Belt Valley times. [volume] (Armington, Mont.) 1894-1977, 1926-10-28

N man without a home, a king with
out throne, a ruler without subjects
LAY hidden in a tumble-down hut
one day early In the Fourteenth cen
fury, while the soldiers Of King Ed
ward / OF England secured the sur
rounding country under orders TO cap
ture the fugitive monarch dead or
alive. AS the luckiess Bruce gazed
idly about him ne noticed a spider
swinging from strand OF web that It
was trying to affix to the opposite
walt Six times the spider swung and
failed. The king grew interested. He
had been half minded TO give up his
own useless struggle against Englands
mighty power. But, noting the IN.
sect's perseverance. he took heart. He
resolved that II the spider should win
In It's task Of fixing the web to the op-
posIte wall. he himself would once
more attempt to resist England's in
vasion. On the seventh trial the spider
succeeded; and Bruce, true to his
pledge, set forth to renew his own
hopeless warfare.
North Britain. the country later
known as Scotland. had never wholly
been conquered in the Roman inya-
sion. It's inhabitants, savages known
as Picts and Scots had for centuries
resisted all attempts to crush them as
other savage tribes had been crashed.
But at last Scotland had fallen under
English influence and had become a
mere nglO-Norman feudal monarchy.
A question arose In 1902 as TO sue
eessIen to the throne. Edward I, king
of England. was asked TO decide the
matter; and, through his influence. a
puppet Of his own, John Ballot, was
chosen. This strengthened England's
power In Scotland, and the unhappy
northern kingdom was almost passive
under the English yoke. Ballot. urged
on by malcontents, sought alliance
with France and took up arms against
England. but Edward speedily cap
tured him. routed his armies and took
Edinburgh and. other Scotch strong
holds.
Then, In the hour Of seotland,s
sorest need, when all her mobiles were
cringing at Edwards feet. a hero
arose--a man of the people. William
Wallace. Wallace raised rabble OF
peasants and townsfOlk. nodded them
n r a weIi-tFaiHed, organized band
and in 1897 captured town after town
from the English. The mobiles held
aloof from him. but the common peo-
pie followed him devotedly. Edward
sent a strong army to put Wallace
down, deeming the revolt too petty for
his own personal attention. Wallace,
with a force many thousands Inferior
to the Invaders, met this English army
near Stirling.
Wallace's men were Iight-arned AMI
Ill-equipped and had less than 200
horses In all. The weli-mounted Eng
lish, In their heavy armor, looked for
an easy victory. But, after a fierce
battle, Wallace's peasants put them to
flight. II was the first time In history
that a disciplined feudai army was
routed by a force recruited from the
plain people II was the beginning Of
the end.
Having repulsed the English. Wal
lace set 10 work recognizing Scotland
and sreviving her shattered commerce.
Pressing his c0nquests he even In
vaded the north Of England. thus car
rying the war Into the enemy's coun-
try. But, alarmed at the extent of the
revolution. Edward sent a new army |
Of 10000 men against him. The mobiles
refused to help Wallace and his re
sources were only such as he himself |
could muster. Yet he won two bat 4
Hes against the stronger Invader be
fore the superior force overwhelmed
and crushed his little army Wallace
was captured, sent TO London and
there. after a mock trial, the gallant
patriot was hanged as traitor.
Edward, as an example to future
devastated Scotland. In
iicting terrible penalty for England's
'ormer defeats. But the result was
Exactly opposite to what he had
damned. A nobleman. Lord Robert de
Bruce Tor Robert Brucel revolted.
irawing about him the Scottish no
,flIty. He was crowned King OF Scot
and In 1905. Edward at once at
acked him, driving him from the
hrone. and again rayaging the strick
N country II was during this period
hat Bruce took his life lesson from
be spider in the hut whittier he had
led for refuge.
Almost at once, upon Bruce's re-
olive to try once more TO save Scot
md. the turn OF fortune came. Ed
Tard died and was succeeded bv. his
-eak. dissolute son. Edward II. TAX
n advantage OF the fatter's Incidence,
ruce raised a strong army. and by
s13 had won back nearly all Of Scot /
ind. The next year the last and most
ecIslve battle OF the war was fought
/ BaRBockhnrn (Bannock Creek. I
ruce. by better knowledge Of the :
larshy, uneven ground and by SUI {
PRIOR generalship. won the day. HIS c
cotfish spearmen tonight on foot IN g
rcular formation somewhat like the
odern military square" and through '
is circle OF steel the English knights 0
-. I