The king suspected treachery; and when the five lay down for the night in a cottage which they came upon he and his companion agreed to watch alternately.  Overcome by fatigue, however, both fell asleep, and when they were suddenly attacked by the three strangers, the foster brother was killed before he could offer any resistance.  The king himself, although wounded, managed to struggle to his feet, and then proved more than a match for his three treacherous assailants, all of whom, after a desperate struggle, he slew.

The next morning he continued his way, and by nightfall succeeded in joining the three bands, who had safely reached the rendezvous he had appointed.

A few hours after this exploit of Bruce, Archie with two or three of his followers joined him.

“This is indeed a serious matter of the hound,” Archie said when Bruce told him how nearly he had fallen a victim to the affection of his favourite.  “Methinks, sire, so long as he remains in the English hands your life will never be safe, for the dog will always lead the searchers to your hiding places; if one could get near enough to shoot him, the danger would be at an end.”

“I would not have him shot, Archie, for a large sum.  I have had him since he was a little pup; he has for years slept across my door, and would give his life for mine. `Tis but his affection now that brings danger upon me.”

“I should be sorry to see the dog killed myself,” Archie said, “for he is a fine fellow, and he quite admitted me to his friendship during the time we were together.  Still, sire, if it were a question between their lives and yours, I would not hesitate to kill any number of dogs.  The whole future of Scotland is wrapped up in you; and as there is not one of your followers but would gladly give his life for yours, it were no great thing that a hound should do the same.”

“I cannot withstand you in argument, Archie,” the king said smiling; “yet I would fain that my favourite should, if possible, be spared.  But I grant you, should there be no other way, and the hound should continue to follow me, he must be put to death.  But it would grieve me sorely.  I have lost so many and so dear friends in the last year, that I can ill spare one of the few that are left me.”

Archie was himself fond of dogs, and knowing how attached Bruce was to his faithful hound he could quite understand how reluctant he was that harm should come to him.  Still, he felt it was necessary that the dog should, at all hazards, be either killed or taken from the English, for if he remained in their hands he was almost certain sooner or later to lead to Bruce’s capture.  He determined then to endeavour to avert the danger by abstracting the dog from the hands of the English, or, failing that, by killing him.  To do this it would be absolutely necessary to enter the English camp.  There was no possibility of carrying out his purpose without running this risk, for when in pursuit of the king the hound would be held by a leash, and there would be many men-at-arms close by, so that the difficulty of shooting him would be extremely great, and Archie could see no plan save that of boldly entering the camp.