Not another word was spoken.  Noiselessly the little party made their way to the roof; there one end of the rope was quickly knotted round the battlement.  Archie grasped the good priest’s hand, and kissed that of the girl; and then, swinging himself off the battlement, disappeared at once in the darkness.  Not a sound was heard for some time, then the listening pair above heard a faint splash in the water.  The priest laid his hands on the rope and found that it swung slack in the air; he hauled it up and twisted it again round his waist.  As he passed the door of the cell he pushed it to and replaced the bars and bolts, and then with his charge regained the portion of the castle inhabited by the family.

A few vigorous strokes took Archie across the moat, and an hour later he was deep in the heart of the forest.  Before morning broke he was far beyond the risk of pursuit; and, taking the bearings of the surrounding hills, he found himself, after some walking, at the spot where he had left the royal party.  As he had expected, it was deserted; he, however, set out on the traces of the party, and that night overtook them at their next encampment.

With the reticence natural to young lovers Archie felt a disinclination to speak of what had happened, or of the services which Marjory MacDougall had rendered him.  As it was naturally supposed that he had lost his way in the woods on the previous day, and had not reached the encampment in the morning, until after they had started, few questions were asked, and indeed the thoughts of the whole party were occupied with the approaching separation which the night before they had agreed was absolutely necessary.  The ladies were worn out with their fatigues and hardships, and the Earl of Athole, and some of the other elder men, were also unable longer to support it.  Winter was close at hand, and the hardships would increase ten fold in severity.  Therefore it was concluded that the time had come when they must separate, and that the queen and her companions, accompanied by those who could still be mounted, should seek shelter in Bruce’s strong castle of Kildrummy.  The Earl of Athole and the king’s brother Nigel were in charge of the party.

Bruce with his remaining companions determined to proceed into Kintyre, the country of Sir Neil Campbell, and thence to cross for a time to the north of Ireland.  Sir Neil accordingly started to obtain the necessary vessels, and the king and his company followed slowly.  To reach the Firth of Clyde it was necessary to cross Loch Lomond.  This was a difficult undertaking; but after great search Sir James Douglas discovered a small boat sunk beneath the surface of the lake.  On being pulled out it was found to be old and leaky, and would hold at best but three.  With strips torn from their garments they stopped the leaks as best they could, and then started across the lake.  There were two hundred to cross, and the passage occupied a night and a day; those who could not swim being taken