"The courtyard," cried he, "is armed with
thousands of the regent's followers, his foot is on your necks, obey,
or this will be a more grievous day for Scotland than even that of
Falkirk; for the Castle of Stirling will run with Scottish blood!" At
this menace Badenoch became more enraged, and Scrymgeour, seeing no
chance of prevailing by argument, sent a messenger to privately tell
Wallace the result. The regent immediately placed himself at the head
of twenty men, and, re-entering the keep, went directly to the warder,
whom he ordered, on his allegiance to the laws, to deliver Sir
Alexander Ramsay into his hands. He was obeyed, and returned with his
recovered chieftain to the platform. When Scrymgeour was apprised of
the knight's release, he turned to Badenoch, with whom he was still
contending in furious debate, and demanded:
"Will you or will you not attend me to the regent? He of you all,"
added he, addressing the chieftains, "who in this simple duty disobeys,
shall receive from him the severer doom."
Badenoch and Lorn, affecting to deride this menace, replied, they would
not for an empire do the usurper the homage of a moment's voluntary
attention; but if any of their followers chose to view the mockery,
they were at liberty.
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