e king, into his possession; for he
well knew that, even if he were to dispose of the old king, and
establish himself in possession of the throne, he could have no peace
or quietness in the possession of it so long as the little prince,
with his mother, was at large.

[Sidenote: The queen commanded to return.]

So he found means to induce the king to sign a mandate commanding the
queen to come to London and bring the prince with her. This mandate
she was required to obey immediately, under penalty, in case of
disobedience, of being held guilty of treason.

Officers were immediately dispatched in all directions to search for
the queen, in order to serve this mandate upon her, but she was
nowhere to be found.

CHAPTER XVI.

MARGARET TRIUMPHANT.

[Sidenote: Sudden reverses.]

There followed after this time a series of very rapid and sudden
reverses, by which first one party and then the other became
alternately the victors and the vanquished, through changes of fortune
of the most extraordinary character.

At the end of the battle described in the last chapter, Margaret found
herself, with the little prince, a helpless fugitive. There were only
eight persons to accompany her in her flight, and so defenseless were
they, and such was the wild and lawless condition of the country, that
it was said her party was stopped while on their way to Wales, and the
queen was robbed of all her jewels and other valuables. Both she and
the prince would very probably, too, have been made prisoners and sent
to London, had it not been that, while the marauders were busy with
their plunder, she contrived to make her escape.

[Sidenote: Retreat to Scotland.]

[Sidenote: The queen re-enters England.]

[Sidenote: Success.]

She remained a very short time in Wales, and then proceeded by sea to
Scotland, where her party, and she herself personally, had powerful
friends. By the aid of these friends, and through the influence of
the indomitable spirit and resolution which she displayed, she was
soon supplied with a new force. At the head of this force she crossed
the frontier into England. The people seemed every where to pity her
misfortunes, and they were so struck with the energy and courage she
displayed in struggling against them, and in braving the dreadful
dangers which surrounded her in defense of the rights of her husband
and child, that they flocked to her standard from all quarters, and
thus in eight days from the