Page:History of Sir William Wallace the renowned Scottish champion (1).pdf/20

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heavy plates of steel, fled on their near approach Wallaee with his gallant infantry had now to sus- tain, unsupported, the whole shoek of the English army, who again and again threw themselves with headlong fury upon the Seottish eireles but, “they could not penetrate into that wood of spears." After sustaining these repeated char-           ges with the most determined resolution, the outer            ranks were at last broken by dense showers of            stones and arrows, whieh the English poured it            upon them in aid of the heavy onsets of the            horse. Maeduff and Sir John Graham had by            this time fallen, as also Sir John Stuart, who            commanded the arehers; almost all of whieh last            had perished by the side of their beloved eomman-            der, whose death by their devoted bravery they            so amply revenged. The rout was now beeom-            ing universal, when Wallace, eolleeting the shat-            tered remains of his forces, eommeneed a retreat            aeross the Carron,--a movement whieh, by his            precaution eaused little loss.-- Among those who            most eagerly pressed on their rear was Bruee, who on this occasion had again leagued himself with the English. Exasperated at the sight of this sel- fish traitor, Wallace suddenly darted forward, and with his two-handed sword dealt him a blow which, though it missed Bruee's head, was yet aimed with such prodigious strength as to cleave