alcolm walking by his side,
left the party. They soon turned aside from the road, and after a ride
of five miles across a rough and broken country entered a wood. Another
half mile and they reached the foot of an eminence, on the summit of
which stood a ruined castle. Several horses were picketed among the
trees at the foot of the hill, and two men were sitting near them
cleaning their arms. The sight of these deterred Malcolm from carrying
into execution the plan which he had formed--namely, to strike down his
guard with his club as he dismounted, to leap on his horse, and ride
off.

"Who have you there, Carl?" one of the men asked as they rose and
approached the newcomers.

"A prisoner," Carl said, "whom the captain has appointed to the
honourable office of cook instead of old Rollo, whose food gets harder
and tougher every day. 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."

"Why, I thought those 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 believed it," Carl said
carelessly, "and the captain is not easily taken in. He was captured by
Tilly at New Brandenburg, which town we heard yesterday he assaulted and
sacked, killing every man of the garrison; but it seems this boy put
on a disguise, and being 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 managed 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 led the way up the steep hill. When
they reached the 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 precipitous, 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 quite recent make, hung
on the hinges, and passing through it Malcolm found himself in the
courtyard 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 thi