Page:History of Sir William Wallace the renowned Scottish champion (1).pdf/5

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woods. For facilitating his escape, the unfor- tunate girl was seized next day by the English sheriff, and with inhuman cruelty condemned and exeeuted. But Wallace's revenge, when he heard of her unmerited fate, was as rapid as it was stern. That very night he collected thirty faithful and powerful partisans, who, entering the town when all were in their beds, reached the sheriff's lodg- ings in silence. It was a building constructed of  wood, and the sheriff's apartment communicated with the street by a high stair. Up this Wallace rushed at midnight, and, beating down the door, presented himself in full armour, and with his naked weapon, before the affrighted officer, who asked him whence he came, or who he was? "I  am William Wallace," he replied, “whose life you sought yesterday: and now thou shalt an- swer me for my poor maiden's death." With  these words he seized his naked vietim by the   throat, and passing his sword through his body,   cast the bleeding wretch down the stair into the   street, where he was immediately slain. He then   speedily withdrew with his followers into the   woods which surrounded the town. For this dar-   ing act of retaliation he was aceused by the gov-   erment of murder, and sentence of of prescription   and outlawry being passed against him, an im-   mediate and eager parsuit was adopted. Wallace,