st thou that little hostelry yonder?
There hath a band of them gone in there not half an hour ago. Certs, had
I been a man, I would e'en have gone myself, and measured my strength
against theirs. I tell thee this, because thou seemest a gallant fellow,
and perchance thou canst do something to save the knight."

Wallace smiled. "Had I but a penny in my pocket," he said, "I would
betake me to that little inn, just to see these English loons."

The maiden hesitated. She was poor, as she had said, and had to work
hard for her living, but it chanced that that day she had half a crown
in her pocket, which she had intended to spend in the town on her way
home. But her kind heart was stirred with pity at the thought of such a
goodly young man having no money in his pocket, and at last she took out
the half-crown and gave it to him.

"Take this," she said, "and go and buy meat and drink with it, and if
thou knowest where Wallace is, for the love of Heaven, betray him not to
these English knaves."

"I will serve Wallace e'en as I serve myself," he said, "and more can no
man promise," and, thanking her heartily for the piece of silver, he
strode off in the direction of the little hostler-house, leaving her
wondering what he meant by his strange answer.

Wallace had not gone very far on his way before he met a beggar man,
coming limping along, clad in an old patched cloak. This was the very
thing the knight wanted.

"Hullo, old man," he said; "how goes the world with thee, and what news
is there abroad in Perth?"

"News, master?" said the beggar. "No news that I know of, save that 'tis
said that Sir William Wallace is somewhere hereabouts, and a party of
English soldiers have come to hunt for him. As I craved a bite of bread
at the door of that hostler-house down yonder, I saw fifteen of them
within, eating and drinking."

"Say ye so, old man?" said Wallace. "That is right good news to me, for
I have long had a desire to see an English soldier close at hand. See,"
and he drew the bright silver half-crown, which he had just received
from the maiden, from his pocket, "here is a piece of white money for
thee, if thou wilt sell me that old cloak of thine, and thy wallet.
Faith, there be as many holes as patches in the cloak; it can scarce
serve thee for a covering, and 'twill answer my purpose right well."

Joyfully the beggar agreed to the bargain, and Wallace was left with the
cloak, which he threw over his shoulders, and w