As the dark night hours wore on, sleet and wind were
reinforced by a thunderstorm.
"And when we left the Staneshaw-bank,
The wind began full loud to blaw,
But 'twas wind and weet, and fire and sleet,
When we came beneath the castle wa'."
When the besiegers reached the castle they found some of the watch
asleep, and the rest sheltering indoors from the storm. The outside of
the castle was left to take care of itself. It was dismaying to find the
scaling ladders too short to be of any use, but a small postern gate was
speedily and quietly undermined. Drifting sleet, growling thunder, and
the wails of the wind drowned all sounds of the assault, and soon there
was no further need for concealment, for the lower court of the castle
was theirs. The guard started up, to find sword-blades at their throats;
two of them were left dead, and the rest were speedily overpowered.
Buccleuch, the fifth man in, gave the command to proclaim aloud their
triumph:
"'Now sound out trumpets!' quoth Buccleuch;
'Let's waken Lord Scroope right merrilie!'
Then loud the Warden's trumpet blew--
_'O wha daur meddle wi' me?'_"
While Buccleuch himself kept watch at the postern, two dozen stout
moss-troopers now rushed to the castle gaol, a hundred yards from the
postern gate, forced the door of Kinmont Willie's prison, and found him
there chained to the wall, and carried him out, fetters and all, on the
back of "the starkest man in Teviotdale.
Pages:
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89