the feelings of his subjects were entirely with
the Swedes.

Fifty old muskets, some ammunition, and some food were sent out by a
secret passage to the Scots. There was great satisfaction among the men
when these supplies arrived. The muskets which had been brought ashore
were cleaned up and loaded, and the feeling that they were no longer
in a position to fall helplessly into the hands of any foe who might
discover them restored the spirits of the troops, and fatigue and hunger
were forgotten as they looked forward to striking a blow at the enemy.

"What did the colonel mean by saying that our position was well nigh 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 nigh
twenty years ago. Colonel Monkhoven, a Swedish officer, had enlisted
2300 men in Scotland for service with Gustavus, and sailed with them and
with a regiment 900 strong raised by Sinclair entirely of his own clan
and name. Sweden was at war with Denmark, and Stockholm was invested by
the Danish fleet 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 reinforcements 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 different routes so as
to distract the attention of the Norwegians, who were bitterly
hostile. The Sinclairs were attacked several times, but beat off their
assailants; when passing, however, through the tremendous gorge of
Kringellen, the peasantry of the whole surrounding country gathered in
the mountains. The road wound along on one side of the gorge. So steep
was the hill that the path was cut in solid rock which rose almost
precipitously on one side, while far below at their feet rushed a rapid
torrent. As the Sinclairs were 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.

"The Sinclairs strove in vain to climb the mountainside and get at their
foes. It was impossible, and they were simply slaughtered where they
stood, only one man of the whole regiment escap