ced continually to halt,
while those in front helped those following them, or were themselves
hoisted up by the men behind. At last, panting and breathless, they
stood on the summit of the rock, on a narrow ledge, with the castle
wall rising in front of them. They had, with enormous difficulty,
brought up a light ladder with them. This was placed against the
wall. Francus was the first to mount, and was followed by Sir Andrew
Grey, whom Randolph had invited to be of the party, by Archie Forbes,
and by the earl. Just as the latter stepped on to the battlements
the sentries caught sight of them and shouted:

"Treason! treason! to arms!" An instant stir was heard in the
castle. Rapidly the thirty men followed each other up the ladder,
and so soon as the last had gained the battlements they divided in
three bodies, each headed by one of the leaders. One party descended
straight into the castle and there attacked the soldiers who were
hurrying to arms, while the others ran along the wall in opposite
directions, cutting down the sentries and brushing aside all
opposition until together they met at the gate. This was thrown
open, and the Scots outside running up at the top of their speed
poured into the castle. At first Randolph's party, which had
descended into the courtyard, had been hotly pressed, and had with
difficulty defended themselves; but the attention of the startled
garrison was distracted by the shouts upon the walls, which told
that other parties of their assailants had gained footing there.
All sorts of contradictory orders were issued. One commanded them
to cut down the little party opposed to them, another ordered them
to hurry to the walls, a third to seize the gate and see that it
was not opened. The confusion reached its height as the Scots poured
in through the open gate. The garrison, surprised and confounded
as they were at this, to them, almost magical seizure of the castle
by their foes, fought bravely until the governor and many of the
officers were killed. Some of the men threw down their arms, and
others, taking advantage of their knowledge of the castle, made
their way to the gate and escaped into the open country.

The news of the capture was immediately sent to the king, by whose
orders the castle and walls were razed to the ground, and thus
another of the strongholds, by whose possession the English were
enabled to domineer over the whole of the surrounding country, was
destroyed.

While D