hief burghers. Their talk
was a grave one, for though rejoicing in the liberation of the city,
they could not but perceive that the situation was a serious one.
By the defeat and destruction of the garrison, and the slaying of
the governor, the town would bring upon itself the terrible wrath
of King Edward, and of what he was capable the murdered thousands
at Berwick sufficiently attested. However, the die was cast and there
was no drawing back, and the burghers undertook to put their town
in a state of full defence, to furnish a contingent of men-at-arms to
Wallace, and to raise a considerable sum of money to aid him in the
carrying on of the war; while he on his part undertook to endeavour,
as fast as possible, to prevent the English from concentrating their
forces for a siege of the town, by so harassing their garrisons
elsewhere that none would be able to spare troops for any general
purposes.

Proclamations were immediately made out in the name of Wallace,
and were sent off by mounted messengers throughout the country.
In these he announced to the people of Scotland that he had raised
the national banner and had commenced a war for the freeing of the
country from the English, and that as a first step he had captured
Lanark. He called upon all true Scotchmen to rally round him.

While the council was being held, the wives of the burghers had
taken the body of Marion from the place where it had been cast,
and where hitherto none had dared to touch it, and had prepared it
for burial, placing it in a stone coffin, such as were in use in
those days, upon a car which was covered with trappings of white and
green boughs. Soon after daybreak a great procession was formed,
and accompanied by all the matrons and maids of Lanark the body
was conveyed to the church at Ellerslie, and there buried with
the rites of the church. This sad duty ended, Wallace mounted his
horse and rode for Cart Lane Craigs, which he had named as the
rendezvous where all who loved Scotland and would follow him, were
to assemble. Archie rode first to Sir Robert Gordon's. His uncle
received him kindly.

"Ah! my boy," he said, "I feared that your wilful disposition would
have its way. You have embarked young on a stormy course, and none
can say where it will end. I myself have no hope that it can be
successful. Did the English rule depend solely on the troops which
garrison our towns and fortresses, I should believe that Wallace
might possibly ex