It may be that they may come in useful, yet, if you and I travel together again in the Percys' service." A month passed, and then the Earl of March came, by sea, to Alnwick.
Douglas and the regent had marched against him with an overwhelming force; and, as they were both personal enemies, he knew that his fate would be sealed if he fell into their hands, and he had therefore been driven to declare himself, openly, as a vassal of the English king.
On the day after his arrival he happened to be in Hotspur's room, when Oswald entered.
"Ah! ah!" he said, "This is your messenger, Percy.
"You left me with scant notice, sir." And he smiled.
"I was forced to do so, my lord earl; for, in truth, I was not sure that you would not prevent me from following my lord's orders, to return after seeing you." "You were right.

In the first place, I was not sure that you were a true messenger; and in the second place, I feared that you might, on return, fall into the hands of the Douglases; who would speedily find means to wring from you an account of your mission.

Therefore, I thought that it were best that you should tarry a while with me, at Dunbar.
"The young fellow has a good head, Lord Percy, and is as hard to hold as a wildcat.

I put the matter of watching him into the hands of two or three of my men, whose wits I have tried more than once, and know them to be among the most trustworthy of my followers.

This lad, however, outwitted them.