Hardly had these preparations been completed than the steady tramp of armed men sounded through the darkness, and presently a line of lighted matches gleamed along the entire landward front of the castle. With quickening pulse I watched the approach of the assailants, wondering dimly what the end would be, as I cast about a musket, and made ready to fire. Then came the sounds of men's voices singing in a deep bass, and I could distinguish the words of the 68th Psalm: "_Let God arise, and let his enemies be scattered._" One of our men uttered come coarse jest, but our leader sternly reproved him, and in silence we awaited the attack. Suddenly a voice hailed us from the rebel ranks: "Surrender to the forces of the Parliament of the Realm of England!" "We hold no parley with rebels!" shouted Colonel Firestone. "Another step, and we open fire!" Hardly were the words out of his mouth than a raucous voice came from a window of the keep. "Go away, men, go away." A shout of derisive laughter from the rebels greeted this speech of the tipsy Chaloner. By the light of a port fire I could see our leader biting his lip to conceal his anger. "Your reply?" demanded the rebel officer. "This!" shouted Firestone, and, seizing a match, he applied it to the nearest cannon. A blinding flash and a deafening roar was succeeded by a hundred spurts of flame from the darkness beneath us, and the next moment we could hear the hurried tramp and the hoarse cries and shouts of the assailants as they rushed forward to the attack. Hardly had the first scaling ladder been placed against the wall, when our rascally garrison threw down their arms and bolted from the platforms. In vain Firestone cut two down; panic had done its work, and, as the heads of the first of the stormers appeared over the parapet, only the colonel, Granville, Sergeant Lawson, and I remained. Seeing that resistance was useless, Firestone called on us to follow, and, descending to the courtyard, we reached the tethered horses just as the rebels, with shouts of triumph, were driving the panic-stricken garrison into the keep. Cutting loose our steeds, we mounted, and, with sword and pistol, rode slowly towards the gateway. Here the sergeant unbarred the door and threw it suddenly open, and before the rebels, who were making for the gateway, were aware of our intention, the drawbridge had fallen with a run, and the four riders were urging their horses through the dense mass of men. Taken by surprise, the musketeers, their pieces discharged and unloaded, gave way right and left, and, although a few pikemen amongst them tried to bar our way, our weight was irresistible. I have a dim recollection of shearing off the head of an opposing pike, and seeing its holder's terror-stricken eyes, as he went down beneath my horse's hoofs. There was a crackle of pistol-shots, a flashing of steel, and we were through, tearing madly across the broad expanse of common on our bid for safety! CHAPTER IV