And even were he to send four or five
hundred men, the Bairds could hold out for a fortnight, at least; and
long before this Douglas would be down, with an army, to his rescue.
"I have been talking it over with my trusty companion, here, and he
agrees with me that, unless a body of men-at-arms that would avail to
capture the fortalice by a sudden assault can be raised, we must trust
to guile rather than force; and I propose that he and I shall, at once,
start for the hold and see how matters stand, and where the prisoners
are confined, and what hope there is of getting them free. I propose to
send my other man to Yardhope, to tell my father what has happened, and
to ask him to warn his friends to be ready to cross the border, and to
join any force you can gather for an attack on the Bairds. It is true
that stringent orders have been issued that there is to be no raiding
in Scotland, but my father would not heed that for a moment. The attack
that has been made upon you, the killing of his wife's sister, the
wounding of Allan, and carrying off of his nieces would be deemed, by
him, a grievance sufficient to justify his disregarding all orders.
Besides which, he has the old grievance against the Bairds, which is
all the more bitter since they led the Scots to attack Yardhope.
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