s, sufficiently strong to guard
it against any surprise, but not to defend it against a regular siege by
a numerous army. The vast plain on which the town stands is broken near
its centre by two heights rising at a distance of three thousand yards
from each other.

The height nearest to the town, which is very steep and craggy, is known
as the Weinberg, the other is called Allersheim; a village stands some
three hundred yards in advance of the valley between the heights, and is
nearer to the town than either of the two eminences.

The Scotch brigade formed part of Duke Bernhard's command. It was now
nearly two years since a pitched battle had been fought, for although
there had been many skirmishes and assaults in the preceding year no
great encounter had taken place between the armies since Gustavus fell
at Lutzen, in October, 1632, and the Scotch brigade had not been present
at that battle. In the time which had elapsed many recruits had arrived
from Scotland, and Munro's regiment had been again raised to the
strength at which it had landed at Rugen four years before. Not half a
dozen of the officers who had then, full of life and spirit, marched in
its ranks were now present. Death had indeed been busy among them. On
the evening of their arrival in sight of the Imperialist army the two
Grahemes supped with their colonel. Munro had but just arrived from the
duke's quarters.

"I suppose we shall fight tomorrow, Munro," Major Graheme said.

"It is not settled," the colonel replied; "between ourselves the duke
and Horn are not of one mind. The duke wants to fight; he urges that
were we to allow Nordlingen to fall, as we have allowed Ratisbon and
Donauworth, without striking a blow to save it, it would be an evidence
of caution and even cowardice which would have the worst possible effect
through Germany. Nordlingen has ever been staunch to the cause, and the
Protestants would everywhere fall away from us did they find that we had
so little care for their safety as to stand by and see them fall into
the hands of the Imperialists without an effort. It is better, in
the duke's opinion, to fight and to be beaten than to tamely yield
Nordlingen to the Imperialists. In the one case honour would be
satisfied and the reformers throughout Germany would feel that we had
done our utmost to save their co-religionists, on the other hand there
would be shame and disgrace."

"There is much in what the duke says," Nigel Graheme rem