As soon as he heard the wager of battle the marshal cried:  “I also will strike a blow this day for the honour of France.  My quinsy has altogether left me, and my blood flows strong after the rest.  I will take part with James of Avondale.”

And, without waiting to be asked, he went off followed by his servant Poitou towards the pavilion of the Avondale trio.

Now as the Marshal de Retz was the chief guest, it was impossible for James of Avondale to refuse his offer.  But there was anger and blasphemy in his heart, for he knew not what the Frenchman could do, and though he had undoubtedly been a gallant knight in his day, yet in these matters (as James Douglas whispered to his brother) a week’s steady practice is worth a lifetime of theory.  Still there was nothing for the brothers from Douglasdale but to make the best of their bargain.  The person most deserving of pity, however, was the young laird of the Bass, who, being thus dispossessed, went out to the back of the lists and actually shed tears, being little more than a boy, and none looking on to see him.

Then he came back hastily, and besought James of Douglas to let him fight as his squire, saying that as he had never taken up the knighthood which had been bestowed on him by the Earl for his journey to France, there could be nothing irregular in his fighting once more as a simple esquire.  And thus, after an appeal to the Earl himself, it was arranged, much to John Lauder’s content.

For his third knight the Douglas had made choice of his cousin Hugh, younger brother of his two opponents, and at that William and James of Avondale shook their heads.

“He pushes a good tree, our Hughie,” said James.  “If he comes at you, Will, mind that trick of swerving that he hath.  Aim at his right gauntlet, and you will hit his shield.”

The conflict on the Boat Croft differed much from the chivalrous encounters of an earlier time and a richer country.  And of this more anon.

It chanced that on the borders of the crowd which that day begirt the great enclosure of the lists two burgesses of Dumfries stood on tiptoe,—­to wit, Robert Semple, merchant dealing in cloth and wool, and Ninian Halliburton, the brother of Barbara, wife of Malise MacKim, master armourer, whose trade was only conditioned by the amount of capital he could find to lay out and the probability he had of disposing of his purchase within a reasonable time.

It would give an entirely erroneous impression of the state of Scotland in 1440 if the sayings and doings of the wise and shrewd burghers of the towns of Scotland were left wholly without a chronicler.  The burghs of Scotland were at once the cradles and strongholds of liberty.  They were not subject to the great nobles.  They looked with jealousy on all encroachments on their liberties, and had sharp swords wherewith to enforce their objection.  They had been endowed with privileges by the wise and politic kings of Scotland, from William the Lion down to James the First, of late worthy memory.  For they were the best bulwark of the central authority against the power of the great nobles of the provinces.