“They had orders from me, sir, and that was quite sufficient.  To do them justice, they hesitated about obeying me, and I was well nigh ordering them to the dungeon for disobedience; and they only gave way at last when I said they could stop at home if they liked, but that I should lead out the retainers.  Of course I went in your place with armour and sword; but perhaps it was as well that I had no fighting to do.”

“Do you mean, Marjory, that you really led the sortie?”

“I don’t think I led it, Archie; but I certainly went out with it, and very exciting it was.  There, dear, don’t look troubled.  Of course, as chatelaine of the castle, I was bound to animate my men.”

“You have done bravely and well, indeed, Marjory, and I am proud of my wife.  Still, dear, I tremble at the thought of the risk you ran.”

“No more risk than you are constantly running, Archie; and I am rather glad you tremble, because in future you will understand my feelings better, left here all alone while you are risking your life perpetually with the king.”

The success of the sally and the courage and energy shown by Marjory raised the spirits of the garrison to the highest pitch; and had Archie given the word they would have sallied out and fallen upon the besiegers.  Two days later fresh machines arrived from Stirling, and the attack again commenced, the besiegers keeping a large body of men near the gate to prevent a repetition of the last sally.  Archie now despatched two or three fleet footed runners through the passage to find the king, and tell him that the besiegers were making progress, and to pray him to come to his assistance.  Two days passed, and the breach was now fairly practicable, but the moat, fifty feet wide, still barred the way to the besiegers.  Archie had noticed that for two or three days no water had come down from above, and had no doubt that they had diverted the course of the river.  Upon the day after the breach was completed the besiegers advanced in great force up the stream from below.

“They are going to try to cut the dam,” Archie said to Sandy; “place every man who can draw a bow on that side of the castle.”

As the English approached a rain of arrows was poured into them, but covering themselves with their shields and with large mantlets formed of hurdles covered with hides they pressed forward to the dam.  Here those who had brought with them picks and mattocks set to work upon the dam, the men with mantlets shielding them from the storm of arrows, while numbers of archers opened fire upon the defenders.  Very many were killed by the Scottish arrows, but the work went on.  A gap was made through the dam.  The water, as it rushed through, aided the efforts of those at work; and after three hours’ labour and fighting the gap was so far deepened that the water in the moat had fallen eight feet.  Then, finding that this could now be waded, the assailants desisted, and drew off to their camp.