Edward, however, had left them no alternative, since he had, in order to induce the English nobles to follow him, formally divided among them the lands of the whole of the Scotch nobles, save those actually fighting in his ranks.
Archie was now nearly three-and-twenty, and his frame had fully borne out the promise of his youth.

He was over the average height, but appeared shorter from the extreme breadth of his shoulders; his arms were long and sinewy, and his personal strength immense.
From the time of his first taking possession of Aberfilly he had kept a party of men steadily engaged in excavating a passage from the castle towards a wood a mile distant.

The ground was soft and offered but few obstacles, but the tunnel throughout its whole length had to be supported by massive timbers.

Wood, however, was abundant, and the passage had by this time been completed.

Whenever, from the length of the tunnel, the workmen began to suffer from want of air, ventilation was obtained by running a small shaft up to the surface; in this was placed a square wooden tube of six inches in diameter, round which the earth was again filled in--a few rapidly growing plants and bushes being planted round the orifice to prevent its being noticed by any passerby..