Page:History of the Black Douglas.pdf/10

Rh Douglas was resolved to destroy this garrison as he had done the former.

To accomplish this, he had recourse to stratagem. He stationed a part of his followers in ambush in a wood, and sent fourteen men disguised like countrymen, driving cattle past the gates. No sooner was this observed from the battlements, than Thirlwall came out with a great part of the garrison, to plunder the Scots drovers of their eattlecattle [sic]. In the pursuit, he had just passed the place where Douglas was lying concealed, when all of a sudden the Scotsmen threw off their carrier's cloaks, and appearing in armour, cried the war-cry of Douglas, and attacked the garrison fiercely; and before Thirlwall could make any defence, he heard the same war-cry behind him; and to his astonishment saw the Douglas coming up with those Scots who had been lying in ambush. Thirlwall himself was killed by the hand of Douglas, fighting bravely, and only a few of his men found their way back to the castle.

When Lord James had thus slain two of the English governors of his castle, and was known to have made a vow that he would be revenged on any who should dare to take possession of his father's house, men became afraid. and the Castle became known, through both Scotland and England, by the name of Castle Dangerous.

To keep this castle, therefore, was considered so perilous, that a lady of great beantybeauty [sic] and fortune in England, being asked in marriage by a number of young noblemen, declared her resolution not to marry any one but him who could defend