Wallace had, at Archie’s request, brought six mounted men-at-arms with him from Lanark, and these now rode behind Bruce as his escort back to his castle of Turnberry.  There was no time now for Archie and his band to take the rest they had looked for, for messengers were sent out to gather the bands together again, and as soon as a certain portion had arrived Wallace marched for the south.  The English army was now in Annandale, near Lochmaben.  They were far too strong to be openly attacked, but on the night following his arrival in their neighbourhood Wallace broke in upon them in the night.  Surprised by this sudden and unexpected attack, the English fell into great confusion.  Percy at once ordered the camp to be set on fire.  By its light the English were able to see how small was the force of their assailants, and gathering together soon showed so formidable a front that Wallace called off his men, but not before a large number of the English had been killed.  Many of their stores, as well as the tents, were destroyed by the conflagration.  The English army now proceeded with slow marches towards Ayr.  At Irvine the Scotch leaders had assembled their army —­ Douglas, Bruce, The Steward, Sir Richard Loudon, Wishart, Bishop of Glasgow, and others.  Their forces were about equal to those of the English marching against them.  Wallace was collecting troops further north, and Archie was of course with him.

“I fear,” the lad said one day, “that we shall not be able to reach Irvine before the armies join battle.”

“Sir William Douglas and Bruce are there, and as it lies in their country it were better to let them win the day without my meddling.  But, Archie, I fear there will be no battle.  News has reached me that messengers are riding to and fro between Percy’s army and the Scots, and I fear me that these half hearted barons will make peace.”

“Surely that cannot be!  It were shame indeed to have taken up the sword, and to lay it down after scarce striking a blow.”

“Methinks, Archie, that the word shame is not to be found in the vocabulary of the nobles of this unhappy land.  But let us hope for the best; a few days will bring us the news.”

The news when it came was of the worst.  All the nobles, headed by Wishart, Douglas, and Bruce, with the exception only of Sir Andrew Moray of Bothwell, had made their submission, acknowledging their guilt of rebellion, and promising to make every reparation required by their sovereign lord.  Percy, on his part, guaranteed their lives, lands, goods, and chattels, and that they should not be imprisoned or punished for what had taken place.

Sir William Douglas and Bruce were ordered to find guarantees for their good conduct; but Sir William Douglas, finding himself unable to fulfil his engagements, surrendered, and was thrown into prison in Berwick Castle, and there kept in irons until he died, his death being attributed, by contemporary historians, to poison.