it, the castle occupying a knoll of ground which rose somewhat abruptly from the surrounding country.  The moat was but twelve feet wide, and Archie and Sir John decided that this should be widened to fifty feet and deepened to ten, and that a dam should be built just below the castle to keep back the stream and fill the moat.  The walls should everywhere be raised ten feet, several strong additional flanking towers added, and a work built beyond the moat to guard the head of the drawbridge.  With such additions Aberfilly would be able to stand a long siege by any force which might assail it.

Timber, stones, and rough labour there were in abundance, and Wallace had insisted upon Archie’s taking from the treasures which had been captured from the enemy, a sum of money which would be ample to hire skilled masons from Lanark, and to pay for the cement, iron, and other necessaries which would be beyond the resources of the estate.  These matters in train, Archie rode to Lanark and fetched his proud and rejoicing mother from Sir Robert Gordon’s to Aberfilly.  She was accompanied by Sandy Graham and Elspie:  the former Archie appointed majordomo, and to be in command of the garrison whenever he should be absent.

The vassals were as good as their word.  For three months the work of digging, quarrying, cutting, and squaring timber and building went on without intermission.  There were upon the estates fully three hundred ablebodied men, and the work progressed rapidly.  When, therefore, Archie received a message from Wallace to join him near Stirling, he felt that he could leave Aberfilly without any fear of a successful attack being made upon it in his absence.

There was need, indeed, for all the Scotch, capable of bearing arms, to gather round Wallace.  Under the Earl of Surrey, the high treasurer Cressingham, and other leaders, an army of 50,000 foot and 1000 horse were advancing from Berwick, while 8000 foot and 300 horse under Earl Percy advanced from Carlisle.  Wallace was besieging the castle of Dundee when he heard of their approach, and leaving the people of Dundee to carry on the siege under the command of Sir Alexander Scrymgeour, he himself marched to defend the only bridge by which Edward could cross the Forth, near Stirling.

Thus far Surrey had experienced no resistance, and at the head of so large and well appointed a force he might well feel sure of success.  A large proportion of his army consisted of veterans inured to service in wars at home, in Wales, and with the French, while the mail clad knights and men-at-arms looked with absolute contempt upon the gathering which was opposed to them.  This consisted solely of popular levies of men who had left their homes and taken up arms for the freedom of their country.  They were rudely armed and hastily trained.  Of all the feudal nobles of Scotland who should have led them, but one, Sir Andrew Moray, was present.  Their commander was still little more than a youth, who, great as was his individual valour and prowess, had had no experience in the art of war on a large scale; while the English were led by a general whose fame was known throughout Europe.