Ledehouse, but Simon parried the blow, and closing with the sentinel, struck him a deadly thrust with his dagger. The rest of the Seots followed up to assist Douglas and Ledehouse, and the castle was taken. Many of the soldiers were put to death, but Douglas protected the woman and the child.
Many brilliant actions of this nature were performed by Douglas, and the castles and strong places in Scotland were recovered one after another.
Roused by the suceesses of the Seots, the English monarch determined to make a mighty effort to crush for ever what he termed this rebellion of the Seots. With this view he levied an immense army, eonsisting, it is said, of not less than one hundred thousand men.
King Robert, however, heard of this mighty army without fear. His past sueeesses had procured him soldiers, and he now found himself at the head of 30,000 brave men. With these he took post on the field of Bannoekburn.
This army, indeed, in arms and equipment, was not equal to the English, but Bruce was at their head, one of the ablest generals of the time, and under him were his brother Edward, his nephew Sir Thomas Randolph, and The Douglas, leaders under whom the Scots had always been aceustomed to conquer. Sir Thomas Randolph and Lord Douglas had aeted together on many a well fought field, and the strictost friendship existed betwixt these two great men.
At the Battle of Bannockburn, Douglas com-
