them, and
endeavor to reach the Scottish frontier, which was not much more, in
a direct line, than thirty miles from where they were.

[Sidenote: Generosity of the outlaw.]

Before they departed from the cave Margaret expressed her thanks very
earnestly to the outlaw and his wife for their kindness in receiving
her and the little prince into their cave, and in doing so much for
their comfort while there, although by so doing they not only
encroached very much upon their own slender means of support, but also
incurred a very serious risk in harboring such a fugitive. Having been
plundered of every thing by the robbers in the wood, she had nothing
but thanks to return to her kind protectors. The nobles who were now
with her offered the wife of the outlaw some money--for they had still
a small supply of money left--but she would not receive it. They would
require all they had, she said, for themselves, before they reached
Scotland.

[Sidenote: The queen's gratitude.]

The queen was much moved by this generosity, and she said that of all
that she had lost there was nothing that she regretted so much as the
power of rewarding such goodness.

[Sidenote: The journey.]

[Sidenote: The journey to Kirkcudbright.]

On leaving the wood at Hexham, the party, instead of proceeding north,
directly toward the frontier of Scotland, concluded to journey
westward to Carlisle, intending to take passage by water from that
place through Solway to Kirkcudbright, the port from which Margaret
had sailed when she went to France.[17] They were obliged to use a
great many precautions in traversing the country to prevent being
discovered. The party consisted of Margaret and the young prince,
attended by Breze and his squire, and also by the man of the cave, who
was acquainted with the country, and acted as guide. They reached
Carlisle in safety, and there embarked on board a vessel, which took
them down the Firth and landed them in Kirkcudbright.

[Footnote 17: See the map at the commencement of this
chapter.]

[Sidenote: Her anxiety.]

Though now out of England, Margaret did not feel much more at ease
than before, for during her absence in France a treaty had been made
between King Edward and the Scottish king which would prevent the
latter from openly harboring her in his dominions; so she was obliged
to keep closely concealed.

CHAPTER XX.

YEARS OF EXILE.

[Sidenote: They are discovered.]

[Sideno