ily became intimate.

Three weeks after the capture of New Brandenburg the news came that
Tilly with a large army was rapidly approaching.

Every effort was made to place the town in a position of defence. Day
after day messengers came in with the news that the other places which
had been garrisoned by the Swedes had been captured, and very shortly
the Imperialist army was seen approaching. The garrison knew that they
could expect no relief from Gustavus, who had ten days before marched
northward, and all prepared for a desperate resistance. The townsfolk
looked on with trembling apprehension, their sympathies were with the
defenders, and, moreover, they knew that in any case they might expect
pillage and rapine should the city be taken, for the property of the
townspeople when a city was captured was regarded by the soldiery as
their lawful prize, whether friendly to the conquerors or the reverse.
The town was at once summoned to surrender, and upon Lindsay's refusal
the guns were placed in position, and the siege began.

As Tilly was anxious to march away to the north to oppose Gustavus he
spared no effort to reduce New Brandenburg as speedily as possible, and
his artillery fired night and day to effect breaches in the walls. The
Scotch officers saw little of their hosts now, for they were almost
continually upon the walls.

At the first news of the approach of the Imperialists the syndic had
sent away his daughters to the house of a relative at Stralsund, where
his son was settled in business. When Farquhar and Malcolm returned to
eat a meal or to throw themselves on their beds to snatch a short sleep,
the syndic anxiously questioned them as to the progress of the
siege. The reports were not hopeful. In several places the walls were
crumbling, and it was probable that a storm would shortly be attempted.
The town itself was suffering heavily, for the balls of the besiegers
frequently flew high, and came crashing among the houses. Few of the
inhabitants were to be seen in the streets; all had buried their most
valuable property, and with scared faces awaited the issue of the
conflict.

After six days' cannonade the walls were breached in many places, and
the Imperialists advanced to the assault. The Scotch defended them with
great resolution, and again and again the Imperialists recoiled, unable
to burst their way through the lines of pikes or to withstand the heavy
musketry fire poured upon them from the walls an