spirit till his brow hath knit, his lip become
convulsed, and then as if 'twere vain, all vain, sink on his knee, clasp
his sovereign's hand, and bow his head and weep. 'Tis passed and over
now, kind heaven be praised! yet I cannot recall that scene, unbind the
folds of memory, unmoved."

The old man passed his rough hand across his eyes, and for a brief
moment paused; his comrades, themselves affected, sought not to disturb
him, and quickly he resumed.

"Days passed, and still King Robert gave no sign of amendment, except,
indeed, there were intervals when his eyes wandered to the countenances
of his leaders, as if he knew them, and would fain have addressed them
as his wont. Then it was our men were annoyed by an incessant discharge
from Buchan's archers, which, though they could do perhaps no great
evil, yet wounded many of our men, and roused Lord Edward's spirit to
resent the insult. His determination to leave the entrenchments and
retreat to Strathbogie, appeared at first an act of such unparalleled
daring as to startle all his brother leaders, and they hesitated; but
there never was any long resisting Sir Edward's plans; he bears a spell
no spirit with a spark of gallantry about him can resist. The retreat
was in consequence determined on, to the great glee of our men, who were
tired of inaction, and imagined they should feel their sovereign's
sufferings less if engaged hand to hand with, the foe, in his service,
than watching him as they had lately done, and dreading yet greater
evils.

"Ye have heard of this daring retreat, my friends; it was in the mouth
of every Scotsman, aye, and of Englishman too, for King Robert himself
never accomplished a deed of greater skill. The king's litter was placed
in the centre of a square, which presented on either side such an
impenetrable fence of spears and shields, that though Buchan and De
Mowbray mustered more than double our number, they never ventured an
attack, and a retreat, apparently threatening total destruction, from
its varied dangers, was accomplished without the loss of a single man.
At Strathbogie we halted but a short space, for finding no obstruction
in our path, we hastened southward, in the direction of Inverury; there
we pitched the tent for the king, and, taking advantage of a natural
fortification, dispersed our men around it, still in a compact square.
Soon after this had been accomplished, news was received that our foes
were concentrating their n