Page:History of the Black Douglas.pdf/7

Rh sound well, and cried out that yonder was the king, for he knew his manner of blowing. They met soon after, to the great joy of all.

Bruce, who was now in view of his own country of Carrick, immediately begun to form plans with Douglas how they might best renew their enterprises against the English. While Bruce opened a communication with the opposite coast of Carrick, Douglas resolved to go disguised to his own country, to raise his friends, and be revenged on Lord Clifford, on whom Edward had conferred the Douglas estates, and who had taken up his residence in the Castle of Douglas.

With this purpose he secretly sought the house of Thomas Dickson, an old and faithful servant of his father. Emaciated with hunger and toil, and clothed in the meanest apparel, Dickson did not recognise the son of his Lord; but no sooner was he made sensible that the heir of the housohouse [sic] of Douglas stood before him, than, bursting into tears, he bewailed the downfall of his master's house. But grief was turned into joy, when made acquainted with the successes of Bruce, and the hope of again seeing his master's house rise from its ashes.

A scheme was soon laid for attacking Douglas Castle; and the old and tried retainers of Douglas were brought to the house of Dickson, one by one, for fear of discovery.

A holiday was approaching, called Palm Sunday. Upon this day it was common in Roman Catholic times, for the people to go to church in procession, with green boughs in their hands. In