e count at once assented. In a short time shouts, songs, the sound
of rioting and quarrels, arose from the town, showing that revelry was
general. At eleven o'clock the men in the castle were mustered, fifty
were told off to the defence with five experienced soldiers, an officer
of the count being left in command. The rest sallied through a little
door at the back of the castle and noiselessly descended 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 eighty 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, therefore, 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 windows and partly lit up the streets, and the
Imperialist officers attempted to rally their men; but the Scottish
shouts, "A Hepburn! A Hepburn!" 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 striking scarce a blow in their defence,
numbers fled to the walls and leapt over. The panic c