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THE LION OF TEE NOETH: A TALE OF THF TIMES OF GUSTAVUS ADOLPHUS AND THE WARS OF RELIGION. BY G. A. HENTY, Author of "True to the Old Flag," " St. George for En«land," " In Freedom's Cause." With Clive m ludia," "By Hh.er Pluck," ' Facing Death. ' &c. &a WITH TWELVE FULL] AGE ILLUSTRATIONS BY JOHN SCHONBERG. mwmm. GLASGOW : BLACKIE & SON, Limited. TORONTO: : ', WILLIAM BRIGGS, 29-33 R,c„.mond St. Wfst The COPP. CLARK COMPANY, Lr.nx.n, 9 Fko.x St. West. 2095 En TKiJKi) a-joor lii^ to tlie Act of tlie Parliament of Canada, in the year one thousand ei^lit liundred and ninety-six, by Hlackik & Son, Limited, in the Office of the Minister of Agriculture. PEEFACE. My ^ear Lads, You are now-a-clays called upon to acquire so great a mass of learning and information in the period of life between the ages of twelve and eighteen that it is not surprising that but little time can be spared for the study of the history of foreign nations. Most lads are, therefore, lamentably ignorant of the leading events of even the most important epochs of Continental history, although, as many of these events have exercised a marked influence upon the existing state of affairs in Europe, a knowledge of them is far more useful, and, it may be said, far more interesting than that of the com- paratively petty affairs of Athens, Sparta, Corinth, and Thebes. Prominent among such epochs is the Thirty Years' War, which arose from the determination of the Emperor of Austria to crush out Protestantism throughout Germany. Since the invasion of the Huns no strucro-le which has taken place in Europe has approached this in the obstin- acy of the fighting and the terrible sufferings which the war inflicted upon the people at large. During these thirty years the population of Germany decreased by nearly a third, and in some of the states half the towns and two-thirds of the villages absolutely disappeared. The story of the Thirty Years' War is too long to be vi PREFACE. treated in one volume. Fortunately it divides itself naturally into two parts. The first begins with the entry of Sweden, under her chivalrous monarch Gustavus Adolphus, upon the struggle, and terminates with his death and that of his great rival Wallenstein. This portion of the war has been treated in the present story. The second period begins at the point when France as- sumed the leading part in the struggle, and concludes .vith the peace which secured liberty of conscience to the Protestants of Oermany. This period I hope to treat some day in another story, so tnat you may have a com- plete picture of the war. The military events of the pre- sent tale, the battles, sieges, and operations, are all taken from the best authorities, while for the account of the special doings of Mackay's, afterwards Munro s Scottish Regiment, I am indebted to Mr. J. Grant's Life of Sir John Ilepbwn* , Yours sincerely, O. A. HENTY. CONTENTS. Chap. p I. The Invitation, g II. Shipwrecked, 25 III. Sir John Hepburn, . . . , , 40 IV. New Brandenburg, kq V. Marauders, ^2 VI. The Attack on the Village, gg VII. A quiet T-me, jQ, Vlil. The Siege oi' Mansfkld, jjg IX. The Battle of Breitenfeld, . . . . , 132 X. The Passage of the Rhine, 143 XI. The Capture of Oppenheim, iq^ XII. The Passage of the Lech, 13q XIII. Captured by the Peasants, 195 XIV. In THE Church Tower , XV. A timely Eescue, oofi XVI. The Siege of Nuremberg, 24.3 XVII. The Death of Gustavus, 259 XVIII. Wounded, . . . 274 XIX. ^ Pause in Hostilities. . ock XX. Friends in Trouble, 295 XXI. Flight, . . ' 3JJ XXII. The Conspiracy, o^g XXIII. The Murder of Wallenstein, 342 XXIV. Malcolm's Escape, . . . . .. . v] ! ! ', 357 XXV: NORDLINGEN . . » . ■. . . . . 372 ILLUSTRATIONS. Pago Colonel M'jnuo «eeks to enlist Xigel Gujeme and his Nephew, Frontis. 16 Malcolm's Courage and Humanity at the 1?attle op schiefeliiuune, 43 Colonel Mlnuo pke.senth Malcolm to the Kino, .... 96 The Rhine crossed at Midnight,. ......... 164 The Last of the Siege of thk Church-tower, ..... 231 AfALCOLM receives Ti.vDY Hilda's Appeal for Help, . . . 295 A Plan proposed fo.i Thekla's Safety, ....... 311 Malcolm overpowered by Treachery at the Banquet, . . 354 THE LION OF THE NORTH. CHAPTER I. THE INVITATION. T was late in the afternoon in the spring of ihe year IGoO; the hill-tops of the south of Scotland were covered with masses of cloud, and a lierce wind swept the driving rain before it with such force that it was not easy to make way against it. It had been raining for three days without intermission. Every little mountain burn had become a boiling torrent, while the rivers had risen above their banks and flooded the low lands in the vallej's. The shades of evening were closing in, when a lad of some sixteen years of age stood gazing across the swollen waters of the Nith rushing past in turbid flood. He scarce seemed conscious of the pouring rain; but with his lowland bonnet pressed down over his eyes, and his plaid wrapped tightly round him, he stood on a rii)ing hummock of ground at the edge of the flood, and looked across the stream. " If they are not here soon," he said to himself, " they 10 A SWOLLEN STREAM. will not get across the Nith to-night. None but bold riders could do so now; but by what uncle says, Captain Hume must be that and more. Ah! here they come." As he spoke two horseiuen rode down the opposite side of the valley and halted at the water's edge. The pros- pect was not a pleasant one. The river was sixty or seventy feet wide, and in the centre the water swept alono' in a raoinc: current. " You cannot cross here," the boy shouted at the top of his voice. " You must go higher up where the water's deeper." The wind swept his words away, but his gestures were understood. \ . " The boy is telling us to go higher up," said one of the horsemen. . - "1 suppose he is," the other replied; "but here is the ford. You see the road we have travelled ends here, and I can see it again on the other side. It is getting dark, and were we to cross higher up we might lose our way and get bogged; it is years since I w^as here. What's the boy going to do now ? Show us a place for crossing?" The lad, on seeing the hesitation of the horsemen, had run along the bank up the stream, and to their surprise, when he had gone a little more than a hundred yards he dashed into the water. For a time the water was shallow, and he waded out until he reached the edge of the regular bank of the river, and then swam out into the current. " Go back," the horseman shouted; but his voice did not reach the swimmer, who, in a few strokes, was in the full force of the stream, and was soon lost to the sight of the horsemen among the short foaming weaves of the torrent. ^ A FRIENDLY WARNING. 11 ig? had into not I full the lent. " The boy will be drowned," one of the horsemen said, spurring his horse up the valley; but in another minute the lad was seen breasting the calmer water just above the ford. " You cannot cross here, Captain Hume," he said, as he approached the horsemen. " You must go nigh a mile up the river." "Why, who are you, lad?" the horseman asked, "and how do you know my name?" "I'm the nephew of Nigel Grieme. Seeing how deep the floods were I came out to show you the way, for the best horse in the w^orld could not swim the Nith here now." " But this is the ford," Captain Hume said. " Yes, this is the ford in dry weather. The bottom here is hard rock and easy to ride over when the river is but waist-deep, but below and above this place it is covered with great boulders. The water is six feet deep here now, and the horses would be carried down among the rocks, and would never get across. A mile up the river is always deep, and though the current is strong there is nothing to prevent a bold horseman from swimming across." " I thank you heartily, young sir," Captain Hume said. " I can see how broken is tlie surface of the water, and doubt not that it would have fared hard with us had we attempted to swim across here. In faith, Munro, we have had a narrow escape." " Ay, indeed," the other agreed. " It would have been hard if you and I, after going through all the battle- fields of the Low Countries, should have been drowned here together in a Scottish burn. Your young friend is a gallant lad and a good swimmer, for in truth it was no 12 CROSSING THE NITH. light task to swim that torrent with the water almost as cold as ice." " Now, sirs, will you please to ride on," the boy said; " it is getting dark fast, and the sooner we are across the better." So saying he went off at a fast run, the horses trotting behind him. A mile above he reached the spot he had spoken of. The river was narrower here, and the stream was running with great rapidity, swirling and heaving as it went, but with a smooth even surface. " Two hundred yards farther up," the boy said, " is the beginning of the deep; if you take the water there you will get across so as to climb up by that sloping bank just opposite." He led the way to the spot he indicated, and then plunged into the stream, swimming quietly and steadily across, and allowing the stream to drift him down. The horsemen followed his example. They had swum many a swollen river, and although their horses snorted and plunged at first, they soon quieted down and swam steadily over. They just struck the spot which the boy had indicated. He had already arrived there, and, with- out a word, trotted forward. It was soon dark, and the horsemen were obliged to keep close to his heels to see his figure. It was as much as they could do to keep up with him, for the ground was rough and broken, sometimes swampy, sometimes strewn with boulders. " It is well we have a guide," Colonel Munro said to his companion; " for assuredly, even had we got safely across the stream, we should never have found our way across such a country as this. Scotland is a fine country, A WELCOME SHELTEll. 13 Hume, a grand country, and \fe are all proud of it, you know, but for campaigning, give me the plains of Germany; while, as for your weather here, it is only fit for a water-rat." Hume laughed at this outburst. " I sha'n't be sorry, Munro, for a change of dry clothes and a corner by a fire; but we must be nearly there now if I remember right Graeme's hold is about three miles from the Nith." The boy presently gave a loud shout, and a minute later lights were seen ahead, and in two or three minutes the horsemen drew up at a door beside which two men were standing v^th torches; another strolled out as they stopped. "Welcome, Hume! I am glad indeed to see you; and — ah! is it you, Munro? it is long indeed since we met." "That is it, Graeme; it is twelve years since we were students together at St. Andrews." " I did not think you would have come on such a night," Graeme said. " 1 doubt that we should have come to-night, or any other night, Nigel, if it had not been that that brave boy who calls you uncle swam across the Nith to show us the best way to cross. It was a gallant deed, and I consider we owe him our lives." I " It would have gone hard with you, indeed, had you tried to swim the Nith at tlie ford; had I not made so sure you would not come I would have sent a man down there. I missed Malcolm after dinner, and wondered what had become of him. But come in and get your wet things off. It is a cold welcome keeping you here. My men will take your horses round to the stable and see that they are well rubbed down and warmly littered." 14 A LOWLAND HOLD. m In a quarter of an hour the party were assembled again in the sitting-rooin. It was a bare room with heavily timbered ceiling and narrow windows high up from the ground, for the house was built for purposes of defence, like most Scottish residences in those days. The floor was thiciily strewn with rushes. Arms and trophies of the chase hung on the walls, and a bright tire bhizinor on the hearth gave it a warm and cheerful aspect. As his guests entered the room Graeme presented them with a large silver cup of steaming liquor. " Drain this," he said, "^ to begin with. I will warrant me a draught of spiced wine will drive the cold of the Nith out of your bones." The travellers drank off the liquor. " 'Tis a famous drink," Hunie said, " and there is nowhere I enjoy it so much as in Scotland, for the cold here seems to have a knack of getting into one's very marrow, though I will say there have been times in the Low Countries when we have appreciated such a draught. Well, and how goes it with you, Graeme?" " Things might be better; in fact, times in Scotland have been getting worse and woi'se ever since King James went to England, and all the court with him. If it were not for an occasional raid amono: the wild folks of Gal- loway, and a few quarrels among ourselves, life would be too dull to bear here." " But why bear it?" Captain Hume asked. "You used to have plenty of spirit in our old college days, Graeme, and I wonder at your rusting your life out here when there is a fair field and plenty of honour, to say nothing of hard cash, to be won in tlie Low Country. Why, beside Hepburn's regiment, which lias made itself a name RECRUITING FuU TlIK SWEDES. 15 of have aines were Gal- Id be used jgeme, (when |thing )eside (name tbroughout all Europe, there are half a score of Scottish ref'inients in the service of the King of Sweden, and his gracious majesty Gustavus Adolphus does not keep them idle, I warrant you." " I have thought of going a dozen times," Graeme said, '*but you see circumstances have kept me back; but I have all along intended to cross the i as when Malcolm came of an age to take the charge of his, father's lands. When my brother James was dying from that sword- thrust he got in a fray with the Duti's, I promised him I would be a father to the boy, and see that he got his rights." " Well, we will talk of the affair after supper, Graeme, for now that I have got rid of the cold I begin to perceive that I am well-nigh famished." As the officer was speaking, the servitors were laying the table, and supper was soon brought in. After ample justice had been done to this, and the board was again cleared, the three men drew their seats round the fire, Malcolm seating himself on a low stool by his uncle. "And now to business, Nigel," Colonel Munro said. "We have not come back to Scotland to see the country, or to enjoy your weather, or even for the pleasure of swimming your rivers in flood. We are commissioned by the King of Sweden to raise some 3000 or 4000 more Scottish troops. I believe that the king intends to take part in the war lin Germany, where the Protestants are getting terribly [mauled, and where, indeed, it is likely that the Reformed [religion will be stamped out altogether unless the Swedes Istrike in to their rescue. My chief object is to fill up to |its full strength of two thousand men the Mackay Regi- |ment, of which I am lieutenant-colonel. The rest of the u AN OFFEtt. I 1- recruits whom we may get will go as drafts to fill U vacancies in the other regiments. So you see here we are, and it is our intention to beat up all our friends and rela- tions, and ask them each to raise a company or half a company of recruits, of which, of course, they would have the command. " We landed at Berwick, and wrote to several of our friends that we were cominof. Scott of Jedburgh has engaged to raise a company. Balfour of Lauderdale, who is a cousin of mine, has promised to bring another; they were both at St. Andrew's with us, as you may re- member, Greeme. Young Hamilton, who has been an ensign in my regiment, left us on the way. He will raise a company in Douglasdalo. Now, Gr?eme, don't you think you can bring us a band of the men of Nithsdale?" " I don't know," Graeme said hesitatingly. " I should like it of all things, for I am sick of doing nothing here, and my blood often runs hot when I read of the persecu- tions of the Protestants in Germany; but I don't think I can manage it." "Oh, nonsense, Nigel!" said Hume; "you can manage it easily enough if you have the will. Are you thinking of the lad there? Why not bring him with you? He is young, certainly, but he could carry a colour; and as for his spirit and bravery, Munro and I will vouch for it." " Oh, do, uncle," the lad exclaimed, leaping to his feet in his excitement. "I promise you I would not give you any trouble; and as for marching, there isn't a man in Nithsdale who can tire me out across the moun- tains." " But what's to become of the house, Malcolm, and the land and the herds?" (276) I u 3 we are, ind rela- r half a uld have il of our irgh has dale, who another; , may re- been an will raise ^ou think le?" I should ling here, ; persecu- t think I n manage thinking He is md as for for it." his feet not give •e isn't a ihe moun- colm, and (276) J HESITATION. 17 4 "Oh, they will be all i ight," the hoy said. " Leave old Duncan in charge, and hu will look after them." " But I had intended you to go to St. Andrews next year, Malcolm, and I think the best plan will be for you to uo there at once. As you say, Duncan can look after the [)'ace. Malcolm's face fell. " Take the lad with you, Graeme," Colonel Munro said. '• Three years under Gustavus will do him vastly more '^ood than will St. Andrews. You know it never did us any good to speak of. We learned a little more Latin than we knew when we went there, but I don't know that that has been of any use to us; whereas for the dry tomes of divinity we waded through, I am happy to say that not a single word of the musty stuff remains in my brains. The boy will see life and service, he will have opportu- nities of distinguishing himself under the eye of the most chivalrous king in Europe, he will have entered a noble profession, and have a fair chance of bettering his fortune, all of which is a thousand times better than settling down here in this corner of Scotland." "I must think it over," Graeme said; "it is a serious step to take. I had thought of his going to the court at London after he left the university, and of using our family interest to push his way there." "What is he to do in London?" Munro said. "The old pedant James, who wouldn't spend a shilling or raise a dozen men to aid the cause of his own daufjhter, and who thought more of musty dogmatic treatises than of the glory and credit of the country he ruled over, or the sufferings of his co-religionists in Germany, has left no career open to a lad of spirit." (276) B 18 THE CAUSES OF THE WAR. " Well, I will think it over by the morning," Graeme said. "And now tell me a little more ahoiit the merits of this quarrel in Germany. If I am going to tight, I should like at least to know exactly what I am tighting about." "My dear fellow," Hume laughed, "you will never make a soldier if you always want to know the ins and outs of every quarrel you have to tight about; but for once the tenderest conscience may be satisfied as to the justice of the contention. But Munro is much better versed in the history of the atl'air than I am; for, to tell you the truth, beyond the fact that it is a general row between the Protestants and Catholics, I have not troubled myself much in the matter." "You must know," Colonel ^Funro began, "that some twenty years ago the Protestant princes of Germany formed a league for mutual protection and support, which they called the Protestant Union; and a year later the Catholics, on their side, constituted wliat they called the Holy League. At that time the condition of the Protes- tants was n^^^ unbearable. In Bohemia, whore they consti- tuted two-thirds of the population, Rudolph II., and after him Mathias, gave conditions of religious freedom. *' Gradually, however, the Catholic party about the emperor gained the upper hand; then various acts in breach of the conditions granted to the Protestants were connnitted, and public spirit on both sides became much embittered. On the 23d of May, 1G18, the Estates of Bohemia met at Prague, and the Protestant nobles, headed by Count Thurn, came there armed, and de- manded from the Imperial councillors an account of the hin^h-handed proceedings. A violent quarrel ensued, and finally the Protestant deputies seized the coun- ',1 I THE FIRST COLLISION. It ;," Graeme merits of i, I should I about." k^ill never le ins and ;; but for as to tlie eh better "or, to tell Qeral row t troubled ;liat some Germany 3rt, which later the ailed the le Protes- .'y consti- and after m. bout the ; acts in ,nts were ne much states of ; nobles, and de- mount of ensued, e coun- cillors Martinitz and Slavata, and their secretary, and hurled them from the window into the dry ditch, fifty feet below. Fortunately for the councillors the ditch contained a quantity of light rubbish, and they and their secretary escaped without serious damage. The incident, however, was the commencement of war. Bo- hemia was almost independent of Austria, administering its own internal afiairs. The Estates invested Court Thuin with the connnand of the army. The Protestant Union supported Bohemia in its action. Mathias, who was himself a tolerant and well-meaning man, tried to allay the storm; but, failing to do so, marched an army into Bohemia. " Had Mathias lived masters would probably have arranged themselves, but he died the following spring, and was succeeded by Ferdinand II. Ferdinand is one of the most bigoted Catholics living, and is at the same time a bold and resolute man: and he bad taken a solemn vow at the shrine of Loretto that, if ever he came to the throne, he would re-establish Catholicism throuo;hout his dominions. Both parties prepared for the strife; the Bohemians renounced their allegiance to him and nomi- nated the Elector Palatine Frederick V., the husband of our Scotch princess, their king. " The first blow was struck at Zablati. There a Union arm)'-, led by Mansfeldt, was defeated by the Imperial general Bucquoi. A few days later, however. Count Tiiurn, marching through ]\Ioravia and Upper Austria, laid siege to Vienna. Ferdinand's own subjects were estranged from him, and the cry of the Protestant army, 'Equal rights for all Christian churches,' was approved by the whole population — for even in Austria itself there were > ! I 10 SUCCESS OF THE CATHOLICS. a very large number of Protectants. Ferdinand had but a few .soldiers, the population of the city were hostile, and had Thurn only entered the town he could have seized the emperor without any resistance. "Thui-n hesitated, and endeavoured instead to obtain the conditions of toleration which the Protestants re- quired; and sixteen Austrian barons in the city were in the act of insisting upon Ferdinand signing these when the head of the relieving ainiy entered the city. Thurn retired hastily. Tiie Catholic princes and representatives met at Fraidcfor^ and elected Fejxlinand Emperor of Germany. He at once entered into a strict agreement with Maximilian of Bavaria to crush Protestantism throughout Germany. The Boliemians. hov/ever, in con- cert with Bethlem Gabor, kiuix of Hunixary,ao:ain besiejxed Vienna; but as the winter set in thev were ol>li']:ed to retire. From that moment the Protestant cause was lost; {^'axony and liesse-Darmstailt left the Union and joined Ferdinand. Denmark, which had promised its assistance to the Protestants, was persuaded to remain quiet. Sweden was enofai]fed in a war with the Poles. "The Protestant army was assembled at Ulm; the army of the League, under tlr; oi'der of Maximilian of Bavaria, was at Donau worth. Maximilian worked upon the fears of the Protestant princes, wlio, frightened at the contest they had undertaken, agreed to a peace, by which they bound themselves to aflbrtl no aid to Frederick V. "The Imjierial forces then marched to Bohemia and attacked Frederick's armv outside Praufue, and in less than an hour completely defeated it. Frederick escaped with his family to Holland. Ferdinand then took steps to carry out his oath. The religious freedom granted by PROTESTANTISM CRUSHED. 21 [ had but )stile, and seized the to obtain itants re- r were in ese when . Thurn lentatives iperor of u^reement Listantism r, in con- 1 besieged I'liged to was lost ; id joined ssistance Sweden ;he army Bavaria, he fears contest ell they ■ uiia and in less escaped ok steps nted by Mathias was abolished. In Bohemia, Moravia, Silesia, and Austria proper many of the promoters of the rebel- lion were punished in life and property. The year fol- lowino" all members of the Calvinistic sect were forced to leave their country, a few months afterwards the Luther- ans were also expelled, and in 1G27 the exercise of all religious forms except those of the Catholic Church was forbidden; 200 of the noble, and 30,000 of the wealthier and industrial classes, were driven into exile; and lands and property to the amount of £5,000,000 or £0,000,000 were contiscated. "The hereditary dominions of Frederick V. w^ere in- vaded, the Protestants were defeated, the Palatinate entirely subdued, and the electorate was conferred upon Maximilian of Bavaria; and the rioid laws ao-ainst the Protestants were carried into effect in the Palatinate also. It had now become evident to all Europe that the Emperor of Austria was determined to stamp out Protestantism throughout Germany; and the Protestant princes, now thoroughly alarmed, besought aid from the Protestant countries, England, Holland, and Denmark. King James, who had seen unmoved the misfortunes which had befallen his daughter and her husband, and who had been dead to the general feeling of the country, could no longer resist, and England agreed to supply an annual subsidy; Hol- land consented to supply troops ; and the King of D(^nmark joined the League, and was to take command of the army. In Germany the Protestants of Lower Saxony and Brunswick, and the partisan leader Mansfeldt, were still in arms. The army under the king of Denmark advanced into Brunswick, and was there confronted by that of REVERSES OF THE ALLIES. \M I f I the League under Tilly, while an Austrian army, raised by Wallenstein, also marched against it. Manst'eldt en- deavoured to prevent Wallenstein froai joining Tilly, but was met and defeated by the former general. Mansfeldt was, hov/ever, an enterprising leader, and fall- ing back into Brandenburg, recruited his army, joined the force under the Duke of Saxe- Weimar, and started by forced marches to Silesia and Moravia, to join Bethlem Gabor in Hungary. Wallenstein was therefore obliged to abandon his campaign agjiinst the Danes and to follow him. Mansfeldt joined the Hungarian army, but so rapid were his marches that his force had dwindled away to a mere skeleton, and the assistance which it would be to the Hungarians was so small that Bethlem Gabor refused to co-operate with it against Austria " Mansfeldt disbanded his remaining soldiers, and two months afterwards died. Wallenstein then marched north. In the meantime Tilly had attacked King Chris- tian at Lutter, and completely defeated hira. I will tell you about that battle some other time. When Wallen- stein came north it was decided that Tilly should carry the war into Holland, and that Wallenstein should deal with the King of Denmark and the Protestant princes. In the course of two years he drove the Danes from Silesia, subdued Brandenburg and Mecklenburg, and, advancing into Pomerania, besieged Stralsund. "What a siege that was to be sure! Wallenstein had sworn to capture the place, but he didn't reckon upon the Scots. After the siege had begun Lieutenant-general Sir Alexander Leslie, with 5000 Scots and Swedes, fought his way into the town; and though Vrallensteiii rained fire upon it, though ♦ve were half-starved and !/ SWEDEN TAKES THE FIELD. 23 ny, raised st'eldt en- ng Tilly, ' general. , and fall- ly, joined id started 1 Bethlem •e obliged to follow it so rapid away to a uld be to or refused , and two marched ng Chris- will tell 1 Wallen- uld carry ould deal princes, nes from urg, and, stein had upon the it-general Swedes, illenstein :ved and -A ravaged by plague, we held out for three months, repuls- ing every assault, till at last the Imperialists were obliged to draw off, having lost 12,200 men. " This, however, was the solitary success on our side, land a few months since. Christian signed a peace, binding himself to interfere no more in the affairs of Germany. When Ferdinand considered himself free to carry out his plans, he issued an edict by which the Protestants throuii ' "I would choose the pike," Nigel said, "for after all it must be by the i)ike that tlie battle is decided." "Quite right, Nigel. 1 liave here with me a drawing of the armour in use with us. You see they have helmets of an acorn sha})e, with a rim turning up in front; gauntlets, bull-coats well padded in front, and large breast- plates. The jiikes vary from fourteen to eighteen feet long according to the taste of the comnuinder. We gen- erally use about sixteen. If your company is a hundred strong you will have two lieutenants and three ensigns. Be careful in choosing your officers. I will fill in the king's commission to you as captain of the company, authorizing you to enlist men for his service and to ap- point officers thereto." An hour or two later Colonel Munro and Captain Hume proceeded on their way. The news speedily spread through Nithsdale that Nigel Crjieme had received a conmiission from the King of Sweden to raise a company in his ser- vice, and very speedily men began to pour in. The dis- bandment of the Scottish army had left but few careers open at home to the youth of that country, and very large numbers had consequently flocked to the Continent and taken service in one or other of the armies there, any opening of the sort, therefore, had only to be known to be freely embraced. Consequently, in eight-and-forty hours Nigel Gra3me had applications from a far larger number than he could accept, and he was enabled to pick and choose among the applicants. ]\Iany young men of good family were among them, for in those days service in the ranks was regarded as honourable, and great numbers of young men of good family and education trailed a pike in the Scotch regiments in the service of the various f: DRILLING THE RECRUITS. 5T various powers of Europe. Two young men whose property adjoined bis own, Herries and Farquhar, each of whom brouoht twenty of his own tenants with him, were ap- pointed lieutenants, while two others, Leslie and Jamie- son, were with Malcolm nan:ed as ensigns. The non-com- missioned officers were appointed from men who had served before. Many of the men already possessed armour which was suitable, for in those days there was no strict uniformity of military attire, and the arniies of the \arious nationalities differed very slightly from each other. Colonel Munro returned in the course of a fort- night, Nigel Grieme's company completing the number of men required to fill up the ranks of his regiment. Captain Hume had proceeded further north. Colonel Munro stopped for a week in Nithsdale, giving instruc- tions to the officers and non-commissioned officers as to the drill in use in the iSwedish aimy. Military manoeuvres were in these days very ditlerent to what they have Uv w become. The movements were few and simple, and easily acquired. Gustavus had, however, introduced an entirely new formation into his army. Hithertb troops had fought in solid masses, twenty or more deep. Gus- tavus taught his men to fight six deep, rjni.ntaining that it' troops were steady this depth of formation should be able to sustain any assault upon it, and that with a greater depth the men behind were useless in the fight. His cavalry fought only three deep. The recruits acquired the new tactics with little difficulty. In Scotland for generations every man and boy had received a certain military training, and all were instructed in the use of the pike; consequently, at the end of a week Colonel Munro pronounced Nigel Graime's company capable of 28 mackay's regiment. f 1 taking their place in the re "inent without discredit, and so went t'orwai'd to see to tlie trnininL;' of the companies of Hamilton, Ball'our, and Scott, liaving arranged with Grajme to march his company to Dunbar in three weeks* time, when he would be joined by the other three com- panies. Malcolm was delighted with the stir and bustle of his new life. Accustomed to hard exercise, to climbing and swinuning, he was a strong and well -grown lad, and was in a)>peaiance fully a year beyond his age. He felt but little fatigued by the incessant drill in wliieh the days were ])assed, though he was glad enough of an evening to lay aside his armour, of which the otiieers wore in those days considerably moi'e than the soldiers, the mounted olFicers beinix still clad in full armour, while those on foot wore back and arm pieces, and often leg pieces, in addition to the helmet and In-eastplate. They were armed with swords and pistols, and carried besides what were called half-pikes, or pikes some 7 feet long. 'J'hey wore feathers in their helmets, and the armour was of fine quality, and often richly damascened, or inlaid with gold. Very proud did Malcolm feel as on the appointed day he marched with the company from Nithsdale, with the sun plitterinix on their arms and a drummer beatinor the march at their head. They arrived in due course at Dunbar, and were in a few hours joined by the other three companies under Munro himself. The regiment which was now commanded by Lieutenant-colonel Munro had been raised in 1G2G by Sir Donald Mackay of Farre and Strathnaver, 1500 strong, for the service of the King of Denmark. Munro was his cousin, and when Sir Donald THE STORM. 29 dit, and iiipanies ed with ) weeks' •ee com- e of his ing and lad, and ye. He 1 vvliich ^h of an urs wore iors, the r, while >ften leg [. They besides et lonor. armour )r inlaid went home shortly before, ho succeeded to the command of the rcninent. They embarked at once on board a sliip which Munro had chartered, and were landed in Denmark and marched to Flensberg, where the rest of the regiment was lying. A furtnij^ht was spent in severe diill, and then orders were received from Oxenstiern, the chancellor of Sweden, to embark the regiment on board two Swed'.sh vessels, the l.i'l'pnchol and the Hound. On board the former were the companies of Captains Robert Mniu'o, Hector Munro, Bullion, Nigel Grieme, and Hamilton. Colonel Munro sailed in this ship, while Major Sennot com- manded the wing of the regiment on board the Hound. The ba'^facre horses and ammunition were in a smaller vessel. The orders were that they were to land at Wolgast on the southern shore of tlie Baltic. Scarcely had they set sail than the weather changed, and a sudden tempest burst upon them. Higher find higher grew the wind, and the vessels were separated in the night. The Lilly- viehol laboured heavily in the waves, and the discomfort of the troops, crowded together between decks, was very great. Presently it was discovered that she had made a leak, and that the water was enteiini^ fast. Munro at once called forty-eight soldiers to the pumps. They were relieved every quarter of an hour, and by dint of the greatest exertions barely succeeded in keeping down the water. So heavily did the vessel labour that ^lunro bore away for Dantzig; but when night came on the storm increased in fury. They were now in shoal water, and the vessel, already half water-logged, became quite unmanageable in the furious ■'-^aves. Beyond the aa WRECKED. i / ■ » f I I >s t M n wm . 11 - :H 1 ■ Ip f ^HiHI fact that they were fast drifting on to the Pomeranian coast, they were ignorant of their position. "This is a rough beginning," Nigel said to his nephew. " We bargained to run the rij-k of being killed by the (icrnians, but we did not expect to run the hazard of being drowned, 1 doubt if the vessel can live till morn- ing. It is only eleven o'clock yet, and in spite of the pumps slie is getting lower and lower in the water." Before Malcolm had time to answer him there was a tremendous crash which threw them off their feet. All below strurjiiled on deck, but nothincj could be seen in the darkness save masses of foam as the waves broke on the rock on which they had struck. There were two more Clashes, and then another, even louder and more terrible, and the vessel broke in two parts. "Come aft all," Colonel Munro shouted; "this part of the wreck is fixed." With oreat efibrts all on board managed to reach the after portion of the vessel, which was wedged among the i-ocks, and soon afterwards the forepart broke up and disaj)peared. For two hours the sea broke wildly over the ship, and all had to hold on for life. Malcolm, even in this time of danger, could not but admire the cahnness and coolness of his young colonel. He at once set men to work with ropes to drag towards the vessel the floating pieces of wreck which were tossing about in the boiliufj surf. Tlje masts and yards were hauled alongside, and the colonel instructed the men to make themselves fast to these in case the vessel should go to pieces. Hour after hour passed, and at last, to the joy of all, day- light appeared. The boats had all been broken to pieces, THE ISLE OF RUGEN. 81 11 the the and an»l Miinro now set the men to work to bind the spars and timbers together into a raft. One of the soldiers and a sailor volunteered to try to swim to shore with lines, but both were dashed to pieces. At one o'clock in the day .some natives were seen col- lecting on the .shore, and those presently dragged down a l.ont and launched it, and with great diihculty rowed out tc the slip. A line was thrown to them, and with this they returned to .shore, where they made the line fast, 'j he storm was now al ating somewhat, and Munro or- dered the debarkation to commence. As many of the troops as could find a place on the raft, or could cling to the ropes fastened on its sides, started first, and by means of tke line hauled the raft a.shore. A small party then brought it back to the ship, while other.s manned the boat; and so after a number of trips the whole of the troops and crew were landed, together with all the weapons and armour that could be saved. From the peasantry Munro now learned that they liad been wrecked upon the coast of Rngenwalde, a low-hing tract of country in the north of ronierania. The forts upon it were all in the ]]ossess:on of the Imperiali>:t.s, while the nearest post of the Swedes was eighty miles away. The positi' n was not a pleasant one. Many of the arms had been lost, and the gunpowder was of course destroyed. The men were exhausted and worn out with their long struggle with the tempest. They were without food, and might at any moment be attacked by their enemies. "Something must be done, and that quickly," Munro said, "or our fate wi^^ be well-nigh as bad as that of the m ■Pl "^ 32 RENEWED SPIRITS. 1 1 u ! : i III till 'iJij, Sinclairs; but before night we can do nothing, and we must hope that the Ceruians will not discover us till then." Thereupon he ordered all the men to lie down under shelter of the bushes on the slopes facing the shore, and on no account to show themselves on the h it'll er ij^rounv; Then he sent a Walloon oiiicer of the regiment to tl> Pomeranian seneschal of the old castle of Rugenwakh* which belonged to Bogislaus IV, Duke of Pomerania to info.'m him th.at a body of Scotch troops in the ser v'ce of the Swedish king had been cast on the coast, and begging him to snpply them with a few musket."?, some diy powder, and bullets, promising if he would dc so that the Scotch would cleaf the town of its Imperial garrison. The castle itself, which was a very old feudal building. was held only by the retainers of the duke, and the sene- schal at once complied with Munro's request, for the Duke of Pomerania, his master, although nominally an ally oi' the Imperialists, had been tleprivetl of all authority by them, and the feelings of his subjects were entirely with the Swedes. Fifty okl muskets, some an)munition, and some fooc were sent out by a secret pa^'^nge to the Scots. Tiiero was great satisfaction among tl e men when these supplies arrived. The muskets which had been brought ashore were cleaned up and loaded, and the feeling that they a^ ere no longer in a position to fall helplessly into the hands of any foe who might disco\er them, restored the spirit* of the troops, and fatigue and hunger were forgotten a3. they looked forward to striking a blow at the enemy. "What did the colonel mean by saying that our positif '^ THE PASS OF KUINOELLEN. 33 wfts wcl'-nigli as bad as that of the Sinclairs?" Malcolm asked Captain Hector Munro, who with two or three other officers was sheltering under a thick clump of bushes. " That was a bad business," Captain Munro replied. '' It happened now nigli twenty years ago. Colonel JMonkhoven, a Swedish olHcer, had enlisted 2300 men in Scotland for service with Gustavus, and sailed with them and with a regiment 900 strong raised by Sinclair en- tirely of his own clan and name. Sweden was at war with Denmark, and Stockholm was invested Ity the Danish Heet when Monkhoven arrived with his ships. Finding that he was unable to land, he sailed north, landed at Trondheim,and marching over the Norwegian Alps reached Stockholm in safety, where the appearance of his rein- forcements discouraged the Danes and enabled Gustavus to raise the siege. "Unfortunately Colonel Sinclair's regiment had not kept with Monkhoven, it being thought better that they should march by ditl'erent routes so as to distract the attention of the Norwegians, who were bitterly hostile. The Sin- clairs were attacked several times, but beat off their assailants; when passing, however, through the tremendous gorge of Kringellen, the peasantry of the whole surround- ing country gathered in the mountains. The road wound along on one side of the goi'ge. So steep was the hill that the path was cut in solid rock which rose almost precipi- tously on one side, while far below at their feet rushed a rapid torrent. As the Sinclairs w^ere marching along through this rocky gorge a tremendous fire was opened upon them from the pine forests above, while huge rocks and stones came bounding down the precipice. _ ._ (276) — .0 II ft I: •^ 1^ l» liiiiii iiltili H)!) 04 THE MASSACRE OF THE SINCLAIRS. "The Sinclairs strove in vain to cliiiib the mountain- side and get at tlieir foes. It was impossible, and they were simply slaughtered where tliey stood, only one man of the whole regiment escaping to tell the story." " That was a terrible massacre indeed," Malcolm said. " I have read of a good many surprises and slaughters in our Scottish history, but never of such complete destruction as that 01 'y one man out of 900 should escape. And was the slauo'liter never avenj^ed?" " No," Munro replied. " We Scots would gladly march north and repay these savage peasants for the massacre of our countrA'iiien, but the King; of Sweden has had plenty of occupation for his Scotchmen in his own wars. What with the Russians and the Poles and the Danes his hands have been pretty full from that day to this, and i.'ideed an expedition against the Norsemen is one which would bring more fatigue and labour than profit. The p-easants would seek shelter in their forests and moun- tains, and march as we would we should never see them, save when they fell upon us with advantage in some defile." At nightfa.ll the troops were mustered, and, led by the men v^ho had brought the arms, they passed by the secret passage into the castle, and thence sallied suddenly into tlie town below. There they fell upon a patrol of Imperif'l cavalry, who were ail shot dzwn before they had time to draw their swords. Then scattering: through the town, the whole squadron of cuirassiers who garrisoned it were either killed or taken prisoners. This easy con- quest achieved, the first care of Munro wsis to feed his troops. These were then armed from the stores in the town, and a strong guard being placed lest they should HEPBURN AND MUNRO. 35 bo attacked by the Austrian force, which was, they learned, lying but seven miles away, on the other side of the river, the troops lay down to snatch a few iiours of needed rest. In the morning the country was scoured, and a few detached posts of the Austrians captured. The main body then advanced and blew up the bridge across the river. Five days later an order came from Oxenstiern, to whom Munro had at once despatched the news of his capture of Rugenwalde, ordering him to hold it to the last, the position being a very valuable one, as opening an entrance into Pomerania. The passage of the river was protected by entrench- ments, strong redoubts were thrown up round Rugen- walde, and parties crossing the river in boats collected provisions and stores from the country to the very gates of Dantzig. The Austrians rapidly closed in upon all sides, and for nine weeks a constant series of skirmishes were maintained with them. At the end of that time Sir John Hepburn arrived from Spruce, having pushed forward by order of Oxen- stiern by forced marches to their relief. Loud and hearty was the cheering when the two Scotch regiments united, and the friends, Munro and Hepburn, clasped hands. Not only had they been at college together, but they had, after leaving St. Andrews, travelled in companionship on the Continent for two or three years before taking service, Munro entering that of France, while Hepburn joined Sir Andrew Gray as a volunteer when he led a band to succour the Prince Palatine at the commence- ment of the war. " I have another old friend in my regiment, Hepburn," h 36 HEPBURN tAKES THE COMMAND. the colonel sakl after the first greeting was over—" Nigel Gr;eme; ol: course yon reineniljer him." ..v "Certainly I do," Ilepuurn exclaimed cordially, "and right glad will I be to see him again; but I thought your re*-~^&. ^T^^h^ v^^5r^i^5>^ )^v.-'S'<3r ■fi''i®i jS^^^/^^ ^yyf ^r^ I^T^^^ SS^ i zf|^^/H^ w\ ''^C^vc' ^\\ _ /*> nMj Py> Uy^^R^f^H ^u '"'^^^r r Q^^^il^^^raV ^^^ ^ v5»JU ^L? 1^ ■* ^^ ^^^ CHAPTER IIL SIR JOHN HEPBURN. ' H UNRO'S first care, when he found that the Imperialists had retreated in the direction of Colberg, was to send out some horsemen to discover whether the Swedes w^ere in a posi- tion to cover that town. The men returned in tv^o hours with the report that Field-marshal Horn, with the Swed- ish troops from Stettin, had joined Kniphausen and Hepburn, and w^ere guarding the passage between the enemy and Colberg. Two days later a message arrived to the effect that Sir Dc laid Mackaj'', who had now been created Lord Reay, had arrived to take the command of his regiment, and that Nigel Graeme's company was to march and join him; while Munro with the rest of liis command was to continue to hold the Castle of Scliiefelbrune. Shortly afterwards General Bauditzen arrived with 4000 men and 18 pieces of cannon to press the siege of Colberg, which was one of the strongest forti'esses in North Germany. On the 13th of November the news arrived that Montecuculi was asfain advancinix to raise the siege; and Lord Reay with his half-reghnent, Hepburn A BATTLE IN THE DARK. 41 with half his regiment, and a regiment of Swedish in- fantry marched out to meet him, Kniphausen being in command. They took up a position in a Httle village a few miles from the town; and here, at four o'clock in the morning, they were attacked by the Imperialists, 7000 strong. The Swedish infantry Hed almost without firing a shot, but the Scottish musketeers of Hepburn and Reay stood their ground. For a time a desperate conflict raged. In the darkness it was utterly impossible to distinguish friend from foe, and numbers on both sides were mown down by the vol- leys of their own party. In the streets and gardens of the little villa^ 3 men fought desperately with pikes and clubbed muskets. Unable to act in the dark :i ess, and los- ing many men from the storm of bullets which swept over the village, the Swedish cavalry who had accompanied the column turned and fled ; and being unable to resist so vast a superiority of force, Kniphausen gave the word, and the Scotch fell slowly back under cover of the heavy mist which rose with the flrst breath of day, leaving 500 men, nearly half their force, dead behind them. Nigel Grteme's company had suflered severely; he himself was badly wounded. A lieutenant and one of the ensigns were killed, with thirty of the men, and many others were wounded with pike or bullet. Malcolm had had his share of the fighting. Several times he and the men immediately round him had been charged by the Imperialists, but their long pikes had each tiuie rejailsed the assaults. Malcolm had before this come to the conclusion, from the anecdotes he heard from the officers who had served through several campaigns, that the first quality of an [^ 42 MALCOLM WINS COMMENDATIONS. I- 'I ■ ;3 iliiiii! ■ili i! officer is coolness, and that this is even more vahiable tlian is reckless bravery. He had therefore set before liiinself that his first duty in action was to be perfectly calm, to speak without hurry or excitement in a quiet mid natural tone. In his first light at Schiefelbrune he had endeavoured to carry this out, but although he gained much commen- dation from Nigel and the other officers of the company for his coolness on that occasion, he had by no means satisfied himself; but upon the present occasion he suc- ceeded much better in keeping his natural feelings in check, forcing himself to speak in a quiet and deliberate way without flurry or excitement, and in a tone of voice in no way raised above the ordinary. The effect had been excellent, and the soldiers, in talking over the affair next day, were loud in their praise of the conduct of the young ensign. "The lad was as cool as an old soldier," one of the sergeants said, " and cooler. Just as the Austrian column was coming on for the third time, shouting, and cheering, and sending their bullets in a hail, he said to me as quietly as if he was giving an order about his dinner, ' I think, Donald, it would be as well to keep the men out of fire until the last moment. Some one might get hurt, you see, before the enemy get close enough to use the pikes,' And then when they came close he said, * Now, sergeant, I think it is time to move out and stop them.* When they came upon us he was fighting with his half- pike with the best of us. And when the Austrians fell back and began to fire again, and we took shelter behind the houses, he wtlked about on the road, stooping down over those who had fallen, to see if all were killed, and il liable before rfectly , quiet /oureJ iimen- npany means le 8UC- igs in berate voice 1 been r next young )£ the 3lumn iering, uietly think, lut of hurt, ;e the Now, ihern.' half- LS fell ehind down I, and ^ U. U hi td COOLNESS IN DANGER. 43 X #. h < CQ (d B H < H M Z < finding two were alive he called out, 'Will one of you just come and help me carry these men under shelter? They may get hit again it* they remain here.' I went out to him, but I can tell yon I didn't like it, for the bullets were coming along the road in a shower. His helmet was knocked off by one, and one of the men we were carrying in was struck by two more bullets and killed, and the lad seemed to mind it no more than if it had been a rainstorm in the hills at home. I thouo-ht when we left Nithsdale that tlie caj tain was in the wrong to make so young a boy an officer, but 1 don't think so now. Munro himself could not have been cooler. If he lives he will make a great soldier." The defence of the Scots had been so stubborn that Montecuculi abandontjd his attempt to relieve Col berg that day, and so vigilant was the watch which the be- siegers kept that he was obliged at last to draw off' his troops and leave Colberg to its fate. The place held out to the 2Gth of February, when the garrison surrendered and were allowed to march out with the honours of war, with pikes carried, colours flying, drums beating, matches lighted, with their baggage, and with two pieces of cannon loaded and ready for action. They were sauted by the army as they marched away to the nearest town held by the Austrians, and as they passed by Schiefelbrune Munro's command were drawn up and presented arms to the 1500 men who had for three months resisted every attempt to capture Colberg by assault. Nigel Grjeme's wound was so severe that he was obliged for a time to relinquish the command of his company, which he handed over to Herries. ^r:---^r^:'- ■'------' As there had been two vacancies among the oflBcers ^Il 44 STETTIN INVESTED. Ill L 1 i! : i \ ) A Pli'iiili Malcolm would naturally have been promoted to the duties of lieutenant, but at his urgent request his uncle chose for the purpose a young gcnthjnian of good family who had fought in the ranks, and had much distin- guished himself in both the contests. Two others were also promoted to till up the vacancies as ensigns. The troops ai'ter the capture of Colberg marched to Stettin, around which town they encamped for a time, while Gustavus completed his preparations for his march into Germany. While a portion of his army had been besieg- ing Colberg, Gustavus had been driving the Imperialists out of the whole of Pomerania. Landing on the 24th of June with an army in all of 1 '>,000 infantry, 2000 cavalry, and about 3000 artillery, he had, after despatching troops to aid Munro and besiejj^e Colbeii::, marched against the Im- perialists under Conti. These, however, retreated in great disorder and with much loss of men, ffuns, and baixcrasjfe, into Brandenburg; and in a few weeks after the Swedish landing only Colberg, Greifswald, and Demming held out. In January Gustavus concluded a treaty with France, who agreed to pay him an annual subsidy of 400,000 thalers on the condition that Gustavus maintained in the field an army of 30,000 infantry and COOO cavalry, and assured to the princes and peoples whose territory he might occuj^y the free exercise of their religion. England also promised a subsidy, and the Marquis of Hamilton was to bring over COOO infantry; but as the king did not wish openly to take part in the war this force was not to appear as an English contingent. Another regiment of Highlanders was brought Dver by Colonel John Munro of Obstell, and also a regiment recruited in the Lowlands by Colonel Sir James Lumsden. .'iiC- StR JOHN nEPBURN. 45 iro ids Many other parties of Scotch were brought over hy gentlemen of rank. Four chosen Scottish regiments, Hepburn's regiment, Lord Reay s regiment, Sir James Lumsden's mv sketeers, and Stargate's corps, were formed into one brigade under the command of tiepburn. It was called the Green Brigade, and the doublets, scarfs, feathers, and staudards were of that colour. The rest of the infantry were divided into the Yellow, Blue, and White Brigades. One evening when the officers of Reay's regiment were sitting round the camp-tire Lieutenant Farquhar said to Colonel Munro: "How is it that Sir John Hepburn has, although still so young, risen to such high hononT- in the counsel of the king; how did he first make his way?" "He first entered the force raised by Sir Andrew Gray, who crossed from Leith to Holland, and then unitinfj with a body of English troops under Sir Horace Vere marched to join the troops of the Elector Palatine. It was a work of danger and difficulty for so small a body of men to march through Germany, and Spinola with a powerful force tried to intercept them. They managed, however, to avoid him, and reached their destination in safety. "Vere's force consisted of 2200 men, and when he and Sir Andrew Gray joined the Margrave of Anspach the latter had but 4000 horse and 40 JO foot with him. There was a good deal of fighting, and Hepburn so dis- tinguished himself that although then but twenty years old he obtained command of a company of pikcmen in Sir Andrew Gray's band, and this company was specially selected as a body-guard for the king. . _ 46 A GALLANT EXPLOIT. Ui "There was one Scotchman in the band who vied even with Hepburn in the gallantry of his deeds. He was the son of a burgess of Stirling named Edmund, and on one occasion, laying a^ide his armour, he swam the Danube at night in front of the Austrian lines, and penetrated to the very heart of the Imperial camp. There he managed to enter the tent of the Imperialist general, the Count de Bucquoi, gagged and bound him, carried him to the river, swan across with him and presented him as a prisoner to the Prince of Orange, under whose command he was then serving. " It was well for Hepburn that at the battle of Prague he was guarding the king, or he also might have fallen among the hosts who died on that disastrous day. When the elector had fled the country Sir Andrew Gray's bands formed part of Mansfeldt's force, under whom they gained great glory. When driven out of the Palatinate they still kept up the war in various parts of Germany and Alsace. With the Scotch companies of Colonel Hender- son they defended Bergen when the Marquis of Spinola besieged it. Morgan with an English brigade was with them, and right steadily they fought. Again and again the Spaniards attempted to storm the place, but after losing 12,000 men tiiey were forced to withdraw on the approach of Prince Maurice. " The elector now made peace with the emperor, and Mansfeldt's bands round themselves without employment. Mansfeldt in vain endeavoured to obtain employment under one of the powers, but failing, marched into Lor- raine. There, it must be ownect they plundered and ravaged till they were a terror to the country. At last the Dutch, being sorely pressed by the Spaniards, offered AN UNEQUAL STRIFE. 47 the ent tnd last red to take them into their pay, and the bands marched out from Lorraine in high spirits. "They were in sore plight for fighting, for most of tliera had been obliged to sell even their arms and armour to procure food. Spinola heaving of their approacli pushed forward with a strong force to intercept them, and so cam.e upon them at Fleurus, eight miles from Namur, on the 30th of August, 1G22. " The Scots were led by Hepburn, Hume, and Sir James Ramsay; the English by Sir Charles Rich, brother to the Earl of Warwick, Sir James Hayes, and others. The odds seemed all in favour of the Spaniards, who were much superior in numbers, and were splendidly accoutred and well -disciplined, and what was more, were well fed, while Mansfeldt's bands were but half armed and almost wholly starving. "It was a desperate battle, and the Spaniards in the end remained masters of the field, but Mansfeldt with his bands had burst their w&y through them, and suc- ceeded in crossing into Holland. Here their position was bettered; for, though there was little fighting for them to do, and they could get no pay, they lived and grew fat in free quarters among the Dutch. At last the force broke up altogether; the Germans scattered to their homes, the English crossed the seas, and Hepburn led what remained of Sir Andrew Grav's bands to Sweden, where he oflTercd their services to Gustavus The Swedish king had already a large number of Scotch in his service, and Hepburn was made a colonel, having a strong regi- ment composed of his old followers inured to war and hardship, and strengthened by a number of new arrivals. " When in 1625 hostilities were renewed with Poland 48 THE RELIEF OF MEWE. ill ihm m I i' Hepburn's regiment formed part of the army which invaded Polish Prussia. The first feat in which he dis- tinsruished himself in the service of KSweden was at the relief of Mewe, a town of Eastern Prussia, which was blockaded by King Sigismund at the head of 80,000 Poles. The town is situate at the conHuence of the Bersa with the Vistula, which washes two sides of its walls. ** In front of its other face is a steep green eminence which the Poles had very strongly entrenched, and had erected upon it ten batteries of heavy cannon. As the town could only be approached on this side the difficulties of the relieving force were enormous; but as the relief of the town was a necessity in order to enable Gustavus to carry out the campaign he intended, the king determined to make a despc ate effort to effect it. " He selected 3000 of his best Scottish infantry, among whom was Hepburn's own regiment, and 500 horse under Colonel Thurn. When they were drawn up he gave them a short address on the des])erate nature of the service they were about to perforin, namely, to cut a passage over a strongly fortified hill defended by 30,000 men. The column, commanded by Hepburn, started at dusk, and, unseen by the enemy, approached their position, and work- ing round it began to ascend the hill by a narrow and winding path encumbered by rocks and stones, thick underwood, and overhanging trees. " The difficulty for troops with heavy muskets, car- tridges, breastplates, and helmets, to make their way up such a place was enormous, and the mountain side was so steep that they were frequently obliged to haul them- selves up by the branches of the trees; nevertheless, they managed to make their way through the enemy's out- l^E ROCk ON THE PLATEAU. 49 lein ey : a he nd, le- nd ck Lr- up so In- J)Osts unobserved, and reached the summit, where the ground was smooth and level. "Here they fell at once upon the Poles, who were working busily at their trenches, and for a time gained a footing there; but a deadly tire of musketry with showers of arrows and stones, opened upon them from all points, compelled the Scots to recoil from the trenches, when they were instantly attacked by crowds of horsemen in mail-shirts and steel caps. Hepburn drew off his men till they reached a rock on the plateau, and here they made theii stand, the musketeers occupying the rock, the pikemen forming in a wall around it. " They had brought with them the portable chevaux- de-frise carried by the infantry in the Swedish service, they fixed this along in front, and it aided the spear- men greatly in resisting the desperate charges of the Polish horsemen. Hepburn was joined by Colonel Mostyn, an Englishman, and Count Brahe, with 200 German arquebusiers, and this force for two days withstood the incessant attacks of the whole of the Polish army. " While this desperate strife was going on, and the at- tention of the enemy entirely occupied, Gustavus manaired to pass a strong force of men and a store of ammunition into the town, and the Poles, seeing that he had achieved his purpose, retired unmolested. In every battle which Gustavus fouglit Hepburn bore a prominent part. He distinguished himself at the storming of Kesmark and in the defeat of the Poles who were marching to its relief. " He took part in the siege and capture of Harienburg and in the defeat of the Poles at Dirschau. He was with Leslie when last year he defended Stralsund against Wal- lenstein, and inflicted upon that haughty general the (276) D 60 ATALLENSTEIN. first reverse he had ever met with. Truly Hepburn has won his honours by the edge of the sw^ord." " Wallenstein is the greatest of the Imperial com- manders, is he not ? " Farquhar asked. " He and Tilly," Munro replied. " 'Tis a question which is the greatest. They are men of a very different stamp. Tilly is a soldier, and nothing but a soldier, save that he is a fanatic in religion. He is as cruel as he is brave, and as portentously ugly as he is cruel. "Wallenstein is a very difierent man. He has enormous ambition and great talent, and his possessions are so vast that he is a dangerous subject for any potentate, even the most powerful. Curiously enough, he w^as born of Protestant parents, but when they died, while he was yet a child, he was committed to the care of his uncle, Albert Slavata, a Jesuit, and was by him brought up a strict Catholic. When he had finished the course of his study at Metz he spent some time at the University of Altdorf, and afterwards studied at Boloirna and Padua. He then travelled in Italy, Germany, France, Spain, England, and Holland, studying the military forces and tactics of each country. " On his return to Bohemia he took service under the Emperor Rudolph and joined the army of General Basta in Hungary, where he distinguished himself greatly at the siege of Grau. When peace was made in 1606 Wal- lenstein returned to Bohemia, and though he was but twenty-three years old he married a wealthy old widow, all of whose large properties came to him at her death eight years afterwards. " Five years later he raised at his own cost two hundred dragoons to support Ferdinand of Gratz in his war against A RICH SUBJECT. 61 the ista at hal- ibut pw, lath red Inst the Venetians. Here he greatly distinguished himself, and was promoted to a colonelcy. He married a second time, and again to one of the richest heiresses of Austria. On the outbreak of the relifjious war of 1G18 he raised a rem- nient of Cuira.ssiers, and fought at its head. Two years later he was made quartermaster-general of the army, and marched at the head of an independent force into Moravia, and there re-established the Imperial authority. "The next year he bought from the Emperor Ferdinand, for a little over 7,000,000 tlorins, sixty properties which the emperor had conli seated from Protestants whom he had either executed or banished. He had been made a count at the time of his second marriage; he was now named a prince, which title was changed into that of the Duke of Friedland. They say thafc his wealth is so vast that he obtains two millions and a half sterling a year from his various estates. "When in 1025 King Christian of Denmark joined in the war against the emperor, Wallenstein raised at his own cost an army of 50,000 men and defeated Mansfeldt's army. After that he cleared the Danes out of Silesia, conquered Brandenburg and Mecklenburg, and laid siege to Stralsund, and there broke his teeth aiiainst our S-^ot- tish pikes. For his services in that war Wallenstein re- ceived the duchy of Mecklenburg. "At present he is in retirement. The concjuests which his army have made for the emperor aroused the sus- picion and jealousy of the German princes, and it may be that the emperor himself was glad enough of an excuse to humble his too powerful subject. At any rate, Wal- lenstein's army was disbanded, and he retired to one of his castles. You may be sure we shall hear of him again. 1 1 i ; ' 53 New BRANDENBURG. Tilly, you know, is the Bavarian conimander, and we shall probably encounter him before long." New Brandenburg and several other towns were cap- tured and strongly gariisoned, GOO ot* RcMy's regiment under Lieutenant-colonel Lindsay being lel't in New Brandenburg; Nigel Gnrme was still laid up, but his company formed part of the force. "This is ill fortune indeed," Malcolm said to Lieu- tenant Farquhar, "thus to be shut u]) here while the army are marching away to win victories in the tield." "It is indeed, Malcolm, but I sup})ose that the king thinks that Tilly is likely to try and retake these places, and so to threaten his rear as he marches forward. He would never have placed as strong a force of his best soldiers here if he had not thought the position a \ery important one." The troops were quartered in the larger buildings of New Brandenburg; the officers were billeted upon the burghers. The position of the countr}'- people and the inhabitants of the towns of Germany during this long and desolating war was terrible; no matter which side won, they suilered. There were in those days no com- missariat waggons bringing up stores from depots and magazines to the armies. The troops lived entirely upon the country through which they marched. In exce})tional cases, when the military chest happened to be well tilled, the provisions acquired might be paid for, but as a rule armies upon the march lived by foraging. The cavalry swept in the Mocks and herds from the country round. Flour, forage, and everything else re- quired was seized wherever found, and the unhappy peasants and villagers thought themselves lucky if they ?^ 'W \ THE SUFFERINGS OP THE PEOPLE. 53 escaped with the loss of all they possessed, without violence, insult, and ill treatment. The slightest resis- tance to the exactions of the lawless foragers excited their fury, and indiscriminate slaughter took place. 'Jhe march of an army could be followed by burned villages, demolished houses, crops destroyed, and general ruin, havoc, and desolation. In the cases of towns these generally escaped indis- criminate plunder by sending dej^uties forward to meet advancing armies, when an oiler would be made to the general to supply so much food and to pay so much money on condition that private property was respected. In these cases the main body of the troops was generally encamped outside the town. Along the routes frequently followed by armies the country became a desert, the hapless people forsook their ruined homes, and took refuge in the forests or in the heart of the hills, carrying with them their portable property, and driving before them a cow or two and a few goats. How great was the general slaughter and destruction may be judged by the fact that the population of Ger- many decreased ' ; lialf during the war, and in Bohemia the slaughter was even greater. At the commenceme it of the war the population of Bohemia consisted of 3,000,000 of people, inhabiting 738 towns and 34,700 villages. At the end of the war there were but 780,000 inhabitants, 230 towns, and GOOO villages. Thus three out of four of the whole population had been slaughtered during the struggle. Malcolm was, with Lieutenant Farquhar, quartered upon one of the principal burghers of New Brandenburg and syndic of the weavers. He received them cordially. it 64 THE SYNDIC OF THE WEAVERS. "I am glad," he said, "to entertain two Scottish officers, and, to speak frankly, your presence will be of no slight advai'tage, for it is only the houses where officers are quartered which can hope to escape from the plunder and exactions of the soldiers. My wife and I will do our best to make you comfortable, but we cannot entertain you as we could have done before this war began, for trade is altogether ruined. None have money wherewith to buy goods. Even when f ee from the presence of contending armies, the country is infested with parties of deserters or disbanded soldiers, who plunder and murder all whom they meet, so that none dare travel along the roads save in strong parties. I believe that there h scarce a village standing within twenty miles, and many parts have suffered much more tiian we have. If this war goes on, God help the people, for I know not what will become of them. This is my house, will you please to enter." Entering a wide hall, he led them into a low sitting- room where his wife and three daughters were at work. They started up with looks of alarm at the clatter of steel in the hall. " Wife," the syndic said as he entered, " these are two gentlemen, officers of the Scottish regiment; they will stay with us during the occupation of the town. I know that you and the girls will do your best to make their stay pleasant to them." As the officers removed thei" lielmets the apprehensions of the women calmed down on perceiving that one of their guests was a young man of three or four and twenty, while the other was c lad, and that both had bright pleasant faces in no way answering the terrible ' THE LANGUAGE OF THE ARMY. 65 reputation gained by the invincible soldiers of the Swedish king. "I hope," Farquhar said pleasantly, "that you will not put yourselves out of your way for us. We are soldiers of fortune accustomrd to sleep on the ground and to live on the roughest fare, and since leaving Scotland we have scarcely slept beneath a roof. We will be as little trouble to you as we can, and our two soldier servants wdl do all that we need." Farquhar spoke in German, for so large a number of Germans were serving among the Swedes that the Scottish officers had all learned to speak that language and Swedish, German being absolutely necessary for their intercourse with the country people. This was the more easy as the two languages were akin to each other, and \yere less broadly separated from English in those days than they are now. It was nearly a year since Farquhar and Malcolm had landed on the shores of the Baltic, and living as they had done among Swedes and Germans, they had had no difficulty in learning to speak both languages fluently ii 4 CHAPTER IV. NEW BRANDENBURG. I; I f 1 ARQUHAR and ^lalcolm Graeme were soon at lionie with their hosts. The syndic had of- fered to have their meals prepared for them in a separate chamber, but they beg-ged to be allowed to take them with the family, with whom they speedily became intimate. Three weeks after the capture of New Brandenburg tlie news came that Tilly with a large army was rapidly approaching. Every efibrt was made to place the town in a position of defence. Day after day messengers cjime in with the news that the other places which had been garrisoned by the Swedes had been captured, and very shortly the Imperalist army was seen approaching. The garrison knew that they could expect no relief from Gustavus, who had ten days before marched northward, and all ))repared for a desperate resistance. The townsfolk looked on with trembling apprehension, their sympathies were with the defenders, and, m.oreover, they knew that in any case they might expect pillage and rapine should the city be taken, for the property of the townspeople THE COMMENCEMENT OF THE SIEGE. 67 \l when a city was captured was regarded by the soldiery as their lawful prize, whether iriendly to the conquerors or the reverse. Tlie town was at once summoned to sur- render, and upon Lindsay's refusal the guns were placed in position, and ' e siege began. As Tilly was anxious to march away to the north to oppose Gustavus he spared no effort to reduce New Brandenburg as speedily as possible, and his artillery hred night and day to effect breaches in the walls. The Scotch officers saw little of their hosts now, for they were almost continually upon the walls. At the first news of the approach of the Imperalists the syndic had sent awa}^ his daughters to tlie house of a relative at Stralsund, wIilmo his son was settled in business. When Farcjuhar and Malcolm returned to eat a meal or to throw tliemselves on their beds to snatch a short sleep, the syndic anxiously questioned them as to the progress of the siege. The reports were not hopeful. In several places the walls were crumbling, and it was probable that a storm would shortly be attempted. The town itself was suffering heavily, for the balls of the besiegers frequently flew high, and came crashing among the houses. Few of the inhabitants were to be seen in the streets; all had buried their most valualde property, and with scared faces awaited the issue of the conflict. After six days' cannonade the walls were breached in many places, and the Imperalists advanced to the assault. The Scotch defended them with great resolution, and again and again the Imperalists recoiled, unable to burst their way through the lines of pikes or to withstand the heavy musketry fire poured upon them from the walls and buildings, "^ " ; 58 THE STRUGGLE IN THE STREETS. But Tilly's army was so strong that he was able con- tinually to bring up fresh troops to the attack, while the Scotch were incessantly engaged. For eight-and-forty hours the defenders resisted successfully, but at last, worn out by fatigue, they were unable to withstand the onslaught of the enemy, and the latter forced their way into the town. Still the Scots fought on. Falling buck from the breaches, they contested every foot of the ground, holding the streets and lanes with desperate tenacity, and inliicting terrible losses upon the enemy. At last, twelve hours later, they were gathered in the market-place, nearly in the centre of the town, surrounded on all sides by the enemy. Several times the Scottish bugles liad sounded a parley, but Tilly, furious at the resistance, and at the loss which the capture of the town had entailed, had issued orders that no quarter should be given, and his troops pressed the now diminished band of Scotchmen on all sides. / Even now they could not break through the circle of spears, but from every window and roof commanding them a deadly tire was poured in. Colonel Lindsay was shot dead. Captain Moncrieff, Lieutenant Keith, and Farquhar fell close to Malcolm. The shouts of " Kill, kill, no quarter," rose from the masses of Imperalists. Parties of the Scotch, preferring to die sword in hand rather than be shot down, flung themselves into the midst of the enemy and died fighting. At last, when but fifty men remained standing, these in a close body rushed at the enemy and drove them by the fury of their attack some distance down the principal street. Then numbers told. The band was broken up, and a desperate hand-to-hand conflict raged for a time. ▲ moment's refuge. 59 '3. Two of the Scottish officers alone, Captain Innes and Lieutenant Lunisden, succeetled in breaking their way dow:i a side 'ane, and thence, rushing to the wall, leapt down into the moat, and swiinining across, succeeded in making their escape, and in carrying the news of the massacre to the camp of (Justavus, where the tale tilled all with indignation and fury. Among the Scotch regi- ments deep vows of venoeance were interchanged, and in after battles the Imperialists had caiise bitterly to rue having refused quarter to the Scots at New Brandenburg. When the last melLC was at its thickest, and all hope was at an end, Malcolm, who had been fighting desper- ately with his half-pike, found himself for a moment in a doorway. He turned the handle, and it opened at once. The house, like all the others, was full of Imperialists, who had thrown themselves into it when the Scots made their charge, and were now keeping up a fire at them from the upper windows. Closing the door behind him, Malcolm stood for a moment to recover his breath. He hac^ passed unscathed through the three days' fighting, though his armour and helmet were deeply dinted in many places. The din without and above was tremendous. The stroke of sword on armour, the sharp crack of the pistols, the rattle of musketry, the shouts of the Imperialists, and the wild defiant cries of the Highlanders mingled toge- ther. As Malcolm stood panting he recalled the situation, and, remembering that the syndic's house was in the street behind, he determined to gain it, feeling sure that his host would shelter him if he could. Passing through the house he issued into a court-yard, quickly stripped off his I' -^ 60 IN DISGUISE. armour and accoutrements, and threw them into an out- house. Climbing on the roof of tliis he got upon the wall, and ran along it until behind the house of the syndic. He had no fear of being observed, for the attention of all in the houses in the street he had left would be directed to the conflict below. The sound of musketry had already ceased, telling that the work of slaughter was well-nigh over, when Malcolm dropped into the Court-yard of the syndic; the latter and \v2 wife gave a cry of astonishment as the lad entered the house, breathless and pale as death. "Can you shelter me awhile?" he said. "I believe that all my countrymen are killed." " We will do our best, my lad," the syndic said at once. " But the houses will be ransacked presently from top to bottom." " Let him havo one of the servant's disguises," the wife said ; " they can all be trusted." One of the servinjx-uien was at once called in, and he hurried off with Malcolm. • The young Scotchmen had made themselves very popu- lar with the servants by their courtesy and care to avoid giving unnecessary trouble, and in a few minutes Malcolm was attired as a serving-man, and joined the servants who were busy in spreading the tables with provisions, and in broaching a large cask of wine to allay the passions of the Imperialists. It was not long before they came. Soon there was a thundering knocking at the door, and upon its being opened a number of soldiers burst in. Mf^ny were bleed- ing fiom wounds. All bore signs of the desperate strife iu which they had been engaged, ^ _. _ 1 _— THE SACK OF NEW BRA^lDENfiURO. <1 "You are welcome," the host said, advancing towards them. " I have made preparations foi your coming; eat and drink as it pleases you." Rushing to the wine casks, the soldiers appeased their thirst with long draughts of wine, and then fell upon the eatables. Other bands followed, and the house was soon filled from top to bottom with soldiers, who ransacked the cupboards, loaded themselves with such things as they deemed worth carrying away, and wantonly broke and destroyed what they could not. The servants were all kept busy bringing up wine from the cellars. This was of good quality, and the soldiers, well satisfied, abstained from personal vioknce. All night long pandemonium reigned in the to^A n. Shrieks and cries, oaths and sounds of conflict arose from all quarters, as citizens or their wives were slaughtered by drunken soldiers, or the latter quarrelled and fought among themselves for some article of plunder. Flames broke out in many places, and whole streets were burned, many of the drunken soldiers losing their lives in the burning houses; but in the morning the bugles rang out, the soldiers desisted from their orgies, and such as were able to stand staggered away to join their colours. A fresh party marched into the town; these collected the straoTfjlcrs, and seized all the horses and carts for the carriage of the baggage and plunder. The burgomaster had been taken before Tilly and commanded to find a considerable sum of money the first thing in the morn- inof, under threat that the whole town would be burned down, and thj inhabitants massacred if it was not forth- coming. . A council of the principal inhabitants was hastily sum- m THE MARCH AGAINST MAGDEBURG. lit moned at daybreak. The syndics of the various guilds between them contributed tlie necessary sum either in money or in drafts, and at noon Tilly marched away with his troops, leaving (h:" smokiiio' and mined town behind him. Many of the inhabitants were forced as (h'ivers to accompany the horses and carts taken away. Among these were three of the syndic's serving-men, Malcolm being one of the number. It was well that the Pomeranian dialect differed so widely from the Bavarian, so Malcolm's German had consequently passed muster without suspicion. The Imperialist army, although dragging with them an im- mense train of carts laden with plunder, marched rapidly. The baggage was guarded by horsemen who kept the train in motion, galloping up and down the line, and freely administering blows among their captives when- ever a delay or stoppage occurred. The whole country through which they passed was desolated and wasted, and the army would have fared badly had it not been for the herds of captured cattle they drove along with them, and the waggons laden with flour and wine taken at New Brandenburg and the other towns they had stormed. The marches w^ere long, for 'i'illy was anxious to accomplish his object before Gus- tavus should be aware of the direction he was takinof. This object was the caphire of the town of Magde- bui-g, a large and iui])orlant city, and one of the strong- holds of Pi'otestantism. Here he was resolved to strike a blow which would, he believed, terrify Germany into submission. When Gustavus henn.l tliat Tilly had marclied west, he moved against Frankfort-on-the-Oder, where the Imperi- III THE SIEGE OF FUANKFORT. 63 le alists were cominanded by Count Schomberg. 1 e latter had taken every measure for the defence of the town, destroying all the suburbs, burning the country-houses and mills, and cutting down the orchards and vineyards. Gustavus, accompanied by Sir John Hepburn, at once reconnoitred the place and posted his troops. The Blue and Yellow Brigades were posted among the vineyards on the road to CUstrin; the White Brigade took ])ost opposite one of the two gates of the town. Hepburn and the Green Brigade were stationed o|)posite the other. As the Swedes advanced the Imperialist garrison, who were 10,000 strong, opened tire with musketry and cuhnon from the walls. The weakest point in the defence was assigned by Schomberg to Colonel Walter Butler, who commanded a regiment of Irish musketeers in the Im- perialist service. In the evening Hepburn and some other officers accompanied the king to reconnoitre near the walls. A party of Imperialists, seeing some officers approaching, and judging by tlieir waving plumes- tiiey were of importance, sallied quietly out of a postern gate unperceived and su<^denly opened fire. Lieutenant Munro, of Munro's regiment, was shot in the leg, and Count Teuli 1, a colonel of the Life-guards, in the arm. A body of 1 epburn's regiment, under Major Sinclair, rushed forwar 1 and drove in the Imperialists, a lieu- tenant-colonel and a captain being captured. So hotly did they press the Imperialists tliat they were able to make a lodirment on some Iiifjh eround near the rampart, on vrhich stood an old churchyard surrounded by a wall, and whence their tire could sweep the enemy's works. Some cannon were at once brought up and placed in position here, and opened fire on the Gubcn gate. ^m 64 StokMl^G THE GAtES. FJIi:; i 11^ Captain Gunter, of Hepburn's regiment, went forward with twelve men, and in spite of a very heavy fire from the walls reconnoitred the ditch and approaches to the walls. The next day all was ready for the assault. It was Palm Sunday, the 3d of April, and the attack was to take place at five o'clock in the afternoon. Before advancing, Hepburn and several of the other oflicers wished to lay aside their armour, as its weight vviis great, and would impede their movements. The king, however, forbade them to do so. "No," he said; "he who loves my service will not risk life lightly. If my officers are killed, who is to com- mand my soldiers?" Fascines and scaling-ladders were prepared. The Green Brigade were to head the assault, and Gustavus, address- ing them, bade them remember New Brandenburg. At five o'clock a tremendous cannonade was opened on the walls from all the Swedish batteries, and under cover of the smoke the Green Brioade advanced to the assault. From the circle of the walls a cloud of smoke and fire broke out from cannon and arquebus, muskets and wall- pieces. Sir John Hepburn and Colonel Lumsden, side by side, led on their regiments against the Guben gate; both carried petards. In spite of the tremendous fire poured upon them from the wall they reached the gate, and the two colonels fixed the petards to it and retired a few paces. In a minute there was a tremendous explosion, and the gate fell scattered in fragments. Then the Scottish pikemen rushed forward. As they did so there was a roar of cannon, and a storm of bullets ploughed lanes through the f I I THE CAPTURte OF FRANkfORt. 66 [ close ranks of the pikeincn, for tlie Imperialists, expect- ing tlie attack, had placed cannon, loaded to the muzzle with bullets, behind the gates. Aluin'o's rec;iment now leapt into the moat, waded aci'oss, and planting" their laf old Rollo, whose food gets harder and tougher every day. t 76 THE lUNDITs' HOLD. In' 11 You are to keep a sharp eye over the lad, who says he is a Scotch officer of the Swedes, and to shoot him down if he attempts to escape." " V/hy, I thouglit tliose Scots were very devils to fight," one of the men said, "and this is but a boy. How comes he here?" " He told the captain his story, and he b.'lieved it," Carl said carelessly, " and tlie captain is not easily taken in. He was captured by Tilly at New Brandenburg, which town we heard yesterday he as.i.iulted and sacked, killing every man of the garrison; lut it seems this boy put on a disguise, and Ix'ing but a boy I suppose passed unnoticed, and was taken off as a teamster with Tilly's army. He gave them the slip, but as he has man- aged to fall into our hands I don't know that he has gained much by the exchange. Now, youngster, go up to the castle " Having picketed his horse the man Ijd the way up the steep hill. When they rtjiclied thr castle Malcolm saw that it was less ruined than it had appeared to be from below. The battlements had indeed crumbled away, and there were cracks and fissures in the upper parts of the walls, but below the walls were still solid and unbroken, and as the rock was almost piecipitous, save at the point at which a narrow path wound up to the entrance, it was still capable of making a stout defence against attack. A strong but roughly made gate, evidently of cpiito recent make, hung on the hinges, and passing through it Malcolm found himself in the court-yard of the castle. Crossing this he entered with his guide what had once been the principal room of the castle. A good fire blazed in the centre; around this half a dozen men were lying t fN TttR KITCllRM. 77 fi, 'as ng on a thick couch of straw. Malcolm's giiirle repeate I c ireebooters had retired to rest. \Vh*„ii * e had ^'n -he cutting the hide he went in as usual 'Mr. ^at dow.. v. * j tliem as they drank, as he wished to appeu,r contented w oh his position. The freebooters were discussing an attack upon a village some thirty miles away. It lay in a secluded position, and had so far escaped pillage either by the armies or wandering bands. The captain said he had learned that the principal farmer was a well-to-do man with a large herd of cattle, some good horses, and a well-stocked house. It was finally agreed that the band should the next day carry out another raid \a hich had already been decided upon, and that they should /^^''^ ^<^ ^.\^^ Vj ^ / cl CM /A o^ EMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-S) 1.0 2.5 I.I 14^ 1 2.8 |50 ""^^ 1^ 1^ 12.2 ^ 4LL 12.0 18 11.25 U III 1.6 Photographic Sciences Corporation Ko W ^^"^ L1>' «^ \ \ [V 23 WiST MAIN STiiEFT WEBSVER.N.Y. 14580 (716) 873-4503 i^i ! 'f: CHAPTER VI. THE ATTACK ON THE VILL\GIl i' I ii'rtl ll * ^':i] «« "*'"—"»^*"]s^D now," the farmer said to Malcolm, "what is your advice? That we will fight is settled. When, where, and how? This house is strongly built, and we could so strengthen its doors and windows with beams that we might hold out for a l<^ng time against them." " No," Malcolm said, " that would not be my advice. Assuredly we might defend the house ; but in that case the rest of the tillage, the herds and granaries, would fall into their hands. To do any good, we must tight them in the wood on their way hither. But although I hope for a favourable issue, I should strongly advise that you should have the herds and horses driven awty. Send off all your more valuable goods in the waggons, with your women and children, to a distance. We shall fight all the better if we know that they are all in safety. Some of the old men and boys will suffice for this work. And now, methinks, you had best sunnnon the men, for there will be work fur them to-night." The bell which was used to call the hands from theii- work in the fields and woods at sunset soon sounde !, r! PREPARING AN AMBUSH. 87 and the men in sui'prise came trooping in at the sum- mons. When they were assembled the farmer told them tlie news he had heard, and the determination which had been arrived at to defend the village. After the first movement of alarm caused by the name of the dreaded band of the Wolfsbuig had subsided Mal- colm was glad to see an expression of stout determination come over the faces of the assemblage, and all declared themselves ready to fight to the last. Four of the elder men were told off at once to superintend the placing of the more movable household gooJs of the village in waggons, which were to set out at daybreak with the cattle and families. " Now," Malcolm said, " I want the rest to bring mat- tocks and shovels and to accompany me along the road. There is one spot which I marked as I came along as being specially suited for defence." This was about half a mile away, and as darkness had now set in the men lighted torches, and with their im- plements followed him. At the spot which he had selected there was for the distance of a hundred yards a thick growth of underwood bordering the track on either side. Across the road, at the end of the passage nearest to the farm, Malcolm directed ten of the men to dig a pit twelve feet wide and eight feet deep. The rest ot the men he set to work to cut nearly throujxh the trunks of the trees standing nearest the road until they were ready to fall. Ten trees were so treated, five on either side of the road. Standing, as they did, among the undergrowtli, the oi)era- tion which had been performed on them was invisible to any one passing by. Ropes were nov: fastened to the rii 1 i ; 1 t "1 I II i 1 1 i 1 liii II i ^ ! ■ ■ t •'i £ 1 1 88 FINAL INSTRUCTIONS. upper part of the trees and carried across the road, ahiiost hidden from sight by the foliage which met over the path. When the pit was completed the earth which had been taken from it was scattered in the wood out of sic^ht. Light boughs were then placed over the hole. These were covered with earth and sods trampled down until the break in the road was not perceptible to a casual eye. This was done by Malcolm himself, as the lightest of the party, the boughs sufficing to bear his weight, although they w^ould give way at once beneath that of a horse. The men all worked with vigour and alacrit}^ as soon as they understood Malcolm's plans. Daylight was breaking when the preparations were completed. Malcolm now divided the party, and told them off to their respective posts. They were sixteen in all, excluding the pastor. Eight were placed on each side of the road. Those on one side were gathered near the pit which had been dug, those on the other were opposite to the tree which was farthest down the valley. The freebooters were to be allowed to pass along until the foremost fell into the pit. The men stationed there were at once to haul upon the rope attached to the tree near it and to bring it down. Its fall would bar the road and prevent the horsemen from leaping the pit. Those in the rear were, if they heard the crash before the last of the marauders had passed through, to wait until they had closed up, which they were sure to do when the obstacle was reached, and then to fell the tree to bar their retreat. The instant this was done both parties were to run to other ropes and to bring down the trees upon the horse- men gathered on the road, and were then to fall upon them with axe, pike, and arquebus. THE farmer's confidence. 89 pit. the own. inen they had hich and " If it works as well as T expect," Malcolm said, " not one of them will escape from the trap." Soon after daybreak bowls of milk and trays of bread and meat were brought down to the workers by some of the women. As there was no innnediatc expectation of attack, the farmer himscH', with the pastor, wert back to the village to cheer the women before their departure. "You need not be afraid, witV," the farmer said. "I shall keep to my plans, beca;;se when you have once made a plan it is foolish to change it; but 1 deem not that there is any real need for sending you and the waggons and beasts away. This young Scotch lad seenjs made for a commander, and truly, if all his countrymen are like himself, I wonder no longer that the Poles and Imperial- ists have been unable to withstand them. Truly he has constructed a trap from which this 1 and of villains will have but little cliance of escape, and I trust that we may slay them without much loss to ourselves. What rejoicings will there not be in the fifty villages when the news comes that their oppressors have been killed! The good God has assuredly sent this youth hither as His in- strument in defeating the oppressors, even as He chose the shepherd boy David out of Israel to be the scourge of the Philistines." By this time all was ready for a start, and having seen the waggons fairly on their way the farmer returned to the wood, the pastor accompanjdng the women. Three hours passed before there were any signs of the ma- rauders, and Malcolm beofan to think that the idea mifrht have occurred fo them that he had oone to Glosfau, and that the}'' might therefore have postponed their raid upon that village until they could make sure of taking it 90 THE APPROACH OF THE MARAUDERa :!( iii ii ^M 1 l»y surprise, and so capturing all the horses and valuables before the viliajLicrs had time to remove them. Glofjau was, however, quite out of Malcolm's direct line for the Swedish camp, and it was hardly likely that the free- booters would think that their late captive would go out of his way to warn the village, in which he had no in- terest whatever; indeed they would scarcely be likely to recall the fact that he had been present when they were discussing their proposed ex[)edition against it. All doubts were, however, set at rest v/hen a boy who liad been stationed in a high tree near the edge of the wood ran in with the news that a band of horsemen were riding across the plain, and would be there in a few minutes. Every one fell into his appointed place. The farmer himself took the command of the party on one side of the road, Malcolm of that on the other. Matches were blown, and the priming of the arquebuses looked to; then they gathered round the ropes, and listened for the tramp of horses. Although it was but a few minutes before it came, the time seemed lono: to those waitiniG:; but at last a vajijue sound was heard, which rapidly rose into a loud trampling of horses. The marauders had been riding quietly until they neared the wood, as speed was no object; but as they wished to take the village by surprise — and it was just possible that they might have been seen approaching — they were now riding rapidly. Suddenly the earth gave way under the feet of the horses of the captain and his lieutenant, who were riding at the head of the troop, and men and animals disappeared from the sight of those who followed. The two men be- hind them pulled their horses back on their haunches, and CAUGHT IN A TRAP. 91 tin the as was the checked them at the edge of the pit into which their leaders had fallen. As they did so a loud crack was heard, and a great tree came crashing down, falling directly upon them, striking them and their horses to the ground. A loud cry of astonishment and alarm rose from those behind, followed 1 y carses and exclamations of rage. A few seconds after I he fall of the tree there was a crash in the rear of the party, and to tlieir astonishment the freebooters saw that another tree had fallen there, and that a barricade of boughs and leaves closed their way behind as in front. Deprived of their leaders, bewildered and alarmed at this strange and unexpected occurrence, the marauders re- mained irresolute. Two or three of those in front got off their horses and tried to make their way to the assistance of their comrades who were lying crushed under the mass of foliage, and of their leaders in the pit beyond. But now almost simultaneously two more crashes were heard, and a tree from each side fell upon them. Panic- stricken now the horsemen strove to dash through the underwood, but their })rogress was arrested, for among the bushes ropes had been fastened from tree to tree; stakes had been driven in, and the bushes interlaced with cords. The trees continued to fall till the portion of the road occupied by the troop was covered by a heap of fallen wood and leaf. Then for the first time the silence in the wood beyond them was broken, the ilavshes of tire arms darted out from the brushwood, and then with a shout a number of men armed with pikes and axes sprang forward to the attack. ^ A few only of the maiauders were in a position to ofler any resistance whatever. The greater portion were buried ii^ !| iii li! 92 SI.AL'GIITER OF THE BRIGANDS. under the mass of foliage, ^fany had been struck down by the trunks or heavy arms of the trees. All were ham- pered and confused by the situation in which they found themselves. Under such circumstances it was a ma.ssacre rather than a hiiht. Malcolm, seeinf; the ir.abilitv of the freebooters to op'jose any formidable resistance, sheathed his sword, and left it to the peasants to avenge the count- less murders which the band had committed, and the ruin and misery which they had inflicted upon the country. In a few minutes all was over. The brigands were shot down, piked, or slain by the heavy axes through tlie openings in their leafy prison. Quarter was neither asked for nor given. The freebooters knew that it would be useless, and died cursing their foes and their own fate in being thus slaughtered like rats in a trap. Two or tliree of the peasants were wounded by pistol-shots, but this was all the iniuiv that their success cost them. » " The wicked have digged a pit, and they have fallen into it themselves," the farmer said as he approached the spot where Malcolm was standing, some little distance from the scene of slaughter. "Verily the Lord hath de- livered them into our hands. I understand, my young friend, why you as a soldier did not aid in the slaughter of these villains. It is your trade to fight in open battle, and you care not to slay your enemies when helpless; but with us it is different. We regard them as wild beasts, without heart or pity, as scouiges to be annihilated when we have the chance; just as in winter we slay the wolves who come down to attack our herds." " I blame you not," Malcolm said. " When men take to the life of wild beasts they must be slain as such. Now my task is done, and I will journey on at once to join' 1 I mg MALCOLM*S ADVICE. 03 my countrymen; but I will give you one piece of advice before I go. "In the course of a day or two the party left at Wolfs- burg will grow uneasy, and two of their number are sure to ride hitiier to inquire as to the tarrying of the band. Let your men with arquebuses keep watch night and day and shoot them down when they arrive. Were I in your place I would then mount a dozen of your men and let them put on the armour of these dead robbers and ride to Wolfsburg, arriving there about daybreak. If they see you coming they will take you to be the band returning. The two men below you will cut down without difliiculty, and there will then be but three or four to deal with in the castle. "I recounnend you to make a complete end of them; and for this reason: if any of the band surv've they will join themselves with some other party and will be sure to endeavour to get them to avenge this slaughter; for although these bands have no love for each other, yet they would be ready enough to take up each other's quarrel as against country folk, especially when there is a hope of plunder. Exterminate them, then, and advise your men to keep their secret. Few can have seen the brigands riding hither to-day. When it is found that the band have disappeared the country around will thank God, and will have little curiosity as to how they have gone. You will of course clear the path again and bury their bodies; and were 1 you I would prepare at once another ambush like that into which they have fallen, and when a second band of marauders comes into this part of the country set a watch night and day. Your men will in future be better armed than hitherto, as each m 1. 1 1 ■1 li: "■ JJi: 94 MALCOLM LEAVES THE VILLAGE. of those freebooters carries a brace of pistols. And now, as I would fain be off as soon as pos;,ibie, I would ask you to let your men set to work with their axes and cut away the boughs and to get nie out a horse. Several of thnn must have been killed by the falling trees, and some by tlie fire of the arquebuses; but no doubt there are some unin'ured." In a quarter of an hour a horse was brought up, to- gether with the helmet and armour worn by the late captain of the band. As Malcolm mounted, the men crowded round him and loaded him with thanks and blessings for the danger from which he had delivered them, their wives and fa- milies. When the fuijitives had left the villajre a store of cooked provisions had been left behind for the use of the de- fenders during the day. As the women could not be fetched back before nightfall, the farmer had despatchd a man for some of this food, and the wallets on the saddle were filled with sufficient to last Malcolm for three or four days. A brace of pistols were placed in the holsters, and with a last farewell to the farmer Malcolm gave the rein to his horse and rode away from the village. He travelled fast now and without fear of interruption. The sight of armed men riding to join one or other of the armies was too common to attract any attention, and avoiding large towns Malcolm rode unmolested across the plain. He presently heard the report that the Swedes had captured Frankfort-on-the-Oder, and as he approached that town, after four days' riding, heard that they had moved towards Landsberg. Thither he followed them, AMONG FRIENDS. 95 3 or Lrge lad lem. and came up to them outside the walls of that place six days after leaving Glogau. The main body of the Swedish army had remained in and around Frankfort, Gustavus having marched against Landsberg with only 3200 mus- keteers, 12 pieces of cannon, and a strong body of horse, liepburn and Reay's Scotch regiments formed part of tlie column, and Malcolm witli delight again saw the jxreon scarves and banners. As he rode into the camp of his regiment he was un- noticed by the soldiers until he reached the tents of the officers, before which Colonel Munro was standinij talkinff with several others. On seeing an officer approach in full armour they looked up, and a cry of astonishment broke from them on recoonizino; Malcolm. "Is it you, Malcolm Grieme, or your wraith?" Munro exclaimed. " It is I in the flesh, colonel, sound and hearty." " Why, my dear lad," Munro exclaimed, holding out his hand, " w^e thought you had fallen at the sack of New Brandenburg. Innes and Lumsden w^ere believed to be the only ones who had escaped." " I have come through it, nevertheless," Malcolm said ; "but it is a long stor}-, colonel, and I would ask you first if the king has learned what Tilly is doing." " No, he has received no new^s whatever of him since he heard of the affair at New Brandenburg, and is most anxious lest he should fall upon the army at Frankfort while we are aw^ay. Do you know aught about him ?" " Tilly marched west from New Brandenburg," Mal- colm said, "and is now besieo-ini? Maj^deburij." "This is news indeed," Munro said; "you must come with me at once to the king." ^ »ip 96 GUSTAVUS HKAIIS OF TILLY's MARCH. Hi Malcolm followed Colonel Munro to the royal tent, which was but a few hiindi'cd yards away. Oustavup, liad just returned after visiting the advanced lines round the city. On being told that Colonel Munro wished to speak to him on important business, he at once came to the entrance of his tent. "Allow me to present to you, sire, Malcolm Gramme, a very gallant young officer of my regiment He was at New Brandenburg, and 1 deemed that he had fallen there; how he escapeil I have not yet had time to learn, seeing that he has but now ridden into the camp; but as he is bearer of news of the whereabouts of Tilly and his army, I thought it best to bring him immediately to you." " Well, sir," Gustavus said anxiously to JMalcolm, " what is your news?" " Tilly is besieging Magdeburg, sire, with his whole strenoth." " Magdeburg!" Gustavus exclaimed incredulously. "Are you sure of your news? I deemed him advancing upon Frankfort." " Quite sure, sire, for I accompanied his column to within two marches of the city, and there was no secret of his intentions. He starterl for that town on the very day after he had captured New Brandenburg." "This is important, indeed," Gustavus said; "follow me," and he turned and entered the tent. Spread out on the table was a large map, which the king at once consulted. " You see, Colonel Munro, that to relieve Magdebui-g I must march through Kustrin, Berlin, and Spandau, and the first and last are strong fortresses. I can do nothing until the Elector of Brandenburg declares for us, and gives us leave to pass those places, for I dare not march round tent, IS had nd tlic speak to the ]cme, a it New there; seeing 9 he is ^ army, 1. , " what } w hole . "Are g upon within of his [ry day )w me," on the [suited, tburg I lu, and lothing Id gives round 276 COLONEL MUNRO PRESENTS MALCOLM TO THE KINi 'i 1 i M 1 1 III M hi 1 j .■4 1 I , t: ■ ) 1 , 1,4-' I 1 Ha 1 i i) I' 1! If 1 ' 1-,; !| 1 MAtcotMs nr.font. §? and leave tliem in my rear until sure that this weak prince will not take sides witn the Imperialists. I will despatch a messenger to-night to him at Berlin demanding leave to march through his territory to relieve Magdeburg. In the meantime v/g will finish oti' with this place, and so be in readiness to march west when his answer arrives. And now, sir," iie went on, turning to Malcolm, " please to give me the account of how you escaped first from New Brandenburg, and then from Tilly." Malcolm related briefly the manner of his escape from the massacre at New Brandenburg, and how, after accom- panying Tilly's army as a teamster for two days, he had made his escape. He then still more briefly related how he had been taken prisoner by a band of freebooters, but had managed to get away from them, and had drawn them into an ambush by peasants, whore they had been slain, by which means he had obtained a hoi'se and ridden straight to the army. ' Gustavus asked many que.stions, and elicited many more details than Malcolm had deemed it necessary to give in his first recital. " You have shown great prudence and forethought,*' the king said when he had finished, "suc'i as would not be looked for in so young a soldier." " And he beha^.^ed, sire, with distinguished gallantry and coolness at Schiefelbrune, and in the destructive light out- side Colberg," Colonel Munro put in. " By the slaughter on the latter day he would naturally have obtained his promotion, but he begged to be passed over, asserting that it was best that at his a:je he should remain for a time as an ensign. " Suth modesty is unusual," the king said, " and pleases (276) G I r I 1 1'- r ■ \\ ! ill ill ■ 1 1 j . 1 IB OS LANDSBERG. me; see the next time a step is vacant, colonel, that he has it. Whatever his ao^e, he has shown himself fit to do man's work, and years are of no great value in a soldier; why, among all my Scottish regiments 1 have scarcely a colonel who is yet thirty years old." Malcolm now returned with Colonel Munro to the reufiment, and there had to ijive a full and minute account of his adventures, and was warndy congratulated by his fellow officers on his good fortune in escaping from the dano-ers. which had beset him. The suit of armour was a handsome one, and had been doubtless stripped off from the body of some knight or noble murs, and again marched with the arujy against Berlin, which he had but a few days before left. Hlxv he again dictated terms, which the duke was forced to aufree to. The Swedish army now marched to Old Brandenburg, thirty-four miles west of Berlin, and there remained for some time waiting until some expected reinforcements should reach it. SUCCi:SSES OF TILLY. 103 hi , of 80 jpared, blessly iticipa- sent a it Ger- t have larcbed ere not d upon was, in 5. litheito Lce has- f a time ihe Ini- ears of lie him, 3 treaty ily been I to the nour to lated by against ^ Here )reed to lenburg, Ined for [cements The place was extremely unhealthy, and great num- bers died from malaria and fever, thirty of Munro's mus- keteers dying in a single week. During this time the king was negotiating with the Elector of Saxony and tl\e Landgrave of Hesse. These were the two most powerful of the Protestant princes in that part of Ger- many, and Tilly resolved to reduce them to obedience before the army of Gustavus was in a position to move forward, for at present his force was too small to enable him to take the field against the united armies of Tilly and Pappenheim. He first fell upon the Landgrave of Hesse, and laid Thlirinfren waste with fire and sword. Frankenhausen was plundered and burned to the ground. Erfurt saved itseli" from a similar fate V)y the payment of a large sum of money, and by engaging to supply great stores of provisions for the use of the Lnperial army. The Land- grave of Hesse-Cassel was next summoned by Tilly, who threatened to carry fire and sword through his dominions unless he would immediately disband his troops, pay a heavy contribution, and receive the Lnperial troops into his cities and fortresses; but the landgrave refused to accept the terms. Owing to the unhealthiness of the district round old Brandenburg Gustavus raised his camp there, and marched forward to Werben, near the junction of the Elbe with the Havel. He was joined there by his youno" queen, Maria Eleonora, with a reinforcement of 8000 men, and by the Marquis of Hamilton with G200, for the most part Scotch, who had been raised by him with the con- sent of Charles L, to whom the marquis was master of the horse. 104 DOWN WITH FEVER. I );■ m ,{!| II Werben was distant but a few miles from Magdeburj^, and Pappenheiin, wlio coniinanded the troops in that neigh bourliood, seeing that Custavus was now in a posi- tion to take the Held amunst him, sent an urofent messa^^e to Till}'- for assistance; and the Imperial general, who was on the point of attacking the Landgrave of Hesse-Cassel, at once marched with his arm}"- and effected a junction with Pappenheim, their combined force being greatly superior to that of Gustavus even after the latter had received his reinforcements. Malcolm had not accompanied the army in its march from Old Brandenburg. He had been prostrated by fever, and although he shook off the attack it left him so weak and feeble that he was altogether unfit for duty. The army was still lying in its swampy quarters, and the leech wl o had attended him declared that he could never recover his strength in such an unhealthy air. Nigel Graeme, who had now rejoined tlie regiment cured of hi.- wound, reported the surgeon's opinion to Munro. ** I am not surprised," the colonel said, "and there are many others in the same state; but whither can I send them ? The Elector of Brandenburg is so fickle and treacherous that he may at any moment turn against us." "1 was speaking to Malcolm," Nigel replied, "and he said that he would he could go for a time to recruit his health in that village among the hills where he had tlie fight with the freebooters who made him captive. He said he was sure of a cordial welcome there, and it is but three days' march from here." " 'Tis an out-of-the-way place," Munro said, " and if we move west we shall be still further removed from it. There are Imperial bands everywhere harrying the coun- r ^1 THE START OF THE INVALIDS. 105 'e are send and it us. le said Health fight id he three if we bni it. coun- try unguarded by us, and one of these niii^ht at any moment swoop down into tliat neighbourhood." "Tliat is true; l)ut, ai'ter all, it would be better that he should run tliat risk than sink from weakness as so many liave done here after oettinix through tlie llrst attack of fever." " That Is so, Nigel, and if y^u and Malcolm prefer that risk to the other 1 will n(jt say you nay; but what is trood for him is jrood for others, and I will ask the surgeon to make me a list of twenty men who are strong enough to journey by easy stages, and who yet absolutely require to get out of this poisonous air to enable them to efi'ect their recovery. We will furnish them with one of the baggage- waggons of the regiment, so that they can ride when they choose. Tell the paymaster to give each man in advance a month's pay, that they may have nioney to pay for what they need. Horses are scarce, so we can give them but two with the waggon, but that will be sufficient as they will journey slowly. See that a steady and experi- enced driver is told off with them. They had best start at daybreak to-morrow morning." At the appointed time the waggon was in readiness, and those who had to accompany Malcolm gathered round, together w'ith many of their comrades who had assemljled to wish them God-speed. The pikes and muskets, hel- mets and breast-pieces were placed in the waggon, and then the fever-stricken band formed up before it. Munro, Nigel, and most of the officers came down to bid farewell to Malcolm, and to wish him a sjieedy return in good health. Then he placed himself at the head of the band and marched off' the wai>"ii:on followino; in the rear. Before they had been gone a mile several of the W I ■ill 106 THE AKRIVAL AT THE VILLAGE. men had been compelled to take thtir places in the wag- gon, and by the time three miles had buun passed the itst had one by one been forced to give in. Malcolm was one of the last. He took his seat by the driver, and the now hea\ ily-fie.ghted waggon moved slowly across the country. A store of provisions sulii- cient for several days had been placed in the waggon, and after proceeding fifteen miles a halt was made at a deserted village, antl two of the houses in the best con- dition were taken possession of, Malcolm and the sergeant of the party, a young fellow named Sinclair, occupying the one, and the men taking up their quarters in another. The next morninor the benefit of the chanj^e and the removal from the fever-tainted air made itself already apparent. The distance performed on foot was somewhat longer than on the preceding day; the men were in better spirits, and marched with a brisker step than that with which they had left the camp. At the end of the fourth day they approached the wood in which the village was situated. ' I will go on ahead," Malcolm said. "Our approach will probably have been seen, and unless they know who we are we may meet with but a rough welcome. Halt the waggon here until one returns with news that you may proceed, for there may be pitfalls in the road." Malcolm had kept the horse on which he had ridden to Landsberfj, and it had been tied behind the wao-oron. During the last day's march he had been strong enough to ride it. He now dismounted, and taking the bridle over his arm he entered the wood. He examined the road cautiously as he went along. He had gone about half-way I A WARM WELCOME. 107 in LO-oron. when the farmer with four of his men armed with pikes suddenly appear d in the road before him. " Who are you," the farmer asked, " and what woukl you here?" " Do you not remember me?" Malcohn said. " It k but three months since I was here." " Bless me, it is our Scottish friend! Why, lad, I knew you not again, so changed are you. Why, what has happened to you?" "I have had the fever," Malcolm said, "and have been like to die; but I tlionght tliat a change to the pure air of your hills and woods here would set me up. So 1 have travelled here to ask \ our hospitality." By this time the farmer had come up and had grasped Malcolm's hand. ;^ " All tliat I have is yours," he said warndy. " The look- out saw a waggon coming across the plain with three or four men walking beside it, and he thought that many more were seated in it; so thinkimj that this miij^ht be a ruse of some freebooting band, I had the alarm-bell rung, and prepared to give them a hot reception." " I have brought some sick comrades with me," Malcolm said. " I have no thought of quartering them on you. That would be nigh as bad as the arrival of a party of marauders, for they are getting strength, and will, I warrant you, have keen appetites ere long; but we have brought tents, and will pay for all we have." " Do not talk of payment," the farmer said heartily. "As long as there is flour in the store-house and bacon on the beams, any Scottish soldier of Gustavus is welcome to it, still more if they be comrades of thine." "Thanks, indeed," Malcolm replied. "I left them at 108 Malcolm's advice. 1 4' the edge of the wood, for I knew not what welcome you might have pre[)aied here; and seeing so many men you miglit have shot at them before waiting to ask a question." " That is possible enough," tlie farmer said, " for indeed we could liardly look for friends. The men are all posted a hundred yards further on." The farmer ordered one of his men to q-q on and brinii- up the waggon, and then with Alalcolm walked on to the villat^e. A call that all was riL»ht brouo-ht out the de- fenders of the ambush. It had been arran^'ed similarlv to that which had been so successful before, except that instead of ihe pit, sevei'al strong ropes had been laid across the ro.id, to be tightened breast high as soon as an enemy came close to them. ^ " These are not as good as the pit," the farmer said as they passed thein; *' but as we have to use the road some- times we could not keep a pit here, which, moreover, might have given way and injured any one from a neigh- bourinof vilhi'^^ who miorht be ridinuf hither. We have made a strong stockade of beams among the underwood on either side, so that none could break through into the wood from the path." " That is good," Malcolm said; " but were I you I would dig a pit across the road some twelve feet wide, and would cover it with a stout door with a catch, so that it would bear waggons crossing, but when the catch is drawn it should rest only on some lii,'ht supports below, and would give way at once if a weight came on it. It would, of course, be covered over with turf. It will take some time to make, but it will add greatly to your safety." " It shall be done," the farmer said. " Wood is in A lt\Vi:\ f.l-' itl-'s'i-. |A0 m picntv, and some of iny men are good catpeiitcrs. I will set about it at once." On arriving at the village Malcolm was cordially wel- comed by the farmer's wife and daughters. The guest-chamber was instantly prepared for him and refreshments laid on the table, while the maids, under the direction of the farmer's wife, at once began to cook a bounteous meal in readiness for the arrive! of the soldier'* A spot vvas chosen on some smooth turf under" the shade of trees for the erection of the tents, and trusses of clean straw carried there for bedding. Malcolm as he sat in the cool chamber in the farm- house felt the change delightful after the hot dusty journey across the plain. There was quite an excitement in the little village when the waggon drove up. The men lifted the arms and baggage from the waggon. The women oti'ered frint and tlagons of wine, and fresh cool water, to the soldiers. There was not only general plea- sure throughout the village caused by the novelty of the arrival of the party from the outer world, but a real satisfaction in receivinor these men who had fouijht so bravely against the oppressors of the Protestants of Ger- many. There was also the feeling that 'so long as this body of soldiers might remain in the village they would be able to sleep in peace and security, safe from the at- tacks of any marauding band. The tents w^ere soon pitched by the peasants under the direction of Sergeant Sinclair, straw was laid down in them, and the canvas raised to allow the air to sweep through them. Very grateful were the weary men for the kindness with which they were received, and even the weakest felt that they should soon recover their strength. 1 ' SPH m^ h^ I A QUTET SABBATH. In an hour two men came up from the farm-house carryifi'j a huge pot filled with strong soup. Another brought a great dish of stew. Women carried wooden platters, bowls of stewed fruit, and loaves of bread; and the soldiers, seated upon the grass, fell to with an appetite such as they had not experienced for weeks. With the meal was an abundant supply of the rough but whole- some wine of the country. " To the Scottish soldiers after the hardships they had passed through this secluded valley seemed a perfect paradise. They had nought to do save to eat their meals, to sleep on the turf in the shade, or to wander in the woods and gat-dens free to pick what fruit they fancied. Under these circumstances they rapidly picked up strength, and in a week after their arrival would hardly have been recognized as the feeble band who had left the Swedish camp at Old Brandenburg. On Sunday the pastor arrived. He did not live per- manently at the village, but ministered to the inhabitants of several villages scattered among the hills, holding services in them by turns, and remaining a few daj's in each. As the congregation was too large for the room in the farm-house the service was held in the open air. The Scotch soldiers were all present, and joined heartily in the singing, although many of them were ignorant of the language, and sang tlie words .of Scotch hymns to the Germaii tunes. Even the roughest of them, and those who had been longest away from their native country, were much moved by tli'^ service. The hush and stillness, the air of quiet and peace which prevailed, the fervour with which all joined in ihe simple service, took them back in thought to the GAINING STRENGTH. Ill rs in •ooni air. )een )ved and tned the days of their youth in quiet Scottish glens, and many a hand was passed hastily across eyes which had not been moistened for many a year. The armour and arms were now cleaned and polished, and for a short time each day Malcolm exercised, them. The martial appearance and perfect discipline of the Scots struck the villagers with admiration the first time they saw them under urms, and they earnestly begged Malcolm that they might receive from him and Sergeant Sinclair some ihstruction in drill. Accordingly every evening when work was done the men of the village were formed up and drilled. Several of the soldiers took their places with them in the ranks in order to aid them by their example After the drill there was sword and pike exercise, and as most of the men had already soine knowledge of tlie use of arms they made rapid progress, and felt an increased confidence in tl>eir power to defend the village against the attacks of any small bands of plunderers. To Malcolm the time passed delightfully. His kind hosts vied with each other in their efforts to make him comfortable, and it was in vain that he assured them that he no longer needed attention and care. A seat was always placed for him in the coolest nook in the room, fresh grapes and other fruit stood in readiness on a table hard oy. The farmer's daughters, busy as they were in their household avocations, were always ready to sit and talk with him when he was indoors, and of an evening to sing him the country melodies. At the end of a fortnight the men were all fit for duty again, but the hospitable farmer would not hear of their leaving, and as news from time to time reached them MM i ^\ m tltfe eJ^EMY Al* ttANJ). from tliG outer world, and Malcolm learned that there was no chance of any enga2;ement for a time between the hostile armies, he wa.s cnly too glad to remain. Another fortnight passed, and Malcolm reluctantly gave the word that on the morrow the march must be recommenced. A general feeling of sorrow reigned in the villasfe when it was known that their jni:uests were about to depart, for the Scottish soldiers had made them- selves extremely popular. They were ever ready to assist in the labours of the village. They helped to pick the apples from the heavily-laden trees, tliey assisted to thrash out the corn, and in every way strove to repay their entertainers for the kindness they had shown them. Of an evening their camp had been the rendezvous of the whole village. There alternately the soldiers and the peasants sang their national songs, and joined in hearty choruses. Sometimes there were dances, for many of the villagers played on various instruments; and altoijfether Gloo'au had never known such a time of fes- tivit}" and clieerfulness before. Late in the evening of the day before they had fixed for their departure the pastor rode into the village. " I have bad news," he said. " A party of Pappenheiin's dragoons, three hundred strong, are raiding in the district on the other side of the hills. A man came in just as I mounted my horse, saying that it was expected they would attack Mansfeld, whose count is a sturdy Pro- testant. The people were determined to resist to the last, in spite of the fate of Magdeburg and Frank en- hausen, but I fear that their chance of success is a small one; but they say they may as well die fighting as be slaughtered in cold blood." t !1 t'il A NEW ENTiSRPRISK 113 i there etween etantly lust be ned in ;s were ) thcni- ady to to pick sted to ) repay a them, vous of )r.s and ined in ;es, for ts; and of fes- Ll fixed P* Idieim's listrict ist as I ^1 they Pro- ' the jik en- small as be "Is Mansfeld fortified?" Malcolm aslred. " It has a wall," the pastor replied, " but of no great strength. The count's castle, which stands on a rock ad- joining it, might defend itself for some time, but I ques- tion whether it can withstand Pappenheim's veterans. Mansfeld itself is little more than a village. I should not sav it had more than a thousand inhabitants, and can muster at best about two hundred and fifty men capable of bearing arms." "How far is it from here?" Malcolm asked after a pause. "Twenty-four miles by the bridle-path across the hills." " When were the Imperialists expected to arrive?" " They were ten miles away this morning," the pastor replied; "but as they were plundering and burning as they went they will not px'obably arrive before Mansfeld before the morning. Some of the more timid citizens were leaving, and many were sending away their wives and families." "Then," Malcolm said, "I will march thither at once. Twenty good soldiers may make all the difference, and although I have, of course, no orders for such an emer- gency, the king can hardly blame me even if the worst happens for striking a blow against the Imperialists here. Will you give me a man," he asked the farmer, "to guide us across the hills?" "That will I right willingly," the farmer said; "but it seems to me a desperate service to embark in. These townspeople are of little good for fighting, and probably intend only to make a show of resistance in order to pro- cure better terms. The count himself is a brave nobleman, but I fear that the enterprise is a hopeless one." (276) H ■ m rm lU A NIGHT MARCtt. " Hopeless or not," Malcolm said, " I will undertake it, and will at once put the men under arms. The waggon and horses with the baggage I will leave here till I re- turn, that is if we should ever come back again." A tap of the drum and the soldiers came running in hastily from various cottagts wheie they were spending their last evening with their village friends, wondering at the sudden summons to arms. As soon as they had fallen in, Malcolm joined them. " Men," he said, " I am sorry to disturb you on yoar last evening here, but there is business on hand. A party of Pappenheim's dragoons are about to attack the town of Mansfeld, where the people are of the reformed religion. The sieoe will hej-in in the mornino^, and ere that time w^e must be there. We have all got fat and lazy, and a little fighting will do us good." The thought of a coming fray reconciled the men to their departure from their quiet and happy resting-place. Armour was donned, buckles fastened, and arms inspected, and in half an hour, after a cordial adieu from their kind hosts, the detachment marched off, their guide with a lighted torch leadinor the wav. The men were in liffht marching order, having left everything superfluous behind them in the waggon; and they nmrched briskly along over hill and through forest without a halt, till at three o'clock in the morning the little town of Mansfeld, with its castle rising above it, was visible before them in the first light of morning. As they approached the walls a musketoor. was fired, and the alarm-bell of the church instantly rang out. Soon armed, men made their appearance on the walls. Fearing that the burghers might fire before waiting to THE ENTRY INTO MANSFELD. 116 bake it, waggon 11 I re- ning in pending ndering tiey had 3n yoar A party le town eformed and ere fat and 1 men to ig-place. ispected, leir kind with a in light s behind anor over e o'clock ts castle st light ascertain who were the new-comers, Malcolm halted his band, and advanced alone towards the walls. " Who are you who come in arms to the peaceful town of Mansfeld?" an officer asked from the wall. " 1 am an officer of his Swedish Majesty, Gustavus, and hearing that the town was threatened with attack by the Imperialists, I have marched hither with my detach- ment to aid in the defence," A loud cheer broke f "' ' the walls. Not only was the reinforcement a most welcome one, small as it was, for the valour of the b'cottish soldiers oi the Kincr of Sweden was at that time the talk of all Germany, but the fact that a detachment of these, redoubted troops had arrived seemed a proof that the main army of the Swedish king could not be far away. The gates were at once opened, and Malcolm with his band marched into Mansfeld. J. ■H Ji'l las fired, mg out. \e walls, liting to ..L.- n ! CHAPTy.R VIII. THE SIEGF. Cf MANSrELO. ILL it please your worship at oi^ce to repa'i' to the castle?" the leader of the towiispeoj)!..! said. "The count has just sent d(jwn to inquire into the reason of the ahirni." "Yes," Malcolm replied,"! will go at once. In the meantime, sir, I pray you to see to the wants of my soldiers, who have taken a long night march and will be none the worse for some refreshment. Hast seen aught of the Imperialists?" "They are at a village hut a mile distant on the other side of the town," the citizen said. "Yesterday we counted eighteen villages in flames, and the peasants who ha\e come in say that numbers have been slain by them." "There is little mercy to be expected from the butchers of Magdeburg," Malcolm replied; "the only arguments they will listen to are steel and leaht to be here in time. My party is a small one, but each man can be relied upon, and when it comes to hard fighting twenty good soldiers may turn the day." "You are heartily welcome, sir, and I thank you much for coming to our aid. The townspeople are determined to do their best, but most of them have little skill in arms. I have a score or two of old soldiei\s here in the castle, and had hoped to be able to hold this to the end; but truly I despaired of a succcssiui defence of the town. But enter, I pray you; the countess will be glad to wel- come you." Malcolm accompanied the count to the banquet-hall of the castle. The countess, a gentle and graceful woman, was already there; fo!- indeed but few in Mansfeld had closed an eye that nig' it, for it was possible that the Im- perialists might attack witlu,ut delay. By her side stood her daughter, a girl of about fourteen years old. Malcolm ^IRI m I •; 1 118 THEKUL had already stated his name to the count, and the latter now presented him to hi^ wife. " We have heard so much of the Scottish soldiers," she said as she held out her hand, over which Malcolm bent deeply, " that we have all been curious to see them, little •Ireaming that a band of them \vould appear here like good angels in our hour of danger." " It was a fortunate accident which found me within reach when I heard of the approach of the Imperialists. The names of the Count and Countess of Mansfeld are so well known and so highly esteemed through Protestant Germany that I was sure that the king would approve of my hastening to lend what aid I might to you without orders from him." " I see you have learned to flatter," the countess said smiling. " This is my daughter Thekla."* " I am glad to see you," the girl said; " but I am a little disappointed. I had thought that the Scots were such big fierce soldiers, and you are not very big — not so tall as papa; and you do not look fierce at all — not half so fierce as my cousin Caspar, who is but a boy." " That is very rude, Thekla," her mother said reprov- ingly, while Malcolm laughed gaily. "You are quite right, Fraulein Thekla. I know I do not look very fierce, but I hope when my moustache grows 1 shall come up more nearly to your expectations. As to my height, I have some years to grow yet, seeing that I am scarce eighteen, and perhaps no older than your cousin." "Have you recently joined, sir?" the countess asked. " I have served through the campaign," Malcolm re- plied, " and have seen some hard knocks given, as you I M THE PREPARATIONS FOR DEFENCE. 119 latter •s," she 11 bent 1, little re like within rialists. Id are testant pprove without iSS said a little such not so ot half eprov- I do grows As to or that your :ed. im re- you may imagine when I tell you that I w^as at the siege of New Brandenburg." "When your soldiers fought like heroes, and, as I heard, all died sword in hand save two or three officers who managed to escape." "I was one of the three, countess; but the tale is a lonsr one, and can be told after we have done with the Imperialists. Now, sir," he went on, turning to the count, " 1 am at your orders, and will take post with my men at any point that you may think fit." •' Before doing that," the count said, " you must join us at breakfast. You must be hungry after your long march, and as I have been all night in my armour I shall do justice to it myself. You will, of course, take up your abode here. As to other matters I have done my best, and the townspeople were yesterday all told off to their places on the walls. I should think it w^ere best that your band were stationed in the market-place as a reserve, they could then move to any point Mdiich might be seri- ously threatened. Should the Imperialists enter the town the citizens have orders to fall back here fighting. All their most valuable goods were sent up here yesterday, toirether with such of their wives and families as have not taken flight, so that there will be nothing to distract them from their duty." "That is good," Malcolm said. "The thought that one is fighting for home and family must nerve a man in the defence, but w-hen the enemy once breaks in he would naturally think of home first and hasten away to defend it to the last, instead of obeying orders and falling back with his comrades in good order and discipline." The meal was a cheerful one. Malcolm related more If ill 'H il! 120 TIIK SUMMONS. in detail liow be and his detaclinicnt liappened to be so far removed from the army. Just as tlie meal came to an end a diiim beat in the town and the alarm-1 ells be^an to ring. The count and Malcolm sallied out at once to the outer wall, and saw a suudl party of ollicer.s ridin«,' from the village occupied by the Imperialists towards the town. " Let us descend," the count said. ' I presume they are fioincr to demand our surrender." They reached the wall of the town just as the Im- perialist ofiicers approached the gate. " In the name of his majesty the emperor," one of them cried out, " I command you to open the gate and to sur- render to his good will and pleasure." " The smokinn; villaixcs which I see around me," Count Mansfeld replied, "are no hopeful sign of any good will or pleasure on the part of his majesty towards us. As to suiTcnderino- we will die rather. But I am willino- to pay a fair ransom for the town if you will draw otl' your troops and march away." "Beware, sir!" the officer said. "I have a force here sufficient to compel obedience, and I warn you of the fate which will befall all within these walls if you persist in refusing to admit us." "I doubt not as to their fate," the count replied; "there are plenty of examples before us of the tender mercy which your master's troops show towards the towns you capture. Once again I offer you a ransom for the town. Name the sum, and if it be in reason such as I and the townspeople can pay, it shall be yours; but open the gates to you we will not." "Very well," the officer said; "then your blood be on iln I THE FIRST ASSAULT. 121 your there jnercy you town, the [gates )e on your own heads." And turning his horse he rode with his companions back towards the village. On their arrival there a bustle was seen to prevail. A hundred horsemen rode off and took post on an eminence near the town, ready to cut off the retreat of any who might try to escape, and to enter the town when the gates were forced open. The other two hundred men advanced on foot in a close body towards the principal gate. • They will try and blow it open with petards," Mal- colm said. " Half of my men are musketeers and good shots, and I will, with your permission, place them on the wall to aid the townsfolk there, for if the gate is blown open and the enemy i'orce thoir way in it will go hard with us." The count assented, and Malcolm posted his musketeers on the wall, orderino- Serorant Sinclair with the re- mainder to set to work to eiect barricades across the street leading from the gate, so that, in case this w^ere blown in, such a stand might be made against the Imperialists as would give the townspeople time to rally from the walls and to gather there. The Imperialists heralded their advance by opening fire with pistols and musketoons against the wall, and the de- fenders at once replied. So heavy was the tire that the head of the column w^avered, many of the leading files being at once shot down, but, encouraged by their officers, they rallied, and pushed forward at a run. The fire of the townspeople at once became hurried and irregular, but the Scots picked off their men with steady aim. The leader of the Imperialists, who carried a petard, advanced boldly to the edge of the ditch. The fosse was shallow and contained HI m • I ' 122 THE REPULSE OF THE STOUMINO PARTY. but little water, jjnd he at once clashed into it and waded across, for the diavvhridj'c had, of course, been raised. He climbed up the bank, and was close to the gate, when Malcolm, loaning far ovci* the wall, discharged his pistol ut him. The ball glanced from the steel armour. Malcolm drew his other pistol and again fired, this time more etlectually, for the ball struck between the shoulder and the neck at the junction of the breast and back pieces, and passed down into the body of the Austrian, who, dropping the petard, fell dead; but a number of his men were close behind him. "Quick, lads!" Malcolm cried. "Put your strength to this parapet. It is old and rotten. Now, all together! Shove!" The soldiers bent their strength against the parapet, while some of the townspeople, thrusting their pikes into the rotten mortar between the ston(>s, prised them up with all their «ti-ength. The parapet tottered, and then with a tremendous crash fell, burying five or six of the Imperialists and the petard beneath the ruins. A shout of exultation rose from the defenders, and the Imperialists at once withdrew at full speed. They halted out of gun-shot, and then a number of men were sent back to the village, "'Iv.nce they returned carrying ladders, some of which had been collected the day before from the neiirhbourinix villaijes and others manufactured during the night. The enemy now divided into three parties, which advanced sifnultaneously against different points of the wall. Notwithstanding the storm of shot poured upon them as they advanced, they pressed forward until they reached the wall and planted their ladders, and then essayed to ■11 THE ENEMY IlEINFOUCED. 123 id the They were rying jet'ore itured three erent I them iched id to i climb ; hut at each point the stunners were stoutly met with pike and sword, while the musketeers from the tlanking towers poured their bullets into them. The troops proved themselves worthy of their reputa- tion, for it was not until more than tifty had fallen that they desisted from the attempt and drew off. " Now we shall have a respite," Malcolm said. " If there are no more of them m the neighbourhood methinks they will retire altogether, but if tliey have any friends with cannon anywhere within reach they will probably send for them and renew the attack." The day ])assed (juietly. Parties of horsemen were seen leaving the village to forage and plunder the sur- rounding country, but the main body remained quietly there. The next day there was still no renewal of the attack, but as the enemy remained in occupation of the village Malcolm guessed that they must be waiting for the arrival of reinforcements. The following afternoon a cloud of dust was seen upon the plain, and presently a column of infantry some four hundred strong, with three cannon, could be made out. The townspeople now wavered in their determination. A few were still for resistance, but the majority held that they could not attempt to withstand an assault by so strong a force, and that it was better to make the best terms they could with the enemy. A parlementaire was accordingly despatched to the Imperialists asking what terms would be granted should the place surrender. "We will grant no terms whatever," the colonel in command of the Imperialists said. " The town is at our mercy, and we will do as we will with it and all within ;;; % i ! i 124 MALCOUI INblGNANT. it; but tell Count Mansfeld that if he will surrender the castle as well as the town at once, and without striking another bloW; his case shall receive favourable considera- tioa" " That will not do," the count said. " They either guarantee our lives or they do not. I give not up my castle on terms like these> but I will exercise no pressure on th ' townspeople. If thoy choose to defend themselves till the last I will fight here with them; if they choose to surrender they can do so; and tliose who diti'er from their fellows and put no faith in Tilly's wolves can enter the castle with me." The principal inhabitants of the town debated the question hotly. Malcolm lost patience with them, and said: " Are you mad as well as stupid ? Do you not see the smoking villages round you? Do you not remember the fate of Madffeburof, New Brandenbur^j, and the other towns which have made a resistance ? You have cho.-=en to resist. It was open to you to have fled when you heard the imperialists were coming. You could have opened the gates then with some hope at least of your lives; but you decided to resist. You have killed some fifty or sixty of their soldiers. You have repulsed them from a place which they thought to take with scarce an eflfort. You have compelled them to send for reinforce- ments and guns. And now you are talking of opening the gates without even obtaining a promise that your lives shall be spared. This is the extremity of folly, and all I can say is, if you. take such a step you will well deserve your fate." Malcolm's indignant address had its effect, and after a i Falling back to tttE castLe. 12^ short discussion the townspeople a^'ain placed themselves at the count's disposal, and said that they would obey his orders. " I will give no orders," the count said. " My Scottish friend here agrees with me that it is useless to try to defend the town. We might repulse several attacks, but in the end they would surely break in, for the walls are old and weak, and will crumble before their cannon. Were there any hope of relief one would defend them to the last, but as it is it would be but a waste of blood, for many would be slain both in the defence and before they could retre£,t to the castle; therefore we propose at once to withdraw. We doubt not that we can hold the castle. Any who like to remain in theic houses and trust to the tender mercy of Tilly's wolves can do so." There was no more hesitation, and a cannon-ball, the first which the Imperialists had fired, at that moment crashed into a house hard by, and sharpened their decision won- derfully. " I have no great store of provisions in the castle," the count said, "and although I deem it not Mkely that we shall have to stand a long siege we must be prepared for it. There are already more than 700 of your wives and children there, therefore while half of the force continue to show themselves upon the walls, and so deter the enemy from attempting an assault until they have opened some breaches, let the rest carry up provisions to the castle. Any houses from which the women have fled are at once *o be broken open. All that we leave behind the enemy will take, and the less we leave for them the better; therefore all stores and magazines of food and wine must be considered as public property. * >f r^i M 126 THE IMPERIALISTS ENTER. Let the men at once be divided into two bodies — the one to guard the walls, the other to search for and carry up provisions. They can be changed every three or four hours." The resolution was taken and carried into effect with- out delay. Most of the hor.-jes and carts in the town had lei'fc with the fugitives, those that reuiained were at once set to work. The carts were laden with large barrels of wine and sacks of flour, while the men carried sides of bacon, kegs of butter, and other portable articles on their heads. The Imperialists, seeing the movement up the steep road to the castle gate, opened fiie with their arquebuses, but the defenders of the wall replied so hovly that they were forced to retire out of range. The cannon played steadily all day, and by nightfall two breaches had been effected in the wall and the gate had been battered down. But by this ^ime an ample store of provisions had been collected in the castle and as the Imperialists were seen to form up for the assault the trumpet was sounded, and at the signal the whole of the defenders of the walls left their posts and fell back to the castle, leaving the deserted town at the mercy of the enemy. The Imperialists raised a shout of triumph as they entered the breaches and found them undefended, and when once assured that the town was deserted they broke their ranks and scattered to plunder. It was now quite dark, and many of them dragging articlt's of furniture into the streets made great bonfires to light them at their work of plunder. But they had soon reason to repent having done so, for immediately the flames sprang up and lighted the streets, flashes ran 4 ■A n\ '■ PREPARING FOR A SORTIE. 127 roimd the battlements of the castle, and a heavy fire was opened into the streets, killing many of the soldiers. Seeing the dar.ger of thus exposing the men to the fire from the castle, the Imperialist commander issued orders at once that all fires should be extinguished, that anyone setting fire to a house should be instantly hung, and that no lights were to be lit in the houses whose windows faced the castle. Foreseeing the possibility of an attack from the castle, the Austrians placed a hundred men at the foot of the road leading up to it and laid their three cannon loaded to the muzzle to command it. "Have you not," Malcolm asked the count, "some means of exit from the castle resides the way into the town?" , ..^-',\, : ■ ^* ; , ; - "Yes," the count said, "there is a footpath down the rock on the other side." " Then," Malcolm said, " as soon as they are fairly drunk, which will be before n\idnight, let us fall upon them from the other side= Leave fifty of your oldest men with half a dozen veteran soldiers to defend the gateway against a sudden attack; with the rest we can issue out, and marching round, enter by the gate and breaches, sweep- ing the streets as we go, and then uniting, burst through any guard they may have placed to prevent a sortie, and so regain the castle.'' The count at once assented. In a short time shouts, songs, the sound of rioting and quarrels, arose from the town, showing that revelry v. as general. At eleven o'clock the men in the castle were mustered, fifty were told off to the defence w^ith five experienced soldiers, an officer of the count being left in command. The rest sallied through iiii 12^ A FIGHT iU tHte StUEEt^ i I i"t a little door at the back of the castle and noiselessly de- scended the steep path. On arriving at the bottom they were divided into three bodies. Malcolm with his Scots and fifty of the townspeople formed one. Count Mansfeld took the command of another, composed of his own soldiers and fifty more of the townspeople. The third consisted of e'.ghty of the best fighting men of the town under their own leaders. These were to enter by the gate, while the other two parties came in by the breaches. The moment the attack began the defenders of the castle were to open as rapid a fire as they could upon the foot of the road so as to occupy the attention of the enemy's force there, and to lead them to anticipate a sortie. The breach by which Malcolm was to enter was the farthest from the castle, and his command would, there- fore, be the last in arriving at its station. When he reached it he ordered the trumpeters who accompanied him to sound, and at the signal the three columns rushed into the town uttering shouts of "Gustavus! Gustavus!" The Imperialists in the houses near were slaughtered with scarcely any resistance. They were for the most part intoxicated, and such as retained their senses were paralysed at the sudden attack, and panic-stricken at the shouts, which portended the arrival of a relieving force from the army of the King of Sweden. As the bands pressed forward, slaying all whom they came upon, the resistance became stronger; but the three columns were all headed by parties of pikemen who advanced steadily and in good order, bearing down all opposition, and leaving to those behind them the task of slaying all found in the houses. Lights flashed from the window^s and partly lit up the •rttfi TOW^ IlECAnUREt). 12() streets, and tlie Imperialist off^^'^rs attempted to rally their men; but the Scottish shouts, " A Hepburn! A Hep- burn!" and the sight of their green scarves added to the terror of the soldiers, who were convinced that the terrible Green Brigade of the King of Sweden was upon them. Hundreds were cut down after strikini/ scarce a blow in their defence, numbers tied to the walls and leapt over. The panic communicated itself to the party drawn up to repel a sortie. Hearing the yells, screams, and shouts, accompanied by the musketry approaching from three different quarters of the town, while a steady fire from the castle indicated that the defenders there might at any moment sally out upon them, they stood for a time irresolute; but as the heads of tlie three columns ap- proached they lost heart, quitted their station, and with- drew in a body by a street by which they avoided the approach'.ng columns. On arriving at the spot Malcolm found the guns deserted. " The town is won now," he said. " I will take my post here with my men in case the Austrians should rally; do 3'ou with the rest scatter over the town and complete the work, but bid them keep together in parties of twenty." The force broke up and scattered through the town in their work of venoeance. House after liouse was entered and searched, and all who were found there put to the sword; but by this time most of those who were not too drunk to fly had already made for the gates. In half an hour not an Imperalist was left alive in the town. Then guards were placed at the gate and breaches, and they waited till morning. Not a sign of an Im- perialist was to be seen on the plain, and parties sallying (276) _------ "-^~^- I i 130 JOY OF THE TOWNSI'EOrLE. : II ,1 ..i out found that they had fled in the utmost disorder. Arms, accoutrements, and portions of phinder lay scattered thickly about, and it was clear that in the belief that the Swedish army was on them, the Imperialists had fled panic-«^tricken, and were now far away. Upwards of two hundred bodies were found in the streets and houses. A huge grave was dug o^ tside the walls, and here the fallen foes were buried. Only three or four of the de- fenders of the town were killed and a score or so wounded in the whole affair. Although there was little fear of a return, as the Imperialists would probably continue theii headlong flight for a long distance, and would then march with all haste to rejoin their main army with the news tliat a strong Swedish force was at Mansfeld, the count set the townspeople at once to repair the breaches. The people were overjoyed with their success, and de- lighted at having preserved their homes from destruction, for they knew that the Imperialists vrould, if unsuccessful against the castle, have given the town to the flames be- fore retiring. The women and children flocked down to their homes again, and although much furniture had b^^-^n destroyed and damage done, this was little heeded Wx.^n so much was saved. All vied in the expression of gratitude towards Malcolm and his Scots, but Malcolm modestly disclaimed all merit, saying that he and his men had scarcely struck a blow. " It is not so much the fighting," the count said, " as the example which you set the townsmen, and the spirit which the presence of you and your men diffused among them. Besides, your counsel and support to me have been invaluable; had it not been for you the place would probably have been carried at the first attack, and if not GRATITUDE. 131 the townspeople ■•vould have surrendered when the enemy's reinforcements arrivcil; and in that case, with so small a force at my command I could not have hoped to defend the castle successfully Moreover, the idea of the sortie which has freed us of them and saved the town from de- struction was entirely yours. No, my friend, say what you will I feel that I am indebted to you for the -safety of my wife and child, and so long as I live I shall be deeply your debtor." The following day Malcolm with his party marched away. The count had presented him with a suit of magni- ficent armour, and the countess with a gold chain of great value. Handsome presents were also made to Sergeant Sinclar. , who was a cadet of good family, and a purse of gold was given to each of the soldiers, so in high spirits the band marched away over the mountains on their re- turn to the village . ,rt^ •&■ ->f-^ ife sp- ^f ■ f tn t ,1 1 4 ^i I CHAPTER IX. THE BATfLE OF BREITENFELD. RE AT joy was manifested as Malcolm's band marched into the villao-e and it was found that they had accomplished the mission on which they went, had saved Mansfeld, and utterly defeated the Imperialists, and had returned in undiminished numbers, although two or three had received wounds more or less serious, principally in the first day's fighting. They only remained one night in the village. On the following morning the baggage was placed in the waggons with a store of fruit and provisions for their march, and after another hearty adieu the detachment set out in high spirits. After marching for two days they learned that the Swedish army had marched to Werben, and that Tilly's army had followed it there. After the receipt of this news there was no more loiter- ing; the marches were long and severe, and after making a detour to avoid the Imperialists the detachment entered the royal camp v/ithout having met with any adventure on the way. His fellow-oflicers Hocked round Malcolm to congratula^^e him on his safe return and on his restored health. THE CAMP AT WEUDEN. 133 " The change has done wonders for you, Malcolm," Nigel Gra3me said. " Why, when you marched out you were a band of tottering scarecrows, and now your detachment looks as healthy and fresh as if they had but yesterday left Scotland; but come in, the bugle has just sounded to supper, and we are only waiting for the colonel to arrive. He is at present in council with the king with Hepburn and some more. Ah ! here he comes." Munro rode up and leapt from his horse, and after heartily greeting Malcolm led the way into the tent where supper was laid out. J^' ilcolm was glad to see by the faces of his comrades that all had shaken off the disease which had played such havoc among them at Old Branden- burg. "Is there any chance of a general engagement ?" he asked Nigel. " Not at present," Nigel said. *' We are expecting the reinforcements up in a few days. As you see we have for- tified the camp too strongly for Tilly to venture to attack us here. Only 3'esterday he drew up his army and offered us battle; but the odds were too great, and the king will not fioht till his reinforcements arrive. Some of the hotter spirits were sorry that he would not accept Tilly's invita- tion, and I own that I rather gnashed my teeth myself; but I knew that the kincj was right in not riskinjr the whole cause rasldy when a few days will put us in a position to meet the Imperialists on something like equal terms. Is vhere any news, colonel?" he asked, turning to Munro. "No news of importance," the colonel replied; '' but the king is rather puzzled. A prisoner was taken to-day — one of Pappenheim's horsemen — and he declares that a force ill ft I 134 CLEARING UP A MYSTERY. of horse and foot have been defeated at Mansfeld by a Swedish army with heavy loss. He avers that he was present at the afi'air, and arrived in camp with the rest of the beaten force only yesterday. We cannot make it out, as we know that theic are no Swedish troops anywhere in that direction." Malcolm burst into a hearty laugh, to the surprise of his fellow-officers. "I can explain the matter, colonel," he said. "It was my detachment that had the honour of representing the Swedish army at Mansfeld. ' "What on earth do you mean, Malcolm?" the colonel asked. "Well, sir, as yG\i know T went with a detachment to the villaoje whei'C I liad before been well ti-eated, and had earned the gratitude of the people by teaching them how to destroy a party of marauders. After having been there for a month I was on the point of marching, for the men were all perfectly restored to health; and indeed 1 know I ouoht to have returned sooner, sceino- that the men were fit for service; but as I thought you were still at Old Brandenburg, and could well dispense with our services, I lingered on to the last. But just as I was about to march the news came that a party of Imperialist horse, three hundred strong, was about to attack Mansfeld, a place of whose existence I had never heard; but hearing that its count was a staunch Protestant, and that the inhabi- tants intended to make a stout defence, I thought that I could not be doing wrong in the service of the king by marching to aid them, the place being but twenty-four miles away across the hills. We got there in time, and aided the townspeople to repulse the first assault. After li MALCOLM S STORY. 135 two days they brought up a reinforcement of four hun- dred infantry and some cannon. As the place is a small one, with but about two hunch'ed and fii'ty fighting men of all ages, we deemed it impossible to defend the town, and while they were breaching the walls fell back to the castle. The Imperialists occupied it at surset, and at night, leaving a party to hold the castle, we sallied out from the other side, and marching round, entered by the breaches, and, raising the Swedish war-cry, fell upon the enemy, who were for the most part too drunk to otler any serious resistance. We icilled two hundred and fifty of them, and the rest fled in terror, thinking they had the whole iJwedi&li army upon them. The next day I started on my march back here, and though we have not spared speed, it seems that the Imperialists have arrived before us." A burst of laughter and applause greeted the solution of the mystery. " You have done well, sir," Munro said cordially, ** and have rendered a great service not only in the defeat of the Imperialists, but in its consequences here, for the pris- oner said that last night live thousand men n'cre marched away from Tilly's army to observe and make head against this supposed Swedish force advancing from the east. When I have done my meal I will go over to the king with the news, for his majesty is greatly puzzled, espe- cially as the prisoner declared that he himself had seen the Scots of the Green Brigade in the van of the column, and had heard the war-cry, 'A Hepburn! A Hepburn!' " Hepburn himself could make neither head nor tail of it, and was half inclined to believe that this avenging force was led by the ghosts of those who had been slain 136 THE HEIRESS OP MANSFELD. a f) i) K at New Bramlenburfr. Whenever we can't account for a tliini^, wo Scots are inclined to believe it's supernatiu-al. " Now tell nie more about the aHair, ^lalcolni. l)y the way do you know tliat you ai'e a lieutenant now? l^oor Foulis died of the fever a few days after you left us, an«l as the kinj^ had himself ordered that you were t'> have the next vacancy, 1 of course appointed you at once. We must drink to-nitilit to your ))r(jmotion." Malcolm now rehited fully the incidents of the siege. "By my faith, Malcolm Cr.'eme,"Munro said when he had finished, "you are as lucky as you are brave. Mansfeld is a powerful nobleman, and has large possessions in various parts of Germany and nuich influence, and the king will be grateful that you have tlius rendered him such effec- tive assistance and so bound him to our cause. I bel' o he has no chihbon." "He has a daughter," Malcolm said, "a pretty little miid some fourteeji years old." " In faith, Malcolm, 'tis a pity that you and she are not some four or five years older. What a match it would be for you, the heiress of Mansfeld; she would be a catch indeed! Well, there's time enough yet, my lad, for there is no saying how long this war will last." There was a general laugh, and the colonel continued: "Malcolm has the gi'ace to colour, which I am afraid the rest of us have lost long ago. Never n)ind, Malcolm, there are plenty of Scotch cadets have mended their fortune bv means of a rich heiress before now, a.nd I hope thei'e will be many more. I am on the look-out for a wealthy 3'ou ng countess myself, and I don't think there is one here who would not lay aside his armour and sword on such inducement. And now, gentlemen, THE K1NG*S ArPnODATION. 137 as we liiive all finished, I will leave yoii to your wine while I iro hci-oss with our vounLT lieutenant to the king. I l^u^^t tell him to-ni^ht, or he will not sleep with wondering over tlje nij-ster/. We will be lack anon and will I. roach a cask of that famous wine we picked up the other day, iji honour of Malcolm Grjvme's promo- tion." Sir John Hepburn was dining with Custavus, and tlie meal was just concluded when Colonel Munro was an- nounced. "Well, my brave Munro, what is it?" the king said heartilj', "and wliouj have you here? The young officer who escaped from New Brandenbuig and Tilly, unless I am mistaken." "It is, sir, but I have to introduce him in a new char- acter to-night, as the leader of j'our majesty's army who have defeated the Imperialists at Mansfeld." "Say you so?" exclaimed the king. "Then, though I understand you not, we shall hear a solution of the mys- tery which has been puzzling us. Sit down, young sir; fill yourself a flagon of wine, and expound this riddle to us." Malcolm repeated the narrative as he had told it to his colonel, and the king expressed his warm satis- faction. " You will make a great leader some day if you c^.o not get killed in one of these adventures, young sir. Bravery seems to be a common gift of the men of your nation; but you seem to unite with it a surprising prudence and sagacity, and, moreover, this march of yours to Mans- feld shows that you do not fear taking responsibility, which is a high and rare quality. You have done good Mi Pi 138 THE MARQUIS OF HAMILTON. 'H ■ i i f ■ I ■ 1 ' i 1 1 'li i ■ > 1 [kii * i service to the cause, and I thank yoy, and shall keep my eye upon you in the future." The next day Malcohn went round the camp, and was surprised at the exten;a\'e works wJiich had been erected. Strong rani2:)arts and redoubts liad been thrown up round it, faced with stone, and mounted with 150 pieces of cannon. In the centre stood an inner entrenchment with earthworks and a deep fosse. In tliis stood the tents of the king and those of liis principal officers. The Marquis of Hamilton had, Malcolm heard, arrived and gone. He had lost on the march many of the soldiers he had enlisted in Enii'land, who had died from eatinor German bread, which was heavier, darker coloured, and more sour than that of their own country. This, however, did not disagree with the Scotch, who were accustomed to black bread. "I wonder," Malcohn said to Nigel Gra3me, "that when the king has in face of him a force so superior to his ow^n he should have sent away on detached service the four splendid regiments which the}' say the marquis brought." "Well, the fact was," Nigel said laughing, "Hamilton was altogether too grand for us here. We all felt small and mean so kng as he remained. Gustavus himself, who is as simple in his tastes as any oflicer in the army, and who keeps up no ostentatious show, was thrown into the shade hy his visitor. Why, had he been the Em- peror of Germany or the King of France he could not have made a braver show. His table was equipped and furnished with magnificence; his carriages would have created a sensation in Paris; the liveries of his atten- dants were more splendid than the uniforms of generals; he had forty gentlemen as escjuires and pages, and ALLIANCE WITH SAXONY. 139 200 yeomen, splendidly mounted and armed, rode with him as his body-guard. "Altogether he was oppressive; but the Hamiltons have ever been fond of show and finery. So Gustavus has sent him and his troops away to guard the passages of the Oder and to cover our retreat should we be forced to fall back." Tilly, finding that the position of Gustavus was too strong to be forced, retiied to Wolmirstadt, whence he summoned the Elector of Saxony to admit his army into his country, and either to disband the Saxon army or to unite it to his own. Hitherto the elector had held aloof from Gustavus, whom he regarded with jealousy and dis- like, and had stood by inactive although the slightest movement of his army would have saved Magdeburg. To disband his troops, however, and to hand over his fortresses to Tilly, would be equivalent to giving up his dominions to the enemy; rather than do this he deter- mined to join Gustavus, and having despatclied Arnheim to treat with the King of Sweden for alliance, he sent a point-blank refusal to Tilly. 1'he Imperialist general at once marched towards Leipzig, devastating the country as he advanced. Terms were soon arranged between the elector and Gustavus, and on the Sd of September, 1031, the Swedish army crossed the Elbe, and the next day joined the Saxon army at Torgau. By this time Tilly was in front of Leipzig, and immediately on his arrival burned to tlie ground Halle, a suburb lying beyond the wall, and then sunmioncd the city to surrender. Alarmed at the si*]rht of the conflan^ration of Halle, and with the fate of Magdeburg in their minds, the citizens '! ii 'i\ I ^ '■ 140 THE PLAIN OF BREITENFELD. of Leipzig opened their gates at once on promise of fair treatment. The news of this speedy surrender was a heavy blow to the allies, who, however, after a council of war, determined at once to march forward against the city, and to give battle to the Imperialists on the plain around it. Leipzig stands on a wide plain which is called the plain of Brei tenfold, and the battle which was about to commence there has been called by the Germans the battle of Bieitenfeld, to distinguish it from the even greater struggles which have since taken place under the walls of Leipzig. The bagijfage had all been left behind, and the Swedish army lay jown as they stood. The king occupied his travelling coach, and passed the night chatting with Sir John Hepburn, Marshal Horn, Sir John Banner, Baron TeufFel, who commanded the guaids, and other leaders. The lines of red fires which marked Tilly's position on the slope of a gentle eminence to the south-west were plainly to be seen. The day broke dull and misty on the 7th of September, and as the light fog gradually rose the troops formed up for battle. Prayers were said in front of every regiment, and the army then moved forward. Two Scottish brigades had the places of honour in the van, where the regiments of Sir James Eamsay, the Laird of Foulis, and Sir John Hamilton were posted, while Hepburn's Green Brigade formed part of the reserve — a force composed of the best troops of the army, as on them the fate of the battle frequently depends. The Swedish cavalry were com- manded by Field-marshal Horn, General Banner, and Lieutenant-general Bauditzen _ !„ ■') ( Mfe eoSblKSeiiMliNt of xM isAWtA i4} :. a The king and Baron Teuflfel led the main body of infantry; the King of Saxony commanded the Saxons, who were on the Swedish left. The armies were not very unequal'in numbers, the allies numbering 35,000, of whom the Swedes and Scots counted 20,000, the Saxons 15,C00. The Imperialists numbered about 40,000. Tilly was fighting unwillingly, for he had wished to await the arrival from Italy of 12,000 veterans under General Altringer, and who were within a few days' march; but he had been induced, against his own better judgment, by the urgency of Pappenheim, Furstenberg, and the younger generals, to quit the unassailable post he had taken up in front of Leipzig, and to move out on to the plain or Breitenfeld to accept the battle which the Swedes offered. A short distance in his front was the village of Podel- witz. Behind his position were two elevations, on which he placed his guns, forty in number. In rear of these ele- vations was a very thick wood. The Imperialist right was commanded by Furstenberp- the left by Pappenheim, the centre by Tilly himself, Although he had yielded to his generals so far as to take up a position on the plain, Tilly was resolved, if possible, not to light until th* irrival of the reinforcements; but the rashness of Pappenheim brought on a battle. To approach the Austrian position the Swedes had to cross the little river Loder, and Pappenheim asked permission of Tilly to charge them as they did so. Tilly consented on condition that he only charo-ed with two thousand horse and did not brino^ on a general engagement. Accordingly, as the Scottish brigade under Sir James Ramsay crossed the Loder, Pappenheim swept down upon them. The Scots stood firm, and with pike and musket 142 .HE ROUT OF THE SAXONS. i I repelled the attack; and after hard fighting Pappenheim was obliged to fall back, setting fire as he retired to the vilhige of Podelwitz. The smoke of the burning village tlril'ted across the plain, and was useful to the Swedes, as under its cover the entire army passed the Loder, and formed up ready for battle facing the Imperialists' posi- tion, the movement being executed under a heavy fire from the Austrian batteries on the hills. The Swedish order of battle was diflferent from that of the Imperialists. The latter had their cavalry massed together in one heavy, compact body, while the Swedish regiments of horse were placed alternately with the various regimonts or brigades of infantry. The Swedish centre was composed of four brigades of p'kemen. Guns were behind the first line, as were the cavalry supporting the pikemen. The regiments of musketeers were placed at intervals among the brigades of pikemen. Pappenheim on his return to the camp ordered up the whole of his cavalry, and charged down with fury upon the Swedes, while at the same moment Furstenberg dashed with seven regiments of cavalry on the Saxons. Between these and the Swedes there was a slight inter- val, for Gustavus had doubts of the steadiness of his allies, and was anxious that in case of their defeat his own troops should not be thrown into confusion. The result justified his anticipations. Attacked with fury on their flank by Furstenberg's horse, while his infantry and artillery poured a direct fire into their front, the Saxons at once gave way. Their elector was the first to set the example of flight, and, turning his horse, galloped without drawing rein to Torgau, and in twenty minutes after the commencement ■■•' ! ! « ! THE DEFEAT OF PAPPENHEIM. 143 of the fififht the whole of the Saxons were in utter rout, hotly pursued by Furstenberg's cavalry. Tilly now deemed the victory certain, for nearly half of his opponents were disposed of, and he outnumbered the remainder by two to one; but while Furstenberg had gained so complete a victory over the Saxons, Pap- penheim, who had charged the Swedish centre, had met v/ith a very different reception. In vain he tried to break through the Swedish spears. The wind was blowing full in the faces of the pikcmen, and the clouds oi smoke and dust which rolled down upon them rendered it impossible for them to see the heavy columns of horse until they fell upon them like an avalanche, yet with perfect steadiness they withstood the attacks. Seven times Pappenheim renewed his charge; seven times he fell back broken and disordered. As he drew oft' for the last time Gustavus, seeing the rout of the Saxons, and knowing that he would have the whole of Tilly's force upon him in a few minutes, determined to rid himself altogether of Pappenheim, and launched the whole of his cavalry upon the retreading squadrons with overwhelming effect. Thus at the end of half an hour's fighting Tilly had disposed of the Saxons, and Gustavus had driven Pappenheim's horse from the field. Three of the Scottish regiments were sent from the centre to strengthen Horn on the left flank, which was now exposed by the flight of the Saxons. Scarcely had the Scottish musketeers taken their position when Fur- stenberg's horse returned triumphant from their pur- suit of the Saxons, and at once fell upon Horn's pike- im m 144 A bfeSi»EhAtfe CoS^H.tOf. men. These, however, stood as firmly as their comrades in the centre had done; and the Scottisli musketeers, six deep, the three front ranks kneeling, the three in rear standing, poured such heavy volleys into the horsemen that these fell back in disorder; the more confused per- haps, since volley firing was at that time peculiar to the Swedish army, and the crashes of musketry were new to the Imperialists. As the cavalry fell back in disorder, Gustavus led his horse, who had just returned from the pursuit of Pappen- heiin, against them. The shock was irresistible, and Furstenbero's horse were driven headionc: from the field. But the Imperialist infantry, led by Tilly himself, were now close at hand, and the roar of musketry along the whole line was tremendous, while the artillery on both sides played unceasingly. Just as the battle was at the hottest the Swedish reserve came up to the assistance of the first line, and Sir John Hepburn led the Green Brigade through the intervals of the Swedish reoiments into action. Lord Reay's regiment was in front, and ]\Iunro, leading it on, advanced against the solid Imperialist columns, pouring heavy volleys into them. When close at hand the pike- men passed through the intervals of the musketeers and charged furiously with levelled pikes, the musketeers fol- lowing them with clubbed weapons. The gaps formed by the losses of the regiment at New Brandenburg and theother engagements had been filled up, and two thousand strong they fell upon the Imperialists. For a few minutes there was a tremendous hand-to-hand conflict, but the valour and strength of the Scotch pre- vailed, and the regiment was the first to burst its way -rr: THE IMPERIALISTS DEFEATED. 145 through the ranks of the Imperialists, and then pressed on to attack tlie trenches behind, held by the Walloon infantry. While the battle was raging in the plain the Swedish cavalry, after driving away Fnrstenberg's horse, swept round and charged the eminence in the rear of the Imperialists, cutting down the artillerymen and capturing the cannon there. These were at once turned upon the masses of Imperial- ist infantry, who thus, taken between two fires — pressed hotly by the pikemen in front, mown down by the cannon in their rear — lost heart and fled precipitately, four regiments alone, the veterans of Furstenberg's infantry, holding together and cutting their way through to the woods in the rear of their position. Tile slauorhter would have been even oreater than it was, had not the cloud of dust and smoke been so thick that the Swedes were unable to see ten ^'^ards in front of them. The pursuit was taken up by their cavalry, who pressed the flying Imperialists until nightfall. So com- plete was the defeat that Tilly, who was badly wounded, could only muster GOO men to accompany him in his retreat, and Ppt enheiin could get together but 1400 of his horsemen Seven thousand of the Imperialist? were killed, 5000 were wounded or taken prisoners. The Swedes lost but 700 men, the Saxons about 2000. The Swedes that night occupied the Imperial tents, making great bonfires of the broken waggons, pikes, and stockades. A hundred standards were taken. Tilly had fouglit throughout the battle with desperate valour. He was ever in the van of his infantry, and three times was wounded by bullets and once taken prisoner, and only rescued after a desperate conflict. .. - - - (276) , E 'f:I 1**1 'Hi i, 1' ' 'I ^p 146 OLD TILLY'S DESPAIR. At the conclusion of the day Cronenbcrg with GOO Walloon cavalry threw themselves around him and bore him from the Held. The fierce old soldier is said to have burst into a passion of tears on beholding the slaughter and defeat of his infantry. Hitherto he had been in- vincible, this beinof the first defeat he had suffered in the course of his long military career. Great stores of pro- vision and wine had been captured, and the night was spent in feasting in the Swedish camp. The next morning the Elector of Saxony rode on to the field to congratulate Gustavus on his /ictory. The latter was pf .itic enough to receive him with great courtesy and to thank him for the services the Saxons had ren- dered. He intrusted to the elector the task of recapturing Leipzig, while he marched against Merseburg, which he captured with its garrison of five hundred men. After two or three assaults had been made on Leipzig the garrison capitulated to the Saxons, and on the 11th of September the army was drawn up and reviewed by Gustavus. When the king arrived opposite the Green Brigade he dismounted and made the soldiers an ad- dress, thanking them for their great share in winning the battle of Leii)zig. Many of the Scottish officers were promoted, Munro being made a full colonel, and many others advanced a step in rank. The Scottish brigade responded to the address of the gallant king with hearty cheers. Gus- tavus was indeed beloved as well as admired by his sol- diers. Fearless himself rf damper, he ever recoo-nized bravery in others, arrl was ready to take his full share of every hardship as well as every peril. He had ever a word of commendation and encourttcfe- T OUSTAVUS ADOLPHI'S. j^y ment for his troops, and was re-arded bv ih.rr. comrade as well as a l,.»,I„.. t " ''™, "V them as a rather stout h face i, h " ^"'T ^' ^'"^^ *»" «d his forehead 1 fty "rhair " T'"' ''," """P'"'"" ^"-' penetrating, his ^i,e:i?:::d,:;td- l^air 'T hi an a.r of majesty which enabled hi.„ I JLs his soT vZ "1 ^™' °^ '^'^'^^^f"' fa.niliarity w tho ut in n .slightest degree diminishing their resrl.f . ^ for him as their monarch ° '^ """^ reverence 1 iiii ■ 1 1 fci* m \ f 'ill!'- * ' ,i ' '■ ll.J. ■' J ■1 Ml^ '■ ii'i T 1 ■ i 1 m CHAPTER X. THE PASSAGE OF THE RHINE. SUPPOSE," Nigel Grreme said, as the oflicers of tlie regiment assembled in one of the Imperialist tents on the night after the hattle of Leipzig, " we shall at once press forward to Vienna;" and such was tlie general opinion throughout the Swedish army; hut such was not the in- tention of Gustavnis. Un Scotch icpelled tlie attack and drove the enemy up the hill to tlie castle again. The Scottish troops having tlui;; cilectcd a lodgment across the river, and being protected by the rocks from the enemy's fire, lay down for the night in the position they had won. Gustavus during the night caused planks to be thrown across the broken bi'idge and prepared to assault at day- break. Just as morning was brtaking, a Swedish officer with seven men climbed up the hill to re conn:, lire *,he castle, and found to his surprise that the drawbridge was down, but a guard of 200 n;cn v. ere stationed at the gate. He was at once challenged, and, shouting "Sweden!" sprang with his men on to the end of the drawbridge. The Imperialists tried in vain to raise it; before they could succeed some companions of the Swedes ran up, and, driving in the guard, took possession of the outer court. Almost at the same moment Ramsay's and Hamilton's refjiments commenced their ashault on a strong: outwork of the castle, which, after two hours' desperate fighting, they succeeded in gaining. 1'hey then turned its guns upon the gate of the keep, which they battered down, and were about to charge in when they received orders from the kinLi' to halt and retire, while the Swedish rejri- ment of Axel-Lilly and the Blue Brigade advanced to the storm. '-■I ^^% III 154 MALCOLM IS WOUNDED. The Scottish regiments retired in the deepest dis- content, deeming themselves aflVonted by others being ordered to the post of honour ai'ter they had by their bravery cleared the way. The Swedish troops forced their way in after hard fighting; and the Castle of Marienburg, so long deemed impregnable, was captured after a few hours' fighting. The quantity of treasure found in it was enoiiiious, and there were snfl[icient pro- visions to have lasted its garrison for twenty years. Immediately the place was taken Colonel Sir John Hamilton advanced to Gustavus and resicjned his com- mission on the spot; nor did the assuiauces of the king that he intended no insult to the Scotch soldiers mollify his wrath, and quitting the Swedish service he returned at once to Scotland. Munro's regiment had taken no part in the storming of Marienburg, but was formed up on the north side of the river in readiness to advance should the first attack be repelled, and many were wounded by the shot of the enemy while thus inactive. Malcolm while binding up the arm of his sergeant who stood next to him felt a sharp pain shoot through his leg, and at once fell to the ground. He was lifted up and carried to the rear, where his wound was examined by the doctor to the regiment. " Your luck has not deserted you," he said after probing the wound. ** The bullet has missed the bone by half an inch, and a short rest will soon put you right again." Fortunately for a short time the army remained around Wlirtzburg. Columns scoured the surrounding country, capturing the various towns and fortresses held by the Imperialists, and collecting large quantities of provisions and stores. Tilly's army lay within a few days' march; •.lij'i J*. hi A. NIGHT MARCH. 155 he be Ins but although superior in numbers to that of Gustavus, Tilly had received strict orders not to risk a general en- gagement as his army was now almost the only one that .remained to the Imperialists, and should it suii'er another defeat the country would lie at the mercy of the Swedes. One evening when Malcolm had so far recovered as to be able to walk for a short distance, he was at supper with Colonel Munro and some other officers, when the duor opened and Gustavus himself entered. All leapt to their feet. " Munro," he said, " get the musketeers of your brigade under arms with all haste, form them up in the square before the town-hall, and desire Sir John H:^pburn to meet me there." The dium wr«s at once beaten, and the troops came pouring from their lodgings, and in three or four minutes the musketeers, 800 strong, were formed up with Hep- burn and Munro at their head. Malcolm had prepared to take his arms on the summons, but Munro said at once: " No, Malcolm, so sudden a summons augurp desperate duty, maybe a long night march; you would break down before you got half a mile; besides, as only the musketeers have to go, half ti.c officers must remain here." Without a word the king placed himself at the head of the 1. m, and through the dark and stormy night the troops stii ted on their unknown mission. Hepburn and Munro were, like their men, on foot, for they had not had time to have their horses saddled. After marching two hours along the right bank of the Maine the tramp of horses was heard behind them, and they were reinforced by eighty troopers whom Gusta\'us before starting had ordered to mount and follow. Hitherto ■ 'Ml ' I \> * m 'mw ¥ \ m n 1 ■:■ ili B 1 ;i u ™i w :> I ' ■■ 1 ff! t ■ I :, i| l^ji 156 THE CAPTURE OF OCHSENFURT. the kinji had remained lost in abstraction, but he now roused himself. " I have just received the most serious news, Hepburn. Tilly has been reinforced by 17,000 men under the Duke ^ of Lorraine, and is marching with all speed against me. Were my wdiole army collected here he would outnumber us by two to one, but many columns are away, and the position is well-nigh desperate. " I have resolved to hold Ochsenfurt. The place is not strong, but it lies in a sharp bend of the river and may be defended for a time. If any can do so it is surely you and yorr Scots. Tilly is already close to the town ; indeed the »iian who brought me the news said that when he left it his advanced pickets were just entering, hence the need for this haste. " You must hold it to the last, Hepburn, and then, if you can, fall back to Wiirtzburg; even a day's delay will enable me to call in some of the detachments and to pre- pare to receive Tilly. ' Without halting, the little column marched sixteen miles, and then, crossing the bridge over the Maine, entered Ochsenfurt. It was occupied by a party of fifty Imperialist arque- busiers, but these were driven headlong from it. The night was extremely d:irk, all were ignorant of the locality, and the troops were formed up in the market-place to await either morning or the attack of Tilly. Fifty troopers were sent half a mile in ad\ance to give warning of the approach of the enemy. They had scarcely taken their place when they were attacked by the Imperialists, who had been roused by tlie firing in the town. The incessant flash of tire and the heavy rattle of musketry tHE IMPEniALISTS RETlRli 157 told Gustavus that they were in force, and a lieutenant of Luiusden's reufiment with llftv musketeers was sent off to reinforce the cavahy. Tlie Imperialists were, however, too strong to be checket. Malcolm wondered what was going v.n. A perfect still- ness reigned on the other side, and it was certain that tlio iilarm had not yet been given. On ascending the bank he saw in front of him some dark figures actively engaged, and iieard dull sounds. On reaching the spot he found tlie parties who had preceded him hard at work with shovels throwing up an intrench- ment. In the darkness he had not perceived that each of the soldiers carried a spade in addition to his arms. The soil was deep and soft, and the operations were carried on 4 i J t : THE ALARM GIVEN, 1G7 with scarce a soun(]. As each party landed they fell to work under the direction of their officers. All niijht the labour continued, and when the dull light of the winter inoi'ning began to dispel the darkness a solid rampart of earth breast liigh rose in a semicircle, with its two ex- tremities resting on the river-bank. The last boat-load luul but just arrived across, and tne (100 men were now gathered in the work, which was ahout l-")0 feet across, the base formed b}-- the river. The earth forming the ramparts had been taken from the outside, and a ditch 3*feet deep and G feet wide had been tluis formed. ^ , , , j The men, wh", in spite of the com, were hot and per- spiring from tlieir night's work, now entered the in- trenched space, and sab down to take a meal, each man having brought two days' rations in his havresack. It grew rapidly lighter, and suddeidy the sound of a trumpet, followed by the rapid beating of drims, showed that the Spaniards had, from their camp on the eminence half a mile away, discovered the work which had sprung up during the night as if by magic on their side of the river. In a few minutes a great body of cavalry was seen issuing from the Spanish camp, and fourteen s(iuadrons of cuirassiers trotted down towards the intrenchments. Soon the word was given to charge, and, like a torrent, the mass of cavalry swept down upon it. Two-thirds of those who had crossed were musketeers, the remainder pikemen. The latter formed the front lino behind the rampart, their spears forming a close hedge around it, while the musketeers prepared to fire between them. By the order of Count Brahe^ not a trigger was i32Er-3EBK Nil: 168 A GALLANT ASSAULT. pulled until the cavalry were within fifty yards, then a flash of flame swept round the rampart, and horses and men in the front line of the cavalry tumbled to the ground. But half the nuisketeers had flred, and a few seconds later another volley was poured into the horse- men. The latter, however, although many had fallen, did not check their speed, but rode up close to the ram- part, and flung themselves upon the hedge of spears. Nothing could exceed the gallantry with which the Spaniards fought. Some dismounted, and, leaping into the ditch, tried to climb the rampart; others leapt the horses into it, and standing up in the'r saddles, cut at the spearmen with their swords, and flred their pistols among them. Many, again, tried to leap their horses over ditch and rampart, but the pikemen stood firm, while at short intervals withei-ing volleys tore into the struggling mass. For half an hour the desperate fight continued, and then, finding that the position could not be carried by horse- men, the Spanish commander drew off his men, leaving no less than GOO lying dead around the rampart of earth. There were no Spanish infantry within some miles of the spot, and the cavalry rode away, some to Maintz, but the greater part to Oppenheim, where there was a strong garrison of lOOO men. A careful search among the bashes brought three more boats to light, and a force was soon taken across the river sufficient to maintain itself against any attack. Gustavus himself w^as in one of the first boats that crossed. "Well done, mv brave hearts!" he said as he landed, just as the Spanish horsemen had ridden away. " You -■*! f '^'r^:i"'^*-\»; PROMOTION. 1G9 have fought stoutly and well, and our way is now open to us. Where are Lieutennnt Graniie and the sergeant who swam across with liim?" Malcolm and his companion soon presented them- selves. "I sent for you to your camp," the king said, "but found that you but waited to chan!2:e your clothes, and had then joined the force crossin"'. You had no orders to do so." " We had no orders not to do so, sire, but bavins: bei-un the affair it was only natural that we should see the end of it." " You had done your share and more," the king said, 'and I thank you both heartily for it, and promote you, Gra?me, at once to the rank of captain, and will re(}uest Colonel Munro to give you the first company which may fall vacant in his regiment. If a vacancy should not occur shortly I will place you in another regiment until one may happen in your own corps. To you, sergeant, I give a commission as officer. You will take that rank at once, and will be a supernumerary in your regiment till a vacancy occurs. Such promotion has bceri well and worthily won by you both." AVithout delay an advance was ordered against Oppen- heim. It lay on the Imperialist side of the Rhine. Be- hind the town stood a strong and well-fortitied castle upon a lofty eminence. Its guns swept not only the country around it, but the ground upon the opposite side of the river. There, facing it, stood a strong fort surrounded hy double ditches, which were deep aTid broad and full of water. They were crossed only by a drawbridge on the side facing the liver, and the garrison cou)d therefore Ymrrr- mm 170 SURRENDER OF THE RIVER FORT. obtain by boats supplies or reinrurccinents a^. needed from the town. ' The Green and Blue Brigades at once coiiinienced opcn- i:i2: trenches aj^ainst tliis fort, and would have assaulted the place without dela^' liad not a nundjer of boats been brought over by a Protestant well- wi.- her of the Swedes from the other side of the river. 1'he assault was there- fore delayed in order that the attack might be delivered simultaneously against the positions on both sides of the river. The brigade of guards aud the White Brigade crossed in the boats at Gernsheiui, five miles from the town, and marched ao-ain.^ ' 't durini? +^^ • ' i. it. The Spaniards from + ,'.: ]'"vy iv< i'j«. i •\. J^e castle of Oppenheim saw the ca sp t. ;• of t;u. S , tg -i jund their fort on the other side ^'i;* mj river, .j! ! i ..r: ed a heavy cannonade upon them. The .: re was ' ;• t ?"ik a'q, and niany of the Scots were kille' Lepburn iuid ^.lunro having a narrow escape, a cannon-bad passing just over their heads as they were sitting together by a lire. The defenders of the fort determined to take advantaoe of the fire poured ujxjn their assailants, and two hundred musketeers made a gallant sortie upon them; but Hep- burn led on his pikemen who weie nearest at hand, and, without firinof a shot, drove them back aoain into the fort. At daybreak the roar of cannon on the opposite side of the river connnenced, and showed that the king with the divisions which ha«l crossed hud arrived at their posts. The governor of the fort, seeing tliat, if, as was certain, the lower town were captured by the Swedes, he should be cut off from all connnunication \\\ih the castle and c^>«ipletely isolated, surrendered to Sir John Hepburn. IN OrrEMIEIM. 171 i a a, 10 'g to The town had, inileed, at once opened its gales, and two hundred men of Sir James Ramsay's regiment were placed there, llcplnirn prepared to cross the river with the Blue and Green Brioades to aid the kino: in reduciniX the castle — a place of vast size and strength — whose garrison composed of Spaniards and Italians were repl}'- ing to the fire of Gustavus. A boat was lying at the gate of the fort. "Captain Gnttine," Hepburn said to Malcolm, "take with you two lieutenants and twenty men in the boat and cross the river; then send word by an officer to the king that the fort here has surrendered, and that I am about to cross, and ht the men bring over that flotilla of boats which is lying under the town w;dl." Malcolm crossed at once. After despatching the rnessaoe to the kinnr and sendinix the officer back with the boats he had for tlie moment nothinix to do, and made his way into the town to incpiire from the officers of Kamsay's detachment how things were going. He found the men drawn up. "All! Malcolm Gn^me," the major in command said, "you have arrived in the very nick of time to take part in a gallant enterprise." " I am ready," Malcolm said; "what is to be done?" " We are going to take the castle, that is all," the major said. " You are joking," Malcolm laughed, looking at the great castle and the little band of two hundred men. "That am I not," the major answered; "my men have just discovered a pri\ate passage from the governor's quarters here up to the very gate of the outer wall. As vou see we have collected some ladders, and as we shall 172 A DESPERATE ENTERPRISE. m lij.i take them by surprise, while they are occupied with the kin2f, we shall (A\e a ffood account of them." " I will go with you right willingly," Malcolm said; but he could not but feel that the cntcrpiise was a. desperate one, and wished that the major had waited until a few hundred more men had crossed. Placinij himself behind the Scottish officer, he advanced up the passage which had been discovered. Ascendini' flii-ht after Highlit of stone stairs, the column issued from the passage at the very foot of the outer wall before the garrison stationed there were aware of their ajiproach. '1 he ladders were just placed when the Italians caught sight of them and rushed to the defence, but it was too late. The Scotch swarmed up and gained a tooting on the wall. Driving the enemy bei'ore them they cleared the outer works, and pressed so hotly upon the retiring Imperialists that they entered with them into the inner works of the castle, crossing the drawbridge over the moat which sepa- rated it from its cuter works before the garrison had time to raise it. Now in the very heart of the castle a terrible en- counter took place. The garrison, twelve hundred strong, ran down from their places on the wall, and seeing how small was the force that had entered fell upon them with fury. It was a hand-to-hand tight. Loud rose the war- cries of the Italian and Spanish soldiers, and the answer- in": cheers of the Scots mini-led with the clash of sword on steel armour and the cries of the wounded, while without the walls the cannon of Gustavus thundered incessantly. Not since the dreadful struiif^le in the streets of New Brandenburg had Malcolm been engaged in so desperate 'A41 fcAPTunt: OP THfi cA.sTr.K IT.*) te a str.fe. All order and rec]jiiUirity was lost, and man to man they fought with pike, sword, and clubbed musket. There was no f]jivin<]: of orders, for no word could be heard in such a din, and the officers with their swords and half- pikes fought desperately in the melee with the rest. Gradually, however, the strenoth and endurance of Ram- say's veterans prevailed over numbers. Most of the officers of the Imperialists had been slain as well as their bravest men, and the rest began to draw off and to scatter through the castle, some to look for hidin.r-places, many to jump over the walls rather than fall into the hands of the terrible Scots. The astonishment of Gustavus a^^.d of Hepburn, who was now marching with his men towards the castle, at h aring the rattle of musketry and the din of battle within the very heart of the fortress was great indeed, and this was heightened when, a few minutes later, the soldiers were seen leaping desperately from the walls, and a great shout arose from the troops as the Imperial banner was seen to descend from its flagstaff on the keep. Gustavus with his staff rode at once to the gate which was opened for him ; and on entering he found Ramsay's little force drawn up to salute him as he entered. It was i educed nearly half in strength, and not a man but was bleeding from several wounds, while cleft helms and dinted armour showed how severe had been the fray. " My brave Scots," he exclaimed, " why were you too quick for me?" The court-yard of the castle was piled with slain, who were also scattered in every room throughout it, five hun- dred having been slain there before the rest threw down their arms and were given quarter. This exploit was one ' 'I 174 T-rF. PITCHER AND THE WELL. it ! H IJi IMii ili^ of the most valiant which was performed during the course of the whole war. Four colours were taken, one of which was that of the Spanish regiment, this being the first of that nationality which had ever been captured by Gustavus. After going over the castle, whose capture would have tasked his resources and the valour of his troops to the utmost had he been compelled to attack it in the usual way, Gustavus sent for the officers of Ramsay's com- panies and thanked them inaividually for their capture. 'What! you here, Malcolm Gneme!" Gustavus said as he came in at the rear of Ramsay's officers. " Why, what had you to do with this business?" " I was only a volunteer, sire," Malcolm said. " I crossed with the parties who fetched the boats; but as my in- structions ended there I had nought to do, and finding that Ramsay's men were about to nmrch up to the attack of the castle, I thought it best to join them, being some- what afraid to stop in the town alone." " And he did valiant service, sire," the major said. " I marked him in the thick of the fight, and saw more than one Imperialist go down before his sword." " You know the story of the pitcher and the well. Captain Graeme," the king said, smiling. " Some day you will go once too often, and I shall have to mourn the loss of one of the bravest young officers in my army." There was no rest for the soldiers of Gustavus, and no sooner had Oppenheim fallen than the army marched against Maintz. This was defended by two thousand Spanish troops under Don Philip de Sylvia, and was a place of immense strength. It was at once invested, and trenches commenced on all sides, the Green Brigade as THE CAPl'URE OF MAINTZ. 175 a as usual having the post of danger and honour facing tlie citadel. The investment beiian in the evenlntr, but so vigorously did the Scotch woik all night in spite of the heavy musketry and avt'Hery Hre with which the garrison swept the ground that by morning the first parallel was completed, and the soldiers were under shelter behind a thick bank of earth. All day the In.perialists kept up tlieir fire, the Scots gradually pushing forward their trenches. In the even- ing Colonel Axel Lil}^, one of the bravest of the Swedish oflicers, came into the trenches to pay a visit to Hepburn. He fcjund him just sitting down to dinner with Miuiro by the side of a fire in the trench. They invited him to join them, and the party were ch itting gaily when a heavy cannon-ball crashed through the earthen rampart behind th«'m, and, passing between Plep- burn and Munro, carried off the leg of the Swedish officer. Upon the following day the governor, seeing that the Swedes had erected several strong batteries, c : A tliat the Green Brigade, whose name was a terror to the Imperial- ists, was preparing to storm, capitulated, and his soldiers were allowed to march out witli all their baggage, Hying colours, and two pieces of cannon. Eighty pieces ot cannon fell into the hands of the Swedes. The citizens paid 220,000 dollars as the ransom of their city from pillage, and the Jews 180,000 for the protection of their quarters and of their gorgeous synagogue, whose wealth and maonificence were celebrated; and on the 14th of December, 1631, on which day Gustavus completed his diirty-seventh year, he entered the city as conqueror. Here he kept Christmas with great festivity, and his M^m IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) // ^/ w A WJ/ \^^-^ "MP. u. S ^6 V 1.0 t^ I I.' 1.25 2.5 -.■^i^ Ui ■a u ±£ 12.0 1.4 m 1.6 V] i^^ >p5i S-W' ''/.^ Photographic Sciences Corporation 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTLR, N. ;. 14580 (716) 872-4903 »^ iP ♦^N V xt ay, and to spend as nmch of Ids tin.e as possible with them while they remained in the city m CliAPTEll XII. THE PASSAGE OF THE LECH. OR the next two months the Green Biiiriule re- niained quietly at Maintz, a welcome rest after their arduous labours. The town was veiy gay, and every house was occupied either by troops or by the nobles and visitors from all parts of Northern Europe. Ijan()uets and balls were of nightly occurrence; and a stranger svho arrived in the gay city would n(jt have dreamt that a terrible campaign had just been concluded, and that another to the full as arduous wns about to conunence. Durinu' this interval of rest the damages which tlie campaign had etiected in tlie armour and accoutrements of men and oihcers were repaired, the deep dents ciiected by sword, pike, and bullet were hannnered out, the rust removed, and the stains of blood and bivouac obliterated; fresh doublets and jerkins were served out from the ample stores ca{)tui"ed from the enemy, and the army looked as jray and brilliant as when it first landed in North Gerinnny. Malcolm spent much of his spare time with the Count and Countess of Mansfeld, who, irrespective of their grati- A OAY WINTER. 181 R tu(^e for the assistance he had rendered them in time of need, had taken a strong liking to the young Scotchman. " You are becoming quite a court gallant, Gramme," one of his comrades said at a court ball where Malcolm had been enjoying himself greatl}', having, thanks to tlie Countess of Mansfeld, no lack of partners, while many of the officers were forced to look on without taking part in the dancincj, the number of ladies hc'uv^ altoorether insuffi- cient to furnish partners to the throng of officers, Swedish, German, and Scottish. Beyond the scarf and feathers which showed the brigade to which officers belonged, there was, even when in arms, but slight attempt at uni- formit}' in their attire, still less so w'hen off duty. The scene at these balls w'as therefore gay in the extreme, the gallants being all attired in silk, satin, or velvet of bril- liant colours slashed with white or some contrasting hue. The tailors at Maintz had had a busy time of it, for in so rapid a campaign much baggage had been necessarily lost, and many of the officers re(]uired an entirely new outfit before they could take part in the court festivities. There was, however, no lack of money, for the booty and treasure captured had been immense, and each officer having received a tixed share, they were well able to renew their wardrobes. Some fresh reinforcements arrived during their stay here, and the vacancies which battle and disease had made in the ranks were tilled up. But althouii'h the Green Brioade did not march from Maintz till the 5th of March, 1G32, the whole army did not enjoy so long a rest. In February Gustavus des- patched three hundred of Ramsay's regiment under Lieu- tenant-colonel George Douglas against the town of Creut- zenach, together with a small party of English volunteers 182 VARIOUS OPERATIONS. ' - ■ ■ i il '1 1 11 under Lord Craven. Forty-seven of the men were killed while opening the trenches, but the next day they stormed one of the gates and drove the garrison, which was com- posed of six hundred Walloons and Burgundians, out of the town into the castle of Kauseniberg, which commanded it. Its position was extremely strong, its walls and bastions rising one behind another, and their aspect was so formid- able that they were popularly known as the " Devil's Works." From these the garrison opened a very heavy fire into the town, killing many of the Scots. Douglas, howover, gave them but short respite, for gathering his men he attacked the castle and carried bastion after bastion by storm until the whole were taken. About the same time the important town of Ulm on the Danube opened its gates to the Swedes, and Sir Patrick Ruthven was appointed commandant with 1200 Swedes as garrison. Colonel Munro with two companies of musketeers marched to Coblentz and aided Otto Louis the Rhinegrave, who with a brigade of twenty troops of horse was expecting to be attacked by 10,000 Spaniards and Walloons from S}ures. Four regiments of Spanish horse attacked the Rhinegrave's quarters, but were charged so furiously by four troops of Swedish dragoons under Captain Hume that 800 of them were killed and the Elector of Nassau taken prisoner; after this the Span- iards retired beyond the Moselle. In other parts of Germany the generals of Gustavus were ecpially successful. General Horn defeated the Imperialists at Heidelberg and Heilbronn. General Lowenhausen scoured all the shores of the Baltic, and compelled Colonel Graham, a Scotch soldier in the Imperial service, to surrender the Hanse town of Wismar. Graham THE GENERAL ADVANCE. 183 marched out with his garrison, 3000 strong, with the honours of war en route for Silesia, hut having, contrary to terms, spiked the cannon, pkmdered the shipping, and slain a Swedish lieutenant, Lowenhansen pursued him, and in the battle which ensued 500 of Graham's men were slain and the colonel himsulf with 2000 taken prisoner. General Ottentodt was moving up the Elbe carrying all before him with a force of 14,000 men, among whom were five battalions of Scots and one of English. This force cleared the whole duchy of Mecklenburg, capturing all the towns and fortresses in rapid succession. Sir Patrick lluthven advanced along the shores of Lake Constance, driving the Imperialists before him into the Tyrol. Magdeburg was cai:)tured by General Banner, the Landgrave of Hesse-Cassel reduced all Fulda-Pader- born and the adjacent districts, the Elector of Saxony overran Bohemia, and Sir Alexander Leslie threatened the Imperialists in Lower Saxony. Thus the campaign of 1G32 opened under the most favourable auspices. The Green Brigade marched on the 5th of March to Aschalienburg, a distance of more than thirty miles, a fact which speaks volumes for the physi(|ue and endurance of the troops, for this would in the present day be considered an extremely long march for troops, and the weight of the helmet and armour, musket and accoutrements, of the troops of those days was fully double that now carried by European soldiers. Here they were reviewed by the king. By the 10th the whole army, 23,000 strong, were collected at Weinsheim and advanced towards Bavaria, driving before them the Imperialists under the Count de Bucquio. The Chancellor Oxenstiern had been left by II !lfl 'f' I ! ii ' 4 'IliiMi 'W-' 184 DuNAUWOimi. ^i^I'lii If Ti the king witii a strong force to guard liis conquests on the Rlinie. No sooner had tlie king Marclu'd tlian the Spaniards auain crossed the iMoselle, The chancellor and the Duke ot" Weimar aiivanced against tliem. Tlie Dutch troops, who formed llie first line of tiuj chancellor's army, weie unable to stand the chaige of tlu; ^panisli and fled in utter confusion; but the Scottish regiment of Sir Roderick Leslie, who had succeeded Sir Jolni Hamilton on his re- signation, and the battalioii of Sir John Rutliven, charged the Spaniards with luvulled pikes so furiously that these in turn were broken and driven off the fiehl. On the 26th of March Custavus arrived before the iuiportant town and* foi-tress of Donauwoi-th, being joined on the same day by the Laird of Foulis with his two regiments of horse and foot. Donauwortli is the key to Suabia; it stands on the Danube, and was a sti-ongly fortified phice, its defences being furtlier covered by foitilications upon a lofty eminence close by, named the Schelleniberg. It was held by the Duke of Saxe-Lauen- burir with two thousand five hundred men. The country round Donauworth is fertile and hilly, and (justavus at once seized a heioht wdiich commanded the place. The Bavarians were at work upon entrenchments here as the Swedes advanced, but were forced to fall back into the town. From the foot of the hill a suburb ex- tended to the gates of the city. This was at once occupied by five hundred musketeers, who took up their post in the hou.ses along the main road in readiness to repel a sortie should the garrison attempt one; while the force on the hillside worked all night, and by daybreak on the 27th had completed and armed a twenty-gun battery. A GALLANT SORTIE. 185 sre Llld Ithe tnts ick lex- lied in 11 £1 Irce the In this was placed a strong body ot* infantry under Captain Semple, a Scotchman. As this battery commanded the walls of the town, and flanked the bridge across the Danube, the position of the defenders was now seriously menaced, but the Duke of Saxe-Lauenburg refused the demand of (Justavus to surrender. The battery now opened fire, first demolishing a large stone building by the river occupied by a force of Imperialists, and then directing its tire upon the city gates. The cannonade continued after nightfall, but in the darkness a body of Imperialist horsemen under Colonel Cronenberg dashed out at full speed through the gate, cut a passage throuoh the musketeers in the suburb, galloped up the hill, and fell upon the infantry and artillery in the battery, h'o furious was their charge that the greater part of the defentlers of the battery were cut down. The guns were s])iked, and the cavalry, having accomplished their purpose, charged down the hill, cut their way through the suburb, and regained the town. This gallant exploit deranged the plans of the Swedes. Gustavus reconnoitred the town accompanied by Sir John Hepburn, and by the advice of that otficer decided upon a fresh plan of operations. Hepburn pointed out to him that by taking possession of the angle formed by the con- fluence of the Wermitz and Danube to the west of the town the brida'e crossinof from Donauworth into Bavaria would be completely commanded, and the garrison would be cut off from all hope of escape and of receiving relief from Bavaria. The plan being approved, Hepburn drew off* his bri- gade with its artillery, and marching five miles up the Danube crossed the river at the bridge of Hassfurt, and ff^ 18G TlIK FIUIIT AT THE UUIDGE. ii I ill 11 ill HI H i I (lesconded the opposite bank until he faced Donauworth. He reached his position at midnight, and phiced his cannon so as to connnand tlie whole length of the bridL^e. and then posted his musketeers in the gardens and houses of a suburb on tlie river, so tliat their cross-tire also swept it. The pikemen were drawn up close to the artillery at the head of the bridge. Quietly as these movements were performed the garrison took the alarm, and towards morning the duke, finding his retreat intercepted, sallied out at the head of eight hundred nmsketeers to cut his way through; but as the cohunn advanced upon the bridge the Green Brigade opened tire, the leaden hail of their musketeers smote the cohunn on both sides, while the cannon ])loui'hed lanes throui»h it from end to end. So great was the destruction that the Bavarians retreated in confusion back into the town again, leaving the bridge strewn with their dead. Alone the gallant Duke of Saxe-Lauenburg charged through the hail of lire across the bridge, fell upon the pikemen sword in hand, and cutting liis way through them rode away, leaving liis garrison to their fate. The roar of artillery informed Gustavus what was going on, and he immediately opened fii'e against the other side of the town and led his men to tl e assault of the gate. The instant the Scotch had recovered from their sur- prise at the desperate feat performed by the duke, Hep- burn, calling them together, placed himself at their head and led them across tlie bridge. The panic-stricken fugi- tives had omitted to close the gate, and the Scotch at once entered the town. Here the garrison resisted despe- rately; their pikemen barred the streets, and from every THE CAPTURE OF THE TOWN. 187 ired lep- lead lugi- at jpe- ^ery window and roof their iDUskcteers poured their fire upon the tdvancing column. The day was brealcing now, and the roar of battle in the city mingled with that at the gates, where the Swedes were in vain striving to eti'oct an entrance, (iraduully the Scotch won their way forward; 500 of the Bavarians were killed, in addition to 400 who had fallen on tlie bridge. The rest now attempted to i\y. Great nund)ers were drowned in the Danule, and the remainder were taken prisoners. The strei^ts were encumbered by the heavilv-lailen baii:!'a £*5 * by the marshy ground. It could still have been defended with every prospect of success by a determined general, but the two best Imperialist commanders were hors tie combat, and Maximilian of Bavaria, the nominal general- issimo, had no military experience. The army, too, was disheartened by the first success of the Swedes and by the loss of the general whom they regarded as well-nigh invincible. Tilly had now recovered his senses, but was suffering intense agony from his wound, and on being consulted by Maximilian he advised him to fall back, as the destruc- tion of his army would leave the whole country open to the Swedes. The Imperialists accordingly evacuated their position and fell back in good order during the night on Neuberg, and then to Ingolstadt. Rain and NeuVerof were occu- pied the next day by the Swedes. Gustavus despatched Marshal Horn to follow the retrea+ing enemy to Ingol- stadt, and he himself with the rest of his army marched up the Lech to Augsburg, which was held by Colonel Breda with four thousand five hundred men. The Imperialists had broken down the bridge, but Gus- tavus immediately built two others, one above and the other below the city, and summoned it to surrender. Breda, hearing that Tilly was dying, Altringer severely wounded, and that no help was to be expected from Maximilian, considered it hopeless to resist, and surren- dered the town, which Gustavus, attended by the titular King of Bohemia and many other princes, entered in triumph on the following day, April 14th. The capture of Augsburg was hailed with peculiar satisfaction, as the city was regarded as the birthplace of A NARROW ESCAPE. 103 the Reformation in Germany. Leavinijj a garrison there the king retraced his steps along tlie Lech to Nenberg, and marclied thence to join Marshal Horn in front of Ingolstadt. This town was one of the strongest places in Germany and had never been captured. It was now held by a formitlable garrison, and tlie Imperialist army covered it on the north. Tilly liad implored Maximilian to defend it and Ratisbon at all hazards, as their possession was a bar to tlie further advance of Gustavus. 'i'he king arrived before it on the 19th, and on the following day advanced to reconnoitre it closely. The gun- ners of the town, seeing a nuniber of oHicers approaching, tired, and with so good an aim tliat a cannon-ball carried off the hind-quarters of the horse the king was riding. A cry of alarm and consternation burst from the officers, but their delioht was e Lech acks of by the s was being lormed Scots Is, and 3 '^M E CHAPTER XIIL CAPTURED BY THE PEASANTS. {ALCOLM GRAEME was not present at the siecce of Ino-olstadt. Tlie orders after cross- ing the Lech had been very strict against straggling, so soon as tlie disposition of the country people was seen; but it is not easy to keep a large column of troops in a solid body. The regiments on the march indeed, under the eye of the oflicers, can be kept in column, but a considerable number of troops are scattered alonij the ijreat convoy of wa^riions containinor O c^ «/ OCT O the tents, stores, and ammunition of the army, and which often extends some miles in length. Even if the desire for plunder does not draw men away, many are forced to fall behind either from sickness, sore feet, or other causes. The number of these was comparatively small in the army of Gustavus, for discipline was strict and the spirit of the troops good. As soon, however, as it was found that every straggler who fell into the hands of the peasantry was murdered under circumstances of horrible atrocit}' it became very difficult for the officers to keep the men together, so intense was their fury and desire iif ld6 A FLANKING PAUTY. fl m f^H 1 , >■'>■ flPIP! ■' i It^ for vengeance against the savage peasantry, and on every possible occasion wlien a villnge was seen near the line of march men would slip away and slay, plunder, and burn. Gustavus endeavoured to repress these proceedings. He shared the indignation of his troops at the barbarous conduct of the peasantry, but throughout the war he always tried to cany on hostilities so as to inflict as little loss and suffering as possible upon non-combatants. This state of warfare too between his troops and the country people added to his difficulties, for the peasantry drove ofi' their cattle and burned their stacks, and ren- dered it necessary for provisions and forage co be carried with the army. Parties were therefore sent out on the flanks of tlie column for the double purpose of preventing soldiers stealing oflT to plunder and burn, and of picking up stragglers and saving them from the fury of the pea- sants. A strong rear-guard followed a short distance behind the army. It was accompanied by some empty waggons, in which those who fell out and were unable to keep up with the march were placed. Two days after the advance from the Lech, Malcolm was in charoe of a small party on the right flank of the column. There was no fear of an attack from the enemy, for the Swedish horsemen were out scoui-ing the country, and the Im- perialists were known to have fallen back to Ingolstadt. The villages were found deserted by the male inhabitants, the younger women too had all left, but a few old crones generally remained in charge. These scowled at the invaders, and crossing themselves muttered curses beneath their breath upon those whom their priests had taught FKLI.ED BY A WOMAN. 197 on the ider, ings. irons ,r he zi as :ants. 1 the intry ren- irried n the jnting eking 3 pca- lehind rrons, keep tr the of a flhere ^edish Im- istadt. Itants, n'ones It the Ineath LUght them to regard as devils. There was nothing to tempt the cupidity of the soldiers in these villages. Malcolm's duty was confined to a casual inspection, to see that no stragglers had entered for the purpose of procuring wine. The day's march was nearly over when he saw some flames rise from a village a short distance away. Hurrying forward with his men he found a party of ten of the Swedish soU ers who had stolen away from the baggage guard engaged in plundering. Two peasants lay dead in the street, and a house was in flames. Malcolm at once ordered his detachment, who were twenty strong, to arrest the Swedes and to march them back to the columns. While they were doing this he went from house to house to see that none of the party were lurking there. At the door of the last house of the village three women were standino:. "Are any of the soldiers here?" he asked. The women gave him an unintelligible answer in the country patois, and passing between them he entered the cottage. On the table stood a large jug of water, and liftinor it he took a lonor draught. There was a sudden crash, and he fell heavily, struck down from behind with a heavy mallet b}'' one of the women. He was stunned by the blow, and when he recovered his senses he found that he was bound hand and foot, a cloth had been stuffed tightly into his mouth, and he was covered thickly with a heap of straw and rubbish. He struggled desperately . to free himself, but so tightly wore the cords bound that they did not give in the slightest. A cold perspiration broke out on his forehead as Tie reflected that he was helpless in the power of these savage liii 198 A rUISONER. peasants, and tliat lie should probably be put to death by torture. Presently he could hear the shouts of his men, who, on finding that he did not return, had scattered throu«di the villa<]:e in search of him. He heard the voice of his sergeant. '• These old hags say they saw an officer walk across to the left. The captain may have meant us to march the prisoners at once to the column, and be waiting just out- side the village for us, but it is not likely. At any rate, lads, we will search every house from top to bottom be- fore we leave. So set to work at once; search every room, cupboard, and shed. There may be foul play; though we see no men about, sonie ma}" be in hiding." Malcolm heard the sound of footsteps, and the crashing of planks as the men searched the cottages, wrenched off the doors of cupboards, and ransacked the whole place. Gradually the sound ceased, and everything became quiet. Presently he hoard tlie sound of drums, and knew that the regiment which formed the rear-guard was passing. It was bitterness indeed to know that his friends were within sound of a call for aid, and that he was bound and helpless. The halting place for the night was, he knew, but a mile or two in advance, and liis only hope was that some band of plunderers might in the night visit the village; but even then his chances of being discovered were small indeed, for even should they sack and burn it he would pass unnoticed lying hidden in the straw-yard. His captors were no doubt aware of the possibility of such a visit, for it was not until broad daylight, when the army would again be on its forward march, that they uncovered him. Brave as Malcolm was he could scarce repress a shudder A TERRIDLE POSITION. 199 as he looked at the hand of women who surrounded liim. All were past middle age, some were old and toothless, but all weio animated by a spirit of ferocious triumph. Raising him into a sitting position, they clustered round him, some shook their skinny hands in his face, others heaped curses upon him, some of the most furious assailed him with heavy sticks, and had he not still been clothed in his armour, would then and tlune have killed him. This, however, was not thuir intention, for they intended to put him to death by slow torture, lie was lifted and carried into the cottas^e. There the lacimxs of his armour were cut, the cords loosened ona by one, sullicient to en- able them to remove the various pieces of which it was composed, then he was left to himself, as the hags in- tended to postpone the final tragedy until the men returned from the hills. This might be some hours yet, slh the Swedish cavalry would still be scouring the country, and other bodies of troops might be marching up. From the conversation of the women, which he understood but imperfectly, Malcolm gathered that they thought the men would return that niixht. Some of the women were in favour of executinjj the vengeance themselves, but the majority w^ere of opinion that the men should have their share of the pleasure. • All sorts of fiendish propositions were made as to the manner in which his execution should be carried out, but even the mildest caused Malcolm to ishudder in anticipa- tion. His arms were bound tightl}^ to his side at the elbows, and the wrists were fastened in front of him, his legs were tied at the knees and ankles. Sometimes he was left alone as the women went about their various 200 SELF-IN I'LKJTKI) T< )IiTUKE. 'Mi , i avocations in tlie village, but lie was so ficcniely l»onnm the roof." The door at the top of the stairs was now closed, and the crevices were stufled tightly with strips torn from the men's clothes so as to prevent the smoke from entering when the door below gave way to the flames. A broad glare of light now lit up the scene, and showers of sparks, and an occasional tongue of flame were visible through the window. " Shut down the trap-door in the roof," Malcolm said, " that will check the draugiit through the windows." ■ The wood was dry, and what smoke made its way in ] 1 WAITING. 223 5 sure '' /ill , and from iering broad rs of isible said, lay in through the window found its way out through the loop- holes of the upper chamber without seriously incommod- ing tliose below. "We can take it easy, now," Malcolm said as he set the example by sitting down against the wall. "It will be hours before the stone-work below will be cool enough to permit them to attack." "They are lighting a circle of fires all round the church," one of the soldiers said looking out. " They think we shall be trying to escape, now that our door is burned. They are too late; I trust our mes- senger is miles away by this time." In half an hour the flames died away, but a deep red gh. .V showed that the pile of embers was still giving out an intense heat. One of the men was now placed on the top of the tower again, as a measure of precaution, but it was certain that hours would elapse before an attack could be made. The peasants, indeed, secure of their prey, evinced no hurry to commence the attack, but spent the mcrht in shoutinfj and sin2:intr round their fires, occa- sionally yelling threats of the fate which awaited them ajjainst the defender;^ of the tower. Towards daylight Malcolm commenced his preparations for defence. The door was taken off' its hinges and was laid on the stone stairs. These were but two feet wide, the door itself being some three inc^^es less. The rope was fastened round its upper end to prevent it from slid- ing down. " I wish we had some grease to pour over it," Malcolm said, " but dry as it is it will be next to impossible for anyone to walk up that sharp incline, and we four should be able to hold it against the peasants till doomsday." m titfi ASSAtLl '; i! h:. It was not until broad daylight that the peasants pre- pared for the attack. So long as the operation had been a distant one it had seemed easy enough, but as in a confused mass they a})proached the open doorway they realized that to ascend the narrow staircase, defended at the top by desperate men, was an enterprise of no common danger, and that the work which they had regarded as finished was in fact scarcely begun. The greater part then hung back, but a band of men, who by their blackened garments and swarthy faces Malcolm judged to be charcoal burners, armed with heavy axes, advanced to the front, and with an air of dogged resolution approached the door. The defenders gave no sign of their presence, no pistol flashed out from window or loophole. Stridinor throuo-h the still hot ashes the leader of the woodmen passed through the doorway and advanced up the stairs. These ran in short straiujht fliohts round the / tower, lighted by narrow loopholes. No resistance was encountered until he reached the last turning, where a broader glare of light came from the open doorway, where two of the soldiers, pike in hand, stood ready to repel them. With a shout to his followers to come on, the peasant sprang forward. He ascended three steps, and then, as he placed his foot upon the sharply inclined plane of the door, which he had not noticed, he stumbled for- ward. His companions, supposing he had been pierced with a spear, pressed on after him, but each fell when they trod upon the door until a heap of men cumbered the stair. pikes th j through as they lay. These were not Scottish spear unharmed men ran , for with their long them through and 3re a /here repel the and lane t'or- lerced :hen ered long and REPULSED. 225 Their bodies afforded a footliold to those who followed, but these could make but little way, for as but one could advance at a time, each as he came on was slain by the pikes. Finding that two were well able to hold the door, Malcolm with the other ran up to the top of the tower, and toppled over the stones of the parapet upon the mass gathered around the door. These at once scat- tered, and those on the stairs, finding themselves unable to get forward, for the narrow passage was now com- pletely choked with the dead, made their way out again and rejoined their omrades. " I expect they will send their musketeers first next time," Malcolm said as he rejoined those below, leaving the soldier on the watch. " Now let us get the door up again, and bring the dead here; we can form a bax'rier with them breast-high." The door was quickly shifted on one side, and then the troopers brought up the dead, who were eleven in number. "Now replace the door," Malcolm ordered; "fill j'our iron caps with blood — there is plenty flowing from these fellows — and pour it over the door, it will be as good as oil." This was done, and the bodies were then piled shoulder-high across the door. " They can fire as much as they like now," Malcolm said, " they will be no nearer, and I defy anyone to climb up that door now." liilt! i.^-^V -- t: - (276) LI CHAPTER XV. I A I :l i I A TIMELY RESCUE. LTHOUGH unaware how much more formid- able the task before tliem had become, tlie peasants were disheartened by their defeat, and even the boldest hesitated at the thought of again attacking foes so formidably posted. None of those who had returned were able to explain what was the obstacle which had checked their advance. All that they could tell was, that those before them had fallen, in some cases even before they were touched by the spears of the defenders. This mystery added to the dread which the assault of so difficult a position naturally inspired, and some hours were spent in discus- sing how the next attack should be made. Many indeed were strongly in favour of remaining quietly around the tower and starvinor its defenders into surrenderinof. others advocated an attempt to stifle them by heaping green wood and dai.ip straw round the tower; but the more timid pointed out that many would be killed in carrying out the task by the firearms of the besieged, and that even were the combustibles placed in position and lighted the success of the experiment would be by no A FRESH PLAN. 227 means certain, as the besieged might stuff up all the orifices, or at the worst might obtain sufhcient fresh air on the top of the tower to enable them to breathe. " You are forgetting," one of tlie peasants exclaimed, " the powder waggon which broke down as Count Tilly retreated from the Lech. Did we not carry off the pow- der barrels and hide them, partly to prevent them falling into the hands of these accursed Swedes, partly because the powder would last us for years for hunting the wolf and wild boar? We have only to stow these inside the tower to blow it into the air." The idea was seized with shouts of acclamation. Most of the peasants who had assisted in carrying off' the con- tents of the waggon were present, and these started instantly to dig up the barrels which they had taken as their share of the booty. The shouts of satisfaction and the departure of forty or fifty men at full speed in various directions did not pass unnoticed by the garrison of the tower. "They have got a plan of some sort," Malcolm said; " what it is I have no idea, but they certainly seem con- fident about it. Look at those fellows throwing up their caps and waving their arms. I do not see how we can be attacked, but I do not like these signs of confidence on their part, for they know now how strong our position is. It seems to me that we are impregnable except against artillery." Unable to repress his uneasiness Malcolm wandered from window to window watching attentively what was going on without, but keeping himself as far back as possible from the loopholes; for the men with muskets kept up a dropping fire at the openings, and although It; !-,-i' I M ' ■ f f i 226 A TERRIBLE DANGER. their aim was poor, bullets occasionally passed in and flattened tliemselves ai^oiinst the opposite walls. " There is a man rcturnini^," he said in about half an hour; " he is canyiug sumething on his i-houlder, but I cannot see what it is." In another ten minutes the man had reached the group of peasants standing two or three hundred j'an.s from the church, and was liieeted with chetrs and wavinfj of hats. "Good heavens!" ISIalcolm exclaimed suddenly, "it is a barrel of powder. They nmst have stripped some broken- down anuHunition wa'^i-on. This is a daui^er indeed." The men grasped their weapons and rose to their feet at the news, pre[ ared to take any steps which their young officer might command, for his promptitude and ingenuity had inspired them with unbounded confidence in h' " We nmst at all hazards," he said after a few nn^.v^ues' thought, " prevent them from storing these barrels below, Kemove the barricade of bodies and then carry the door down the stairs. We must lix it again on the bottom steps. The bottom stair is but a foot or two inside the doorway; if you place it there it will hinder their rush- ing up to attack you, and your pikes, as you stand above it, will prevent any from placing tlieir barrels inside. "I will take my place at the loo})hole as liefore. We cannot prevent their crawling round from behind as they did to light the faggots; but if they pile them outside, they may blow in a hole in the wail of the tower, but it is possible that even then it may not fall. Two will be sutHcient to hold the stairs, at any rate for the present. Do you, Cameron, take your place on the tower, and drop stones over on any who may try to make their way round an 1 v4 uOS We they tside, )ut it ill be jscnt. drop round THE POWDER BARRELS. 229 from behind; even if you do no harm you will make them careful and delay the operation, and every hour now is of consequence." Malcolm's instructions were carried out, and all was in readiness before the peasants, some of whom had to go sonsiderable distances, had returned with the powder. The lesson of the previous evening had evidently not been lost upon the peasants, for Malcolm saw a tall man who was acting as their leader wave his hand, and those who had brought the powder started to make a detour round the church. Malcolm, finding that no movement was being made towards the front, and that at present he could do nothing from his loophole, ran up tc the top of the tower and took his place by the soldier who was lying down on the roof lud looking over the edge. Presently the first of the peasants appeared round the corner of the main building, and dash(id rapidly across to the angle of the tower. Two heavy stones were dropped, but he had passed on long before they had reached the bottom. Man after man followed, and Malcolm, seeing that he could do nothing to stop them, again ran dowa As he did so he heard a scream of agony. The leading peasants had reached the doorway, but as they dashed in to place their barrels of powder they were run through and through by the spears of the pikemen. They fell half in and half out of the doorway, and the barrels rolled some distance away. Those belrnd them stopped panic-stricken at their sudden fall. Several of them dropped their barrels and fied, while others ran round the anule of the tower a^ain, comini:j in violent con- tact with those followino- them ; all then hurried round be- hind the church. Malcolm stamped his feet with vexation. HHi if' 230 SPREADING THiC POWDER. t; '' > > )l " What a foci I am," he muttered, " not to have thought of a sortie! If we had all held ourselves in readiness to spring out, we might have cut down the whole of them; at any rate none would have got off with their barrels." This unexpected failure greatly damped the spirit of the peasants, and there was much consultation among them before any fresh move was made. As he saw that they were fully occupied, and paying no heed to the tower, Malcolm said to his men: "I am going outside; prepare to help me up over the door again quickly if necessary." Leaving his sword behind him, he took a leap from the step above the inclined plane and landed at the bottom, and at once threv/ himself down outside. With his dagger he removed the hoops of one of the barrels, and scattered the contents thickly along the front of the tower. None of the peasants perceived him, for there were many bodies lying round the foot of the tower; and even had any looked that way they would not have noticed that one prone figure had been added to the number. Crawling cautiously along Malcolm pushed two other barrels before him, and opening them as before, spread the contents of one upon the ground near the side of the tower, and the other by the hinder face. The thick black layer on the snow would have told its tale instantly to a soldier, but Malcolm had little fear of tiie peasants in their haste paying attention to it. When his task was completed he crawled back again to the door and laid a train from the foot of the slide to the powder without. " I will remain here," he said, " for the present. Do one of you take your place in the belfry. Tell Cameron If 1' ' 'J| , I U ' h: t t i i nil: 1 • i 1 -i '■iIHh . THR LAST OF THE SIEGE OF THE CHURCH-TOWER. A r '-^ -:=: AN EXPLOSION. 231 to shout down to you what is passing behind, and do you run instantly down the stairs to tell me." The peasants advanced next time accompanied by a strong force of their armed comrades. As before they came round from behind, intending to stack their barrels in the angle there. As the bearers of the first two or three powder barrels came round the corner Cameron shouted the news, and the soldier below ran down to Malcolm, who fired his })i.stol into tlie train. A broad flash of fire rose round the tower followed instantaneously by two heavy explosions. There was silence for an instant, and then a chorus of shrieks and yells. The powder barrels borne by the two first men had exploded, their heads having been knocked in previously to admit of their ignition. Some thirty of the peasants were killed or terribly mutilated by the explosion, and the rest took to their heels in terror, leaving their wounded comrades on the ground. The echoes of the explosion had scarce died away when a shout of terror broke 1 /om the main body of peasants, and Malcolm saw them flying in all directions. An in- stant afterwards the rinoin*' sound of the Swedish trum- pets was heard, and a squadron of horse g... loped down at full speed. The peasants attempted no resistance, but fled in all directions, hotly pursued by the Swedes, who broke up into small parties and followed the fugitives across the country cutting down great numbers of them. The Swedish leader at once rode up to the foot of the tower, where Malcolm had already sallied out. "I am glad indeed I am in time, Captain Graeme; we have ridden without drawing rein since your messenger arrived at four o'clock this morning." 232 RESCUED. "Thanks indeed, Captain Burgh," Malcolm replied. "Your cominor is most welcome; thoun;h I think we have given the peasants so hot a lesson that they would not have attacked us again, and by tightening our waist- ■ belts we could have held on for another three or four days." "I see that you have punished them heavily," the Swedish officer said, looking round at the bodies; "but what was the explosion I heard?" " \ou will see its signs behind the tower," Malcolm said as he led the way there. " They tried to blow us up, but burnt their own timbers." The scene behind the tower was ghastly. Some thirty peasants lay with their clothes completely burned from their bodies, the greater portion of them dead, but some still writhing in agony. Malcolm uttered an exclamation of horror. " It were a kindness to put these wretches out of their misery," the Swede said, and dismounting he passed his sword through the bodies of the writhing men. "You know I am in favour of carrying on the war as mercifully as may be," he continued turning to Malcolm, "for we have talked the matter over before now; and God forbid that I should strike a fallen foe; but these poor wretches were beyond help, and it is true mercy to end their suffer- ings. "They have had a heavy lesson," Malcolm said, "there are eleven more dead up in the belfry, which they tried to carry by storm, and a dozen at least crushed by stones." " You and your three men have indeed given a good ac- count of yourselves," Captain Burgh exclaimed; "but while I am talking you are fasting. Here is a bottle of wine, ■mr i lillll *■ r THE SWEDISH CAPTAIN. 233 ■■ 'I ■ ^! Hi ere ined les. ac- Ihile fine, a cold chicken, and a manchet of bread which I put in my wallet on starting; let us breakfast, for though I do not pretend to have been fasting as you have, the morning ride has given me an appetite. 1 see your fellows are hard at work already on the viands which my orderly brought for them in his havvesack; but first let us move away to the tree over yondei", for verily the scent of blood and of roasted tiesh is enough to take away one's appetite, little squeamish as these wars have taught us to be." Captain Burgh asked no questions until IMalcolra had finished his meal. " I have plenty more food," he said, " for we have brought three led Iv)rses well laden; but it were better that you eat no more at present, 'tis ill ovei'loading a fasting stomach. My men will not be back from the pursuit for a couple of houis yet, for they will not draw rein so long as their horses can gallop, so excited are they over the tales of the horrible cruelties which have been perpetrated on all our men who have fallen into the hands of the peasants, so new you can tell me in full the tale of your adventures. I had no timo to ask any questions of your sergeant, for we were called up and sent off five minutes after he arrived with the news that you with three men were beleaguered here by a party of peasants." Malcolm related the whole incidents which had befallen him since he had been suddenly felled and made captive by the women in the hut in the village. The Swede laughed over this part of the adventure. " To think," he said, " of you, a dashing captain of the Green Brigade, being made captive by a couple of old women. There is more than one gallant Scot, if reports be true, has fallen a captive to German maidens, but of 1 1 if^'! ^1 ''Id ' ( i .( ■ m^i 234 WITH THE ARMY. another sort; to be taken prisoner and hid in a straw yard is too good." " It was no laughing matter, I can tell you," Malcolm said, " though doubtless it will serve as a standing jest asjainst me for a lonsf time: however, I am so thankful I have got out of the scrape that those may laugh who will." When Malcolm finished his story Captain Burgh said: "Vou have managed marvellously well indeed. Gramme, and can well ati'ord to put up witii a little laughter anent that mattei' of the womun, for in truth there are few who would with three men have held a post against four or live hundred, as you have done — ay, and fairly defeated them before I came on the scene. That thought of yours of laying the door upon the .stairs was a masterly one, and you rarely met and defeated every device of the enemy. "Now, if you will, I will mount this stronghold of yours with you, and see exactly how it stands, for I shall have to tell the tale a score of times at least when I get back to camp, and I can do it all the better after I have seen for myself the various features of the place." By the time they had mounted the top of the tower and Captain Burgh had fully satisfied himself as to the details of the defence the troopers began to return. Their horses were far too fatioued with the lonij ride from the camp and the subsecjuent pursuit to be able to travel farther. Fires were accordingly lit, rations dis- tributed, and a halt ordered till the following morning,, when, at daybreak, they returned to the Lech. Two days later Malcolm and his men marched forward with a brio-ade wdiich w^as advancinjj to reinforce the army under Gustavus, and reached Ingolstadt on the o liave ower the turn, ride Ic to dis- rard the the MALCOLM'S WELCOME. 235 day when the king raised the siege, and accompanied him on his march to Munich. Malcohn on rejoining was greeted with great pleasure by his comrades, who had made up their minds that he had in some way fallen a victim to the peasants. The non-commissioned officers and men of his party had been severely reprimanded for leaving the village without finding him. In their defence they declared that they had searched every house and shed, and, having found no sign of him, or of any struggle having taken place, they supposed that he must have returned alone. But their excuses were not held to be valid, the idea of Mal- colm having left his men without orders being so prepos- terous that it was held it should never have been enter- tained for a moment by them. "I shall never be anxious about you again," Nigel Graeme said, when Malcolm finished the narrative of his adventures to the officers of his regiment as they sat round the camp-fire on the evening when he rejoined them. " This is the third or fourth time that I have given you up for dead. Whatever happens in the future, I shall refuse to believe the possibility of any harm hav- ing come '.J jou, and shall be sure that sooner or ^ater you will walk quietly into camp with a fresh batch of adven- tures to toll us. Whoever of us may be doomed to lay our bones in this German soil, it will not be you. Some good fairy has distinctly taken charge of you, and there is no saying what brilliant destiny njay await you." "But he must keep clear of the petticoats, Graeme," Colonel Munro laughed; "evidently danger lurks for him there, and if he is caught napping again some Delilah will assuredly crop the hair of this young Samson of ours." Ml Mil 23G "THE PICi.LE OF THE SCHOOL." , ^Pf- v^M " There was not much, of Delilah in that fury who felled me with a malkt, colonel," Malcolm lauglied; "how- ever, I will be careful in future, and will not give them a chance." "Ah! it may come in another form next time, Malcolm," Munro said; "this time it was an old woman, next time it may be a young one. Beware, my boy! they are far the most dangerous, innocent though they may look." A laugh ran round the circle. "Forewarned foria under General Banner, Prince WilHani of Weiniar, and General Kuthven, to join him, if possihle, before Nuremberg. MarclunLj with all haste he arrived at Nuremherir be- fore Wallenstein readied it, and prepared at once for the defence of the city. He first called together the principal citizens of Nuremberg and explained to them his position. He showed them that were he to fall back with his a.-my he should be able to elTect a junction with the troops under his generals, and would ere long be in a position to offer battle to Wallenstein upon more equal terms, but that were he to do so he would be forced to abandon the city to the vengeance of the Imperialists. He told them that did he remain before the city he must to a great extent be dependent upon them for food and supplies, as he would be beleaguered by Wallenstein, and shoulil be unable to draw food and fora^^e from the surroundino- country; he could therefore only maintain himself by the aid of the cordial good-will and assistance of the citizens. The people of Nuremberg were true to the side they had chosen, and placed the whole of their resources at his disposal. Gustavus at once set his army to work to form a position in which he could confront the over- whelming forces of the enemy. Round the city, at a dis- tance of about thirteen hundred yards from it, he dug a ditch, nowhere less than twelve feet wide and eight deep, but, where most exposed to an attack, eighteen feet wide and twelve deep. Within the circuit of this ditch he erected eiijht larion to the religion of Hepburn, who was a Catholic, and also to that officer's love of dress and finery. The indignant Hepburn at once resigned his commission and swore never again to draw his sword in the service of the king! — a resolution to which he adhered, although Gustavus, when his anger cooled, endeavoured in every way to appease the angry soldier. As he persisted in his resolution Colonel Munro was appointed to the command of the Green Brigade. It is probable that the quarrel was the consunmiation of a long-standing grievance. Hepburn as well as the other Scottish officers had shared the indignation of Sir John Hamilton when the latter resigned in consequence of the Swedish troop being placed in the post of honour at the storm of the castle of Maricnburg after the Scots had done all the work. There had, too, been much discontent among them concerning the Marquis of Hamilton, whom m m\\ \ >! mm 250 FAULTS ON BOTH SIDES. they considered that Gustavus had treated ungenerous!) ; and still more concerninc; Lieutenant-colonel Douirlas. whom Gustavus had committed to a com: .on prison for a slight breach of eticjuette, a punishment at which the English ambassador, Sir Harry Vane, remonstrated, and which the whole Scottish otiicers considered an insult to tliem and their country. There were probably faults on both sides. The Scot- tish troops were the backbone of the Swedisli army, and to them were principally due almost the whole of the successes which Gustavus had gained. Doubtless they presumed upon the fact, and although Gustavus recog- nized his obligations, as is shown by the immense number of commands and governorships which he bestowed upon his Scottish officers, he may well have been angered and irritated by the insistance with which they asserted their claims and services. It was, however, a most unfortunate circumstance that just at this critical moment he should have lost the services of an officer whose prudence was equal to his daring, and who was unquestionably one of the greatest military leaders of his age. It is probable that had Hepburn remained by his side the king would not have undertaken the attack upon the impregnable position of the Imperialists. Deprived of the counsellor upon whose advice he had hitherto inv^ari- ably relied, Gustavus determined to attempt, to drive Wallenstein from his position, the decision being finally induced by a ruse of the Imperialist commander, who desired notliino: so much as that the Swedes should dash their forces against the terrible position he had prepared for them. Accordingly on the 24th of August he directed a considerable portion of his force to march away from THE ASSAULT OF THE ALTE VESTE. 251 the rear of his position as if, alarmed at the superior strength of the Swedes, he had determined to abandon the heights he had so long occupied and to march away. Gustavus fell into the trap, and prepared at once to assault the position. Two hundred pieces of artillery heralded the advance, which was made by the whole body of the musketeers of the army drafted from the several brigades and divided into battalions oOv) strong, each commanded by a colonel. It was a terrible position which they were advancing to storm. Each ol the lines of intrenchments was surmounted by rows of polished helmets, while pikes and arijuebuses glittered in the sun- shine; but it was not long that the scene was visible, for as the battalions approached the foot of the Altenburg 80 pieces of artillery opened from its summit and from the ridge of the Alte Veste, while the smoke of the arque- buses drifted up in a cloud -from the lines of intrench- ments. Steadily and in good order the Scotch and Swedish infantry pressed forward, and forcing the lower ditch strove to climb the rocky heights; but in vain did they strive. Over and over again they reached the intrench- ments, but were unab'.e to force t^ eir way through the thickly-bound fallen trees, while their lines were torn with a storm of iron and lead. Never did the Scottish soldiers of Gustavus fight with greater desperation and valour. Scores of them rolled lifeless down the slope, but fresh men took their places and strove to hack their way through the impenetrable screen through which the Im- perialist bullets whistled like hail. At last, when nigh half their number had fallen, the rest, exhausted, broken, and in disorder, fell suddenly i l4i>l Pf! 252 THE ALTENBURQ CARRIED. back. Gustavus in person then led on his Finlanders, but these, after a struuijle as obstinate and heroic as that of their predecessors, in their turn fell back baffled. The Livonians next made the attempt, but in vain. In the meantime a sharp conflict had taken place between the Imperial cavalry and the Swedish left wing. Wallenstein's cuirassiers, hidden by the smoke, clmrged light through a column of Swedish infantry; but this success was counterbalanced by the rout of Cronenberg's Invincibles, a magnificent regiment of 1500 horsemen, by 200 Finland troopers. The troops of Duke Bernhard of Weimar, amon^j whom were still the Scottish regiments of Hamilton and Douo-las, marched ao-ainst the heijjhts which commanded the Alte Veste, and drove back the Imperialists with great loss. 'ive hundred musketeers of the Green Brigade under Colonel Munro then pushed gallantly forward and posted themselves far in advance, resisting all attempts of the Imperialists to drive them back, until Lieutenant-colonel Sinclair, who was now in command of Munro 's own regiment, brought it forward to his assistance. Until the next morning this body of one thousand men maintained the ground they had won in spite of all the efforts of the Imperialists to dislodge them. Colonel Munro was severely wounded in the left side. Lieutenant-colonel Maken, Capt. Innis, and Capt. Traill were killed, and an immense number of other Scottish officers were killed and wounded. The new\s was brouirht down to Gustavus of the advantage gained by Duke Bernhard, but he was unable to take advantage of it by moving his army round to that position, as he would have exposed himself to a counter attack of the enemy REPULSE OF THE SWEDES. 263 II while doing so. He therefore launched a fresh column of attack against the Alte Yeste. This was followed by another and yet another, until every regiment in the army had in its turn attempted to storm the position, but still without success. The battle had now raged for ten hours, and nightfall put an end to the struggle. Hepburn had all day ridden behind the king as a simple cavalier, and had twice .carried messages throuci'h the thick of the lire when there were no others to bear them, so great had been the slaughter round the person of the king. It was the first time that Gustavus had been repulsed, and he could hardly yet realize the fact; but as messenger after messenn^er came in from the ditl'erent divisions he discovered how terrible had been his loss. Most of his generals and superior othcers had been killed or wounded, 2000 men lay dead on the field, and there were nigh three times that number of wounded. The Imperialists on their side lost 1000 killed and 1500 wounded; but the accounts of the losses on both sides differ greatly, some placing the Imperial loss higher than that of the Swedes, a palpably absurd estimate, as the Imperialists, fighting behind shelter, could not have suflfered anything like so heavily as their assailants, who were exposed to their fire in the open. Hepbuin bore the order from the king for Munro's troops and those of Duke Bernhard to retire from the position they had won, as they were entirely cut off from the rest of the army, and would at daylight have had the whole of the Imperialists upon them. The service was one of great danger, and Hepburn had to cut his way sword in hand through the Croats who intervened J if .,1 ■■; ■ i M' Wi i H mi \ i\ III 254 THE END OF THE SIEGE. between him and his comrades of the Green Brigade. He accomplislied his task in safety, and before daylight Munro's men and the regimentsof Duke Bernhard rejoined the army in the phiin. But though repulsed Gustavua was not defeated. He took up a new position just out of cannon-shot of the Altenburg, and then offered battle to Wallenstein, the latter, however, well satisfied with his success, remained firm in his policy of f-tarving out the enemy, and resisted every device of the king to turn him. from his stroiiuhold. For fourteen days Gustavus remained in position. Then he could hold out no longer. The supplies were entirelv exhausted. The summer had been unusuallv hot. The shrunken waters of the Begnitz were putrid and stinking, the carcasses of dead horses poisoned the air, and fever and pestilence raL,cd in the camp. Leav- ing, then, Kniphausen with eight thousand men to aid the citizens of KuremLcrg to defend the city should Wallen- stein besiege it, Gustavus marched on the 8th of Septem- ber by way of Neustadt to Windsheim, and there halted to watch the further movements of the enemv. Five days later Wallenstein quitted his camp and marched to Forsheim. So far the advantage of the cam- paign lay with him. His j atience and iron resolution had given the first check to the victorious career of the Lion of the North. Munro's regiment, as it was still called — for he was now its full colonel, altlioui-h Lieutenant-colonel Sinclair com- manded it in the field — liad siiHered terribly, but less, perhaps, than some of llio.se who had in vain attempted to force their way up the slopes of the Alte Veste; and many an eye grew moist as at daybreak the regiment LOSSES OF THE REGIMENT. 255 Brigade. daylight [ rejoined Gustavus ist out of battle to with his g out the turn him L position, plies were unusually re re putrid )isone(l the ^ip. Lcav- [1 to aid the dd Wallen- of Septem- here halted camp and )f the cam- resolution irecr of the Ihe was now inclair com- ly, hut less, attempted Veste; and lie regiment marched into its place in the ranks of the brigade and saw how terrible had been the slau'diter amoni; them. Munro's soldiers liad had but little of that hand-to- liand fighting in which men's blood becomes heated and all thought of danger is lost in the tierce desire to kill. Their losses had been caused by the storm of cannon- ball and bullet wdnch had swept through tliem, as, pant- ing and breathless, they struggled up the steep slopes, incapable of answering the tire of the enemy. They had had their triumph, indeed, as the Imperial regiments broke and fled before Uieir advance; but although proud that they at least had succeeded in a day when failure was general, there was not a man but regretted that he had not come within push of pike of the enemy. Malcolm Graeme had passed scatheless through the fray — a good fortune that had attended but few of his brother officers. His uncle was badly wounded, and several of his friends had fallen. Of the men who had marched from Denmark but a year before scarce a third remained in the ranks, and althouoh the reoiment had been streno;;th- ened by the breaking up of two or three of the weaker battalions and their incorporation with the other Scottish regiments, it was now less than half its former strength. While Gustavus and Wallenstein had been facing each other at Nuremberg the war had continued without in- terruption in other parts, and the Swedes and their allies had gained advantages everywhere except in Westphalia and Lower Saxony, where Papi enheim had more than held his own against Baudissen, who commanded for Gus- tavus; and although Wallenstein had checked the king he had gained no material advantages and had wrested no single town or fortress from his hands. Gustavus was il IW-is !i SB;! m\\ •I'W m f If I i I! 256 THE KING^S PLANS. still in Bavaria, nearer to Munich than he was, his garri- sons still holding Ulm, Nordlingcn, and Donauworth, its strongest fortresses. He felt sure, however that it would be impossible for Gustavus to maintain at one spot the army which he had at Windsheim, and that with so many points to defend he would soon break it up into separate commands. He resolved then to wait until he did so, and then to sweep down upon Northern Germany, and so by threatening the kino-'s line of retreat to force him to abandon Bavaria and the south and to march to meet him. At present he was in no position to risk a battle, for he had already detached 4000 men to reinforce Hoik, whom he had sent with 10,000 to threaten Dresden. The 13,000 Bavarians who wore with him under Maximilian had separated from him on his way to Forsheim, and on arriving at that place his army numbered but 17,000 men, while Gustavus had more than 40,000 gathered at Winds- heim. Gustavus, on his part, determined to carry out his former projects, to march against Ingolstadt, which he had before failed to capture, and thence to penetrate into Upper Austria. But fearful lest Wallenstein, released from his presence, should attempt to recover the for- tresses in Franconia, he despatched half his force under Duke Bernhard to prevent the Imperial general from crossing the Rhine. Could he succeed in doing this he would be in a position to dictate terms to the emperor in Vienna. On the 12th of October he reached Neuberg, on the Danube, and halted *^here, awaiting the arrival of his sief]:e- train from Donauworth. While makinfif the most WaLT.EKSTKIN's MOVEMKNtS. 257 [S garri- irth, its iible for I he had } defend ds. He :o sweep eatening Bavaria le, for he k, whom n. The iximilian 1, and on poo men, i Winds- out his hich he rate into released the for- le under al from this he peror in on the of his Ihe most vigorous exertions to press on the necessary arrangements for his march atjainst Vienna he received the most ursjent messaoes to return to Saxon v- Not onlv, as he was told, had Wallenstein penetrated into that province, but he was employing all his influence to detach its elector from the Protestant cause, and there was oreat fear that the weak prince would yield to the solicitations of Wallen- stein and to his own jealousy of the King of Sweden. No sooner, in fact, ha I Gustavus ciossed the Danube than Wallenstein moved tovvar1 lem be- say, and 1(1 quar- tbe day icf away the Swe- ree com- lile from from the etory. raria with ^ who had 3er, whose harmony ide on his ith regret npany the s no pro- ia, and it Ibe fou£;hli ace in the jrnhard of [army to a had again who had )e crossed, with his iFrom him ^iB divided that of Pappenheim 10,000, those of Gallas and Hoik united 16,000, making a total of 38,000 men. So great was the speed with which Gustavus had marched to Erfurt that Wallenstein had received no notice of his approach; and believing that for some time to come he should meet with no serious opposition, he had on the very day after the Swedes reached Erfurt despatched Gallas with 12,000 men into Bohemia. A divi- sion of his troops was at the same time threatening Naumburg, whose possession would enable him to block the only easy road with which Gustavus could enter the country i>eld by him. But Gustavus at Erfurt learned that Naumburo: had not yet fallen, and marching with great rapidit}'' reached the neighbourhood of that town before the Imperialists were aware that he had quitted Erfurt, and cutting up a small detachment of the enemy who lay in his way, entered the town and at once beonn to intrench it. Wallenstein iirst learned froiu the fuoitives of the beaten detachment that Gustavus ha;! arrived at Naum- burg, but as his own position lay almost centrally between Naumburg and Torgau, so long as he could prevent the Swedes and Saxons from uniting, he felt safe; for al* .lOugh together they would outnumler him, he was superior in. strength to either if alone. The Imperialist general be- lieved that Gustavus ir)terivicd to pass the winter at Naumburg, and he had therefore no fear of an immediate attack. In order to extend the area from which he could draw his supplies Wallenstein despatched Pappenheim to secure the fortress of Halle; for although tiiat town had been captured the fortress held out, and barred the main road '^VM^i'^^*-.%^. II. ' 2G2 THE MARCH TO LUTZEN. i ( ./' r i; to the north. From Halle Pappenheim was to proceed to the relief of Cologiie, which was menaced by the enemy. Having done this, Wallenstein withdrew from the line of the Saale and prepared to distribute his army in winter quarters in the towns of the district, he himself with a portion of the force occupying the little town of Lutzen. But Gustavus had no idea of taking up his quarteis for the winter at Naumburg; and he proposed to the Elector of Saxony that if he would march to Eilenberg, midway to Leipzig, he himself w^ould make a detour to the south round VVallenstein's p^it'on and i^^^: i.vi there. Without waiting to receive lit ;i"^;vver i :'» ..entor, Gustavus, leaving a garrison n T' - u-^ibu'"/, , ci ov\ d one o'clock in the morning on tl. . 'li; of No^ vo' a: c . his march; but before he had proceed 1 nine pi-ns ' e learned from a number of gentlen ^n cind pect.aiJ j favourable to the cause that Pappeidiei.n had starto^ for Halle, that the remainder of the Imperial army lay dispersed among the towns and villac^es of the neic^hbourhood, and that Wal- lenstein himself was at Lutzen. Gustavus called his generals together and informed them of the news. Learning that Lutzen was but five miles distant — as it turned out, a mistaken piece of infor- mation, as it was nearly twice as far — he ordered that the men should take some food, and then wheeling to the left, push on towards Lutzen. It was not until some time later that Wat|ti|isiein learned from thii Liiperlnl Heouts that QustttV|||^ ^yfl,s upon him. It was then nearly five o'clock jn t]ie GVfe||||ig, iif)(] darkness was at hand. Considering iiie tieavy state o\ the roads, attd the fact that tUistrtvus would Iwive in ttie last three miles of \\\4 fimiMll )ip trtf verse a l|)P|'ass crossed ;ijki STRUGGLING WITH DIFFICULTIES. 2G3 -oceed to enemy. 1 the line in winter If with a I Lutzen. avters for le Elector , midway the south Without Gustavus, o'clock in arch; but id from a lie to the , that the luiong the at Wal- informed but five of infor- ered that ino: to the nlliHialfeih was upon 'I I big, rin(l y .state of ive in the ■iss crossed by a bridge over which only two persons could pass abreast, he felt confident that the attack could not be made until the following; morninix. Mounted messenijers were sent in all directions to brinjx up his troops from the villages in which they were posted, and in the meantime the troops stationed around Lutzen were employed in preparing obsta( les to hinder the advance of the Swedes. On either side of the roads was a low swampy country intersected with ditches, and Wallenstein at once set his men to work to widen and deepen these ditches, which the troops as they arrived on the ground were to occupy. All night the troops laboured at this task. In the meantime Gustavus had found the distance longer and the difficulties greater than he had anticipated; the roads were so heavy that it was with difficulty that the artillery and amnmnition waggons could be dragged along them, and the delay caused by the passage of the morass was very great. Indeed the passage would have been scarcely possible had the men of an Imperial regiment of cuirassiers and a battalion of Croats, who were posted in a village on the further side of the morass, defended it; but instead of doing so they fell back to an eminence in the rear of the village, and remained there quietly until, just as the sun set, the whole Swedish army got across. The cuirassiers and Croats were at once attacked and put to flight; but as darkness was now at hand it was impossible for Gus- tavus to make any further advance, and the army was ordered to bivouac as it stood. The state of the roads had defeated the plans of Gus- tavus. Instead of taking the enemy by surprise, as he 264 DIVIDED COUNSELS. ill 1 11 m\\ (lit li :i! Hil!iliuiii{ had hoped, and falling upon thorn scattered and disunited, the delays which had occurred had given Wallenstein time to bring up all his forces, and at daybreak dustavus would be confronted by a force nearly equal to his own, and occupying a position very strongly defended by natural obstacles. Before the day was won, Pappenheim, for wdioni Wal- lenstein would have sent as soon as he heard of the Swedish advance, mii-ht be on the field, and in that case the Imperialists would not only have the advantage of position but also that of numbers. It was an anxious night, €and Gustavus spent the greater part of it in con- versation with his generals, especially Kniphausen and Duke Bernhard. The former strongly urged that the army should repass the morass and march, as originally intended, to etlect a junction with the Saxons. He pointed out that the troops were fatigued with their long and weary march during the day, and would have to tight without food, as it had been found impossible to bring up the waggons with the supplies; he particularly urged the point that Pappenheim would arrive on the liekl before the victory could be won. But Gustavus was of o[)inion that the disa< I vantages of re- treat were greater than those of action. The troops,hungry, weary, and dis[)iiite(l, would be attacked as they retired, and he believed that by beginning the action early the Im- perialists could be defeated before Pappenheim could return from Halle. Gustavus [)ro[)oscd to move forward at two o'clock in the morning; Imt fate was U'pon this occasion against the gieat Swedish leader. Just as on the previous day the expected length of the march and the heavy state of the THE SWF.niSH ADVANCE. 2G5 lenstein ustavus lis own, (led I »y m Wal- of tlie liat case itafje of anxious in con- sen and d repass ettect a e troops duriniij it had th the fienheiui be won. s of re- luno-ry, retired, tlie Im- coiihl jlock in nst the lav the t of the VI roads had prevented him from crusliing Wallenstein's scat- tered army, so now a thick fog springing up, making tlie night so dark that a soldier could not see the man stand- ing next to him, ; -evented the possibility of movement, and inste.id of mnrcliini,^ at two o'clock in tlie morning it was nine before the sun cleared away the fog sulliciently to enable the arn»y to a stem the itible, and \ ii'igades. n himself |e, and fell rapidity \oment he nks. ep by step d, and the he captors erialists. Iso forced roats and of wheel- ing his troops to fall on the ilank of the Imperialist centre when one of Duke Bernhard's aides-de-camp dashed up with the news that the ' .ot by being of the com- me before he nt. His left ndeed firmly he succeeded ich had hung e was unable ,, drawing his removing the ,he wine with afforded him feel life again After a while he was sufficiently restored to be enabled to get from his havrcsack some bread and meat which he had placed there after finishing his brjakfast on the pre- vious morning. He ate a few mouthfuls, took another long draught of wine, and then felt that he could hope to hold on until mornini;. He was unable to rise even into a sitting position, nor would it have availed him had he been able to walk, for he knew not where the armies were lying, nor could he have proceeded a yard in any direction without falling over the bodies which so thickly strewed the ground around him. Though in fact it wanted but two hours of daylight when he recovered consciousness, the tiuiC appeared in- terminable; but at last, to his delight, a faint gluam of light spread across the sky. Stronger and stronger did it become until the day was fairly broken. It was another hour before he heard voices approaching. Almost holding his breath he listened as they approached, and his heart gave a throb of deliglit as he heard that they were speak- ing in Swedish. A victory had been won, then, for had it not been so, it would have been the Imperialists, not the Swedes, who would have been searching the field of battle. " There are but few alive,'* one voice said, " the cold has finished the work which the enemy began." Malcolm, unable to rise, lifted his arm and held it erect to call the attention of the searchers; it was quickly ob- served. "There is some one still alive," the soldier exclaimed, " an officer, too ; by his scarf and feathers he belongs to the Green Brigade." " These Scotchmen are as hard as iron," another voice said; "come, bring a stretcher along." They were soon by the side of Malcolm. 280 CARRIED TO CAMP. iliii f m 1 1 !■ „'!!l!iil" ! • I '^ii w mm iiii I f«jj l! 'i| "Drink this, sir," one said, kneeling beside hiin and placing a flask of spirits to his lips; " that will warm yoLir blood, I warrant, and you must be well-nigh frozen." Malcolm took a fe\v^ gulps at the potent liquor, then he had strength to say: " There is something the matter with my left arm, I can't move it, and I think I am hit in the body." " You j.re hit in the body, sure enough," the man said, " for there is a bullet hole through your cuirass, and your jerkin below it is all stained with blood. You have been hit in the left arm too, and the blood is frozen to the ground; but we. will soon free that for you. But before trjnng to do that we will cut ope i the sleeve of j'our jerkin and bandage your arm, or the movement may set it off bleeding again, and you have lost a pool of biood already." Very carefully the soldiers did their work, and then placing Malcolm on the stretcher carried him away to the camp. Here the surgeons were all hard at work attend- ing to the wounded who were brought in. They had already been bus}^ all night, as those whose hurts had not actually disabled them found their way into the camp. As he was a Scotch officer he w^s carried to the lines occupied by Colonel Henderson with his Scotch brigade. He was known to many of the officers personally, and no time was lost in attending to him. He was nearly un- conscious again by the time that he reached the camp, for the movement had caused the wound in his body to break out afresh. His armour was at once unbuckled, and his clothes having been cut the surgeons proceeded to examine his wounds. They shook their heads as they did so. Passing a probe into the wound they found that the ball, break- ing one of the ribs in its course, had gone straight oa They turned him gently over. A DOUBTFUL CASE. 281 riliu and irm yov?r zen. uor, then lit arm, I ■ man said, , and your have been zen to the But before your jerkin y set it otf od already." <, and then away to the ' ork attend- They nad Arts had not the camp. .J the lines Itch brigade, .ally, and no s nearly un- he camp, for ody to break his clothes examine his so. Passing ball, break- stiai<];ht on. "Here it is," the surgeon said, producing a flattened bullet. The missile indeed had passed right through the body and had flattened against the back-piece, which its force was too far spent to penetrate. "Is the case hopeless, doctor?" one of the officers who was looking on asked. "It is well-nigh hopeless," the doctor said, "but it is just possible that it has not touched any vital part. The lad is young, and I judge that he has not ruined his con- stitution, as most of you have done, by hard drinking, so that there is just a chance for him. There is nothing for me to do but to put a piece of lint over the two holes, bandage it firmly, and leave it to nature. Now let me look at his arm. "Ah!" he went on as he examined the wound, "he hr.s had a narrow escape here. The ball has cat a vein and missed the princijal artery by an eighth of an inch. If that had been cut he would have bled to death in five minutes. Evidently the lad has luck on his side, and I begin to think we may save him if we can only keep him quiet." At the earnest request of the surgeons tents were brought up and a hospital established on some rising ground near the field of battle for the serious cases among the wounded, and when the army marched away to join the Saxons at Leipzig a brigade was left encamped around the hospital Here for three v/eeks Malcolm lay between life and death. The quantity of blood he had lost was greatly in his favour, as it diminished the risk of inflammation, while his vigorous constitution and the life of fatigue and activity which he had led greatly strengthened his power of resistance. Well-nigh by a miracle the bullet in its passage had passed through without injuring any of the ^•iii^ 282 A VISITOR. "i "it iiHr t (' ( i "■ 1 J'' il ■ )( ': • ' 1 ■■i H pi ■j . 1 -'■^ - ' ' - ' i 1 ■■ i *( ifiiii 1 "!i,i|| i III ! vital parts; and though his convalescence was slow it was steady, and even at the end of the tirst week the surgeons were able to pronounce a conlident opinion that he would get over it. But it was not until the end of the month that he was allowed to move from his recumbent position. A week later and he was able to sit up. On the followi;ig day, to his surprise, the Count of Mansfeld strode into his tent. "Ah! my young friend," he exclaimed, "I am glad indeed to see you so far recovered. I came to Leipzig with the countess and my daughter; for Leipzig at pre- sent is the centre where ail sorts of political combinations are seething as in a cooking pot. It is enough to make one sick of humanity and ashamed of one's country when one sees the greed which is displayed by every one, from the highest of the princes down to petty nobles who can scarce set twenty men in the field. " Each and all are struofdino' to make terms by which he may better himself, and may add a province or an acre, as the case may be, to his patrimony at the expense of his neighbours. Truly 1 wonder that the noble Oxen- stiern, who represents Sweden, docs not call together the generals and troops of that country from all parts and march away northward, leaving these greedy princes and nobles to fight their own battles, and make the best terms they may with their imperial master. "But there, all that does not interest you at present; but I am so full of spleen and disgust that I could not help letting it out. We arrived there a week since, and of course one of our iirst inquiries was for you, and we heard to our grief that the Imperialists had shot one of their bullets through your body and another through your arm. This, of course, would have been sufficient A CHEERING OFFER. 283 for any ordinary carcass ; but I knew my Scotchman, and was not surprised when they told me you were mending fast. " I had speech yesterday with an officer who had ridden over from this camp, and he tohl me that the doctors said you were now convalescent, but would need repose and quiet for some time before you could again buckle on armour. The countess, when I told her, said at once, 'Then we will take him away back with us to Mansfeld.' Thekla clapped her hands and said, 'That will be ca})ital! we will look after him, and he shall tell us stories about the wars.' " So the thinff was settled at once. I have brou