▁the ▁Southern ▁communities ▁to ▁Edward ▁III , ▁on ▁the ▁whole ▁he ▁made ▁little ▁head way . ▁Edward ▁III ▁was ▁far ▁more ▁interested ▁in ▁the ▁situation ▁in ▁France , ▁and ▁the ▁Scottish ▁loc als ▁were ▁far ▁less ▁willing ▁to ▁submit ▁to ▁Bal li ol ' s ▁dem ands . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁absence ▁of ▁the ▁king , ▁the ▁Scottish ▁forces ▁r al lied ▁again ▁behind ▁Robert ▁Stewart , ▁supported ▁by ▁de ▁Dun bar ▁and ▁U ille am ▁Ross , ▁among ▁others . ▁Stewart ▁could ▁be ▁dep ended ▁upon ▁to ▁defend ▁Scotland ▁from ▁Edward ▁III ▁and ▁Edward ▁Bal li ol , ▁but ▁otherwise ▁was ▁more ▁interested ▁in ▁se cur ing ▁his ▁own ▁power ▁than ▁looking ▁after ▁that ▁of ▁his ▁king . ▁As ▁Stewart ▁looked ▁after ▁himself , ▁void s ▁left ▁by ▁Ne ville ' s ▁Cross ▁were ▁being ▁filled ▁as ▁well ▁in ▁other ▁parts ▁of ▁Scotland . ▁Not ably , ▁to ▁fill ▁the ▁gap ▁left ▁by ▁William ▁Douglas , ▁Lord ▁of ▁L idd es dale , ▁came ▁his ▁names ake ▁and ▁w ard , ▁the ▁son ▁of ▁Sir ▁Arch ib ald ▁Douglas , ▁to ▁assume ▁the ▁lord ship ▁of ▁Douglas , ▁from ▁which ▁position ▁he ▁became ▁a ▁powerful ▁leader ▁for ▁the ▁Scottish ▁in ▁the ▁war . ▁ ▁With ▁David ▁II ▁in ▁his ▁cust ody , ▁Edward ▁III ▁had ▁a ▁good ▁opportunity ▁to ▁try ▁to ▁reach ▁terms , ▁though ▁Edward ▁Bal li ol ' s ▁interests ▁were ▁a ▁stick ing ▁point . ▁He ▁had ▁evidently ▁prepared ▁to ▁over look ▁them ▁by ▁the ▁time ▁he ▁made ▁his