"You shall try first, sergeant," Malcolm said. "It will be dangerous
work, for as the news of our being here spreads the peasants will
be coming in from all quarters. Their numbers are already greatly
increased since they commenced the attack, and there must be at
least three or four hundred men around us. They will be sure to
keep a sharp lookout against our escaping, and it will need all
your care and caution to get through them."
"Never fear, sir," the man replied confidently. "I have stalked
the deer scores of times, and it will be hard if I cannot crawl
through a number of thick witted Bavarian peasants."
"Even beyond the village you will have to keep your eyes open, as
you may meet parties of peasants on their way here. Fortunately you
will have no difficulty in keeping the road, so well beaten is it
by the march of the army. If by tomorrow night no rescue arrives
I shall consider that you have been taken or killed, and shall try
with the others to make my way through. It would be better to die
sword in hand while we have still the strength to wield our arms
than to be cooped up here until too weak any longer to defend
ourselves, and then to be slowly tortured to death."
As soon as it was dusk a sentry was placed on the top of the
tower, with orders to report the slightest sound or stir. During
the day this had not been necessary, for a view could be obtained
from the windows, and the men with firearms, who had now considerably
increased in numbers, kept up a constant fire at the tower.
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