palace-gates by surprise, and striking them into a sleep from which
they would wake no more, he fastened the doors upon the assassins. His
men surrounded the building with hurdles filled with combustibles,
which they had prepared according to his directions; and, when all was
ready, Wallace, with the mighty spirit of retribution nerving every
limb, mounted to the roof, and tearing off the shingles, with a flaming
brand in his hand, showed himself to the affrighted revelers beneath;
and, as he threw it blazing among them, he cried aloud, "The blood of
the murdered calls for vengeance, and it comes."

At that instant the matches were put to the fagots which surrounded the
building; and the party within, springing from their seats, hastened
toward the doors. All were fastened on them; and retreating into the
midst of the room, they fearfully looked toward the tremendous figure
above, which, like a supernatural being, seemed indeed come to rain
fire upon their guilty heads. Some shook with superstitious dread;
others, driven to atheistical despair, with horrible execrations, again
strove to force a passage through the doors. A second glance told De
Valence whose was the hand which had launched the thunderbolt at his
feet; and, turning to Sir Richard Arnuf, he cried, in a voice of
horror, "My arch-enemy is there!"

Thick smoke rising from within and without the building now obscured
his terrific form. The shouts of the Scots as the fire covered its
walls, and the streaming flames licking the windows, and pouring into
every opening of the building, raised such a terror in the breasts of
the wretches within, that, with the most horrible cries, they again and
again flew to the doors to escape. Not an avenue appeared; almost
suffocated with smoke, and scorched by the blazing rafters which fell
from the burning roof, they at last made a desperate attempt to break a