The king, following the glance of his nephew, perceived Arwed and
advanced towards him.

'Who?' asked he with some embarrassment.

'Gyllenstierna,' answered Arwed with a profound inclination: 'a Swedish
nobleman, who begs of your majesty that be may be permitted to fight
under your banners.'

'Count Gyllenstierna?' inquired Charles, leaning on his giant sword,
'The father is a determined opponent of my administration!' said he to
his brother-in-law, as Arwed bowed affirmatively, and a convulsive
smile distorted the lips of his well-formed mouth.

'Yet full of devotion for his king and his native land!' earnestly
interposed Arwed. 'If your majesty will but permit his son to prove
it.'

The king gave him a complacent look. 'I am now about to take the
battery called the Golden Lion from the Danes,' said he: 'you can
remain by my side.'

'Heaven reward your majesty!' cried Arwed in ecstasies, and seized the
hand of the hero to kiss it.

'I like not that,' said the king, hastily withdrawing his hand,--and at
that moment adjutant general Siquier, a slender Frenchman, with a
cunning but wasted face, entered the room.

'Every thing is in readiness for the attack, your majesty!' announced
he.

'God with us, comrades!' exclaimed the king, putting on his immense
gauntlets of yellow leather.

'This attack will cost many men!' said Duecker, in an under tone to the
young duke.

'Oh!' whispered Siquier, who overheard the remark, 'a great French
general under whom I once served was accustomed to say before the
slaughter: 'If God will but remain neutral to-day, then shall these
Messieurs be finely flogged.''

The king, who was already at the door, once more returned. 'Your great
general,' said he to Siquier,--indignant at the quotation of the
irreverent speech,--'spoke then like a great fool.'

With a countenance which badly concealed his rage at this unexpected
reproof, Siquier cast down his eyes, and the warriors silently followed
their heroic leader.

CHAPTER IV.

The entrenchments of the Golden Lion were thronged with red-coats. With
the battle cry, 'God with us!' the Swedish battalions charged upon
them. Then opened the battery upon its assailants, hurling death among
their ranks from twenty thundering throats of fire. Unmoved, at first,
the warriors saw their comrades falling on either hand, and pressed
bravely onward. Now, however, the grape and canister shot of the e