Bradford opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1874-1881, 1877-03-24
THE SCOTTISH CHIEFS;
Or, the Heroic Adventures of Wallace
and Bruce.
~ MISS JANE PORTER.

In the spring Of 1896 Scotland gronne
under the yoke of the English Edward
King Baliol was prisoner, and Eng
lands supremacy was acknowledged b.
all the Scottish mobiles, save the bray
and youthful Sir William Wallace, VIII
lived secluded in the glen of Ellersli
with his beautiful bride Marion, whom
he had tenderly loved from his child
hood. Suddenly summoned to Douglas
CASTLE small iron box, left with Doug
las by the captive Baliol, was confidet
to Wallace's care, with the charge:
cit will be at the peril of his soul wht
dares to open it till Scotland be agail
free!'
Returning home, he rescued the Ear
of Mar from throng of merciless Eng
lish soldiers, killed Arthur Heselrigge
their leader, and narrowly escaped with
his own life. Pursued to Ellerslie by
the enraged English, the wounded ear
was hidden in dry we'll, Wallace climb.
ed into an oak, and Marion concealed
herself in thicket. The search being
baffled, Wallace fastened to hide him.
self among the Cartlane crags, but the
next day Governor Heselrigge, Arthur
uncle, came and violently demanded
Where is Sir William Wallace2"
Lady Marion remained silent.
"Speak, woman If you refuse, you
die !"
"Then 1 die," she answered, "and
may Heaven preserve my Wallace from
the fangs Of Edward and his tyrants !'
Blasphemous wretch - cried Hosel-
rigge, plunging his sword in her de-
fenseless breast.
"My Wallace-to God |" murmured
Marion, as another tiendish stroke
reached her heart, and her pure spirit
hed to heaven.
An aged servant escaped to the Cart
lane crags with the heartbreaking news.
"Oh, my murdered wife my unborn
babel" cried the agonized Wallace.
"Give me power, Almighty Judge, to
avenge this angels blood, and then take
me to Thyself."
Gathering band of sixty brave Lam
arkers, Wallace fell like thunderbolt on
Heselrigge's fortress and slew the wretch
with the same bloody sword that had
ended Marion's life.
$50 fall the enemies OF Wallace, cried
his exulting followers.
"Rather so fall the enemies of Scot
land, he replied. "To work our coun-
try's freedom, who will follow me?"
"All With Wallace forever p
The first nobleman to join this daring
crusade was the rescued Earl of Mar.
But he was speedily captured and Both
well castle was seized by the Scotch Lord
SOULS and the English Aymer de VAL
ence, both of whom had sued in vain for
the hand of the earl's daughter, the
lovely Helen Mar. Dreading their vio-
lence, she escaped with her cousin
Andrew Murray by a secret passage to
the priory of st. Fillans. Her father
and his wife were confined at Dumbarton
castle, Wallace and his few followers
were hemmed in on the Cartlane crags
by swarms of English soldiers, and Lady
Helen, decoyed from the priory, fell into
the hands of the brutal SOULS. Cross
ing the mountains by night, he sought to
take the utmost advantage of his helpless
prisoner, whose hand was raised to save
her honor by plunging knife into her
own breast, when an unknown knight !
suddenly fell upon him, wounded him
severely, and spirited Lady Helen away
to hermit's cell. The strange knight
his name, but both Helen and
the hermit believed him to be young
Robert Bruce.
Wallace, meanwhile, eluded his pur-
suers, joined his slender forces with
those of Andrew Murray and few other
fearless Scots, and marched to attack
Dumbarton castle. BY night the patri-
Dts scaled its walls, cut down the Eng
ish garrison, and planted the royal Scot
,ish standard uponlthe captured citadel.
The Earl of Mar was released, and Ed
win Ruthven, his nephew, a lad of fif-
cen, was knighted for his bravery by
Wallace, to whom he attached himself
With more than a brothers devotion.
The earl's wife, Helen's young step
mother, was also seized with passion
or Wallace, whose coldness only served
o increase her guilty love She per-
uaded him to escort the earl and herself
o Rothsay castle, in the isle of Butte,
vhere she shamelessly petitioned
"Only give me leave to love thee, and
shall be happy p
He had scarcely finished rebuking her s
7hen a messenger arrived with news I
hat Wallace's grandfather and eighteen 6
ther Scottish chiefs had been treacher- {
usly murdered at Ayr!
"This arm shall show how 1 loved
hat good old man - cried the afflicted t
Wallace, and, Fastening to Dumbarton, !
e gathered his forces and marched in |
fantly on Ayr. The palace was seized and t
with combustibles, and Wal
ICE, tearing off part of the roof, showed q
imself with q flaming brand in his
and to the affrighted revelers within, r
nd cried aloud, as he threw il among !