had been made in the wall, and through
this they dashed. In the city, by this time, the bells were pealing and
bugles sounding. The street, however, immediately behind the breach was
empty, and now a distance of scarcely a hundred yards separated them
from the main gate.

"On, on, my lads!" cried Max; and with his party behind him he dashed
along the thoroughfare. As he was well aware, the success of their
enterprise depended upon the next few minutes. If they could not capture
the gate, all the rest was useless. At last they reached the corner of
the street in which stands the ancient church of Saint Peter and Saint
Paul. It looked very peaceful in its white mantle, but, sad to say, that
mantle was destined to be stained with crimson soon enough. Only a few
yards now separated them from the gate, and already, by the light of the
great lantern above the arch, they could discern the hurrying figures of
the guard.

"Charge!" cried Max, in a voice that rang through the deserted square
like a trumpet-call. A moment later, they were upon the enemy, and the
ghastly carnage had commenced. Never before had the old church looked
down upon such a scene. The issue, however, was never for a moment in
doubt. Outnumbered as they were, desperate as were their efforts to hold
the gate, the struggle had scarcely begun before it was ended. The main
entrance to the city being now in their possession, Max struck a match
and applied it to the precious rocket he had brought with him for that
purpose. There was a slight hissing noise, and then the fiery note of
triumph shot up into the darkness, throwing out myriad blue lights to
acquaint the troops who were waiting outside that the capture of the
gate had been effected. By this time, however, the guns which had been
trained upon the bridge from the market square were manned by gunners,
and a hail of grape was showered upon the gallant little band. The keys
of the gate were, of course, in the possession of the governor of the
city, but Max knew that before many minutes could elapse the engineers
would be blowing it in, as if it were of tissue paper. All this time the
three guns were doing terrible execution. Almost half of his small force
had fallen, and he knew that unless they were stopped certain death
would be the portion of the remainder.

"Those guns must be silenced!" he cried. "Forward, my lads, and let us
do it!"

The gallant fellows replied with a cheer, and, regardless of the s