feet. But the clashing of arms, and the cries of the survivor had already

t falling of the flag, not knowing its spring, had unsuccessfully tried to re-raise it, that they might assist Murray in the tumult above. On his appearing again so unexpectedly, they declared their joy; but the young lord, impatient to calm the apprehensions of his cousin, returned no other answer than "Follow me!" while he darted forward