The life of Sir William Wallace, the governor general of Scotland, and hero of the Scottish chiefs. By Peter Donaldson.

SIR WILLIAM WALLACE: 85
knew no fear, and their men never shrunk. Ten
thousand of the enemy surrounded the castle hill,
thinking to possess fields and cattle at their will and
pleasure; but the Scots kept close together on a
plain field on the other side of the castle.
Then Hugh Cressingham led the vanguard on to
battle with twenty thousand fierce warriors; Earl
Warren with thirty thousand brought up the rear.Cressingham passed the bridge with twenty thousand,
and the Scots began to tnink it high time to blow the
horn, but Wallace strode along the field leading on
his men, till he saw Warren's host thicken on the
bridge, when he snatched the horn from Jop, and
blew both loud and shrill, and warned John Wright
to strike out the pin. Down sunk the bridge, men
and horses, in the watery abyss below! Oh! what
a fearful cry ascended to salute the ears of their astonished companions on either bank of the Forth, which
separated the English army at that awful juncture!
Wallace, with his nine thousand hardy Scots, made
a furious attack on the 20,000 under Cressingham,
who had passed over before the bridge was let down,
and repelled them five acres breadth in foul disgrace:
Ramsay, Lundie, Boyd, and Graham made dreadful
havoc among the retreating English.
Wallace on foot, goes amongst the very thickest of
his foes, with his huge claymore and orby shield, in
search of Cressingham. He saw him, and sheared
his bloody way among the throng. He swung his
dreadful claymore, and notwithstanding the armour
or coat of mail of his fierce adversary, felled him dead
ur the spot, and none could rescue him.