Do one of you take
your place in the belfry. Tell Cameron to shout down to you what
is passing behind, and do you run instantly down the stairs to tell
me."
The peasants advanced next time accompanied by a strong force
of their armed comrades. As before they came round from behind,
intending to stack their barrels in the angle there. As the bearers
of the first two or three powder barrels came round the corner
Cameron shouted the news, and the soldier below ran down to Malcolm,
who fired his pistol into the train. A broad flash of fire rose
round the tower followed instantaneously by two heavy explosions.
There was silence for an instant, and then a chorus of shrieks and
yells.
The powder barrels borne by the two first men had exploded, their
heads having been knocked in previously to admit of their ignition.
Some thirty of the peasants were killed or terribly mutilated by
the explosion, and the rest took to their heels in terror, leaving
their wounded comrades on the ground.
The echoes of the explosion had scarce died away when a shout of
terror broke from the main body of peasants, and Malcolm saw them
flying in all directions. An instant afterwards the ringing sound
of the Swedish trumpets was heard, and a squadron of horse galloped
down full speed. The peasants attempted no resistance, but fled
in all directions, hotly pursued by the Swedes, who broke up into
small parties and followed the fugitives cross the country cutting
down great numbers of them.
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