itors, you must share their
fate."

No sooner had the murder of the four officers been accomplished than
Leslie, Butler, and Gordon issued into the town. Butler's cavalry
paraded the streets, and that officer quieted the garrison by telling
them that Wallenstein had been proclaimed a traitor and an outlaw, and
that all who were faithful to the emperor must obey their orders. The
regiments most attached to Wallenstein had not entered the city, and the
garrison listened to the voice of their commander.

Wallenstein knew nothing of what had taken place in the castle, and had
just retired to bed when a band of Butler's soldiers, led by Captain
Devereux, an Irishman, burst into his apartment. The duke leaped from
his bed, but before he could snatch up a sword he was pierced through
and through by the murderers' halberts.

So fell one of the greatest men of his age. Even to the present day
there are differences of opinion as to the extent of his guilt, but
none as to the treachery with which he was murdered by his most trusted
officers. That Wallenstein owed much gratitude to the emperor is
unquestionable, but upon the other hand he had even a greater title to
the gratitude of Ferdinand, whose crown and empire he had repeatedly
saved. Wallenstein was no bigot, his views were broad and enlightened,
and he was therefore viewed with the greatest hostility by the violent
Catholics around the king, by Maximilian of Bavaria, by the Spaniards,
and by the Jesuits, who were all powerful at court. These had once
before brought about his dismissal from the command, after he had
rendered supreme services, and their intrigues against him were again
at the point of success when Wallenstein determined to defy and dethrone
the emperor. The coldness with which he was treated at court, the marked
inattention to all his requests, the consciousness that while he was
winning victories in the field his enemies were successfully plotting
at court, angered the proud and haughty spirit of Wallenstein almost to
madness, and it may truly be said that he was goaded into rebellion.
The verdict of posterity has certainly been favourable to him, and the
dastardly murder which requited a lifetime of brilliant services has
been held to more than counterbalance the faults which he committed.

CHAPTER XXIV MALCOLM'S ESCAPE

After the fall of Wallenstein's colonels Malcolm was led away a
prisoner, and was conducted to a dungeon in the castle. It was