"My lord, if the blow fall, let not your line be wholly cut off. I
pray you let five good lads ride straight for Douglasdale with David
in the midst--"

"Sholto," cried the boy, "I will not go back, nor be a palterer, all
because you are afraid for your own skin!"

"My place is with my master," said Sholto, curtly, and the boy looked
ashamed for a moment; but he soon recovered himself and returned to
the charge.

"Well, then, 'tis because you want to see Maud Lindesay that you are
so set on returning. I saw you kiss Maud's hand in the dark of the
stairs. Aha! Master Sholto, what say you now?"

"Hold your tongue, David," cried his brother; "you might have seen him
kiss yet more pleasantly, and yet do no harm. But, after all, you and
I are Douglases and our star is in the zenith. We will fall together,
if fall we must. Not a word more about it. David, I will race you to
yonder dovecot for a golden lion."

"Done with you!" cried his brother, joyously, and in an instant spurs
were into the flanks of their horses, and the young men flew
thundering over the green turf, riding swiftly into the golden haze
from which rose ever higher and higher the dark towers of the Castle
of Edinburgh.

Past grey peel and wind-swept fortalice the young Lords of Douglas rode
that autumn day, gaily as to a wedding, on their way to place