A few days after the above rencounter, Wallace is said to have returned to St Johnstone in the disguise of a priest; and a story is told of his having been betrayed by a female, with whom he had become acquainted during his former visit to that place. Repenting, however, of the information she had given his enemies, she disclosed the danger that awaited him just in time to effect his escape. His foes, enraged at the disappointment, again set off in pursuit of him, taking along with them a slough-hound[79] to assist them in discovering his retreats. A sanguinary battle was again fought, in which Wallace lost nine of his remaining followers, and the English leader about one hundred. In this retreat of the Scots, their chief is also said to have slain one of his followers, named Fawdon, an Irishman, whom he suspected of treachery. Of this man, Blind Harry gives the following unprepossessing description: “To Wallace thar come ane that hecht Fawdoun; Melancoly he was of complexioun, Hewy of statur, dour in his contenance, Soroufull, sadde, ay dreidfull but plesance.” The circumstances of his death, are thus narrated by the same author, who justifies the deed on the plea of necessity: “To the next woode twa myil thai had to gang, Off vpwith erde; thai yeid with all thair mycht; Gud hope thai had for it was ner the nycht, Fawdoun tyryt, and said, he mycht nocht gang. Wallace was wa to leyff him in that thrang. He bade him ga, and said the strenth was ner; But he tharfor wald nocht fastir him ster. Wallace in ire on the crag cam him ta With his gud suerd, and strak the hed him fra. Dreidless to ground derfly he duschit dede, Fra him he lap, and left him in that stede. Sum demys it to ill, and othyr sum to gud; And I say her, into thir termyss rude, Bettir it was he did, as thinkis me. Fyrst, to the hunde it mycht gret stoppyn be. Als Fawdoun was haldyn at [gret] suspicioun; For he was haldyn of brokill complexioun. Rycht stark he was, and had bot litill gayne, Thus Wallace wist: had he beyne left allayne. And he war fals, to enemyss he wald ga; Gyff he war trew, the Sothroun wald him sla. Mycht he do ocht bot tyne him as it was?”