Hepburn prepared
to cross the river with the Blue and Green Brigades to aid the
king in reducing the castle -- a place of vast size and strength
-- whose garrison composed of Spaniards and Italians were replying
to the fire of Gustavus. A boat was lying at the gate of the fort.
"Captain Graheme," Hepburn said to Malcolm, "take with you two
lieutenants and twenty men in the boat and cross the river; then send
word by an officer to the king that the fort here has surrendered,
and that I am about to cross, and let the men bring over that
flotilla of boats which is lying under the town wall."
Malcolm crossed at once. After despatching the message to the king
and sending the officer back with the boats he had for the moment
nothing to do, and made his way into the town to inquire from the
officers of Ramsay's detachment how things were going. He found
the men drawn up.
"Ah! Malcolm Graheme," the major in command said, "you have arrived
in the very nick of time to take part in a gallant enterprise."
"I am ready," Malcolm said; "what is to be done?"
"We are going to take the castle, that is all," the major said.
"You are joking," Malcolm laughed, looking at the great castle and
the little band of two hundred men.
"That am I not," the major answered; "my men have just discovered
a private passage from the governor's quarters here up to the very
gate of the outer wall.
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