The marshal fell heavily and lay still, for he was a man of feeble
body, and the weight of his armour very great.

"Slay him! Slay him!" yelled the people, still furious at what, not
without reason, they considered rank treachery.

Sholto recovered himself, and reached his master only in time to find
Poitou bending over Earl Douglas with a dagger in his hand.

With a wild yell he lashed out at the Breton squire, and Sholto's axe
striking fair on his steel cap, Poitou fell senseless across the body
of Douglas.

"Well done, Sholto MacKim--well done, lad!" came from all the barrier,
and even Ninian Halliburton cried: "Ye shall hae a silken doublet for
that!" Then, recollecting himself, he added, "At little mair than cost
price!"

"God in heeven, 'tis bonny fechtin!" cried the man from Minnigaff.
"Oh, if I could dirk the fause hound I wad dee happy!"

And the hillman danced on the toes of the Bailie of Dumfries and shook
the barriers with his hand till he received a rap over the knuckles
from the handle of a partisan directed by the stout arms of Andro the
Penman.

"Haud back there, heather-besom!" cried the archer, "gin ye want ever
again to taste 'braxy'!"