And he bowed and departed.

Shortly afterwards, the countess proceeded to the parade accompanied by her attendants.

A great number of musketeers were assembled to hear what she had to say to the messenger, who was standing in their midst.

The man, who had a trumpet suspended from his shoulder, bore himself bravely, and returned the fierce looks thrown at him. He had a letter in his belt, and delivered it to Captain Chisenhale, by whom it was handed to the countess.

While reading the missive she seemed scarcely able to control her indignation, and when she had done, she called out in a loud voice: "You shall all hear the message sent me by that insolent fellow Rigby. He tells me this is his last letter, that he will write to me no more, and summons me to yield up to him Lathom House, and all the persons within it, all arms and munitions, and sue for mercy to Parliament. Furthermore, he requires me to return my final answer before two o'clock to-morrow. What think you of this letter?"

Cries of indignation resounded on all sides, and menacing looks were cast at the messenger.

"Come forward, fellow," cried the countess to the man, who tremblingly obeyed. "It were a fitting reward for thy presumption to hang thee up at my gates."

"Nay, spare me, I pray your ladyship," cried the poor wretch, seeing how eager all around were to execute the threat. "I could not refuse obedience to Colonel Rigby's command."

"Nay, I waste not my anger on thee. Thou art merely the instrument of a traitor, and shalt go back in safety. Tell the insolent rebel how I received his letter," she added, tearing it in pieces. "Tell him I deride his summons. Never shall he have Lathom House-never! Rather than surrender it to him I will burn it in his sight. We will all perish together. Myself, my children, my soldiers, and my household will seal our loyalty and religion in the same flame. This is my final answer."

As she concluded, loud acclamations arose, and the assemblage shouted with one voice, "We will all die for our noble lord and lady! God save the king!"

With these shouts ringing in his ears, the Trumpet was hurried to the gate, and thrust forth ignominiously, glad to escape with life.

When he got back to Rigby, he told him what had happened, and added, that in his opinion the garrison would never surrender.

"I expected no other answer from that furious woman," he said. "But thou art mistaken as to the garrison. It cannot withstand our next assault."

"Wherefore not?" demanded the Trumpet.

"Because they have no powder," replied Rigby. "That I have just found out."

"I can scarcely think it from what I have just seen and heard," said the Trumpet.

"'Tis certain, nevertheless," rejoined Rigby.

XXIII.

Showing how the Great Mortar was captured by Standish and Chisenhale

IMMEDIATELY after the departure of the Trumpet, all the officers of the garrison were summoned to a council, at which it was decided that an attempt should be forthwith made to bring away the mortar, as it was felt that the capture of this terrible engine would inflict the heaviest blow on the enemy, and serve to raise the flagging spirits of their own men.

The best mode of carrying out the enterprise was then discussed, and various plans were suggested; the boldest of which, proposed by Captain Standish, met with the approval of the countess and Major Farrington, and was therefore adopted.

It was next settled that the sortie should be made about half an hour before daybreak on the morrow, and the utmost caution was to be observed, so as not to alarm the sentinels of the enemy.

The officers appointed to the dangerous service by the countess were Captains Standish and Chisenhale, with Lieutenants Bretergh and Walthew. But all were to be employed. To Captains Ogle and Foxe the command of the main guard was entrusted. Captain Rawsthorne had charge of the sally-port. Captain Molineux Radcliffe had command of the marksmen and musketeers; and the post assigned to Captain Farmer, with a party of fifty men, was the parade. Moreover, he had charge of the gateway.

Not only was employment found for every man in the garrison, but the whole of the household, which numbered more than a dozen stout serving-men, had a special duty to perform. They were to be under the command of the steward and Trioche, and were to aid a company of soldiers in levelling the ditch.

No objection was made by any of them. On the contrary, they were proud to be thus employed, and only begged that each of them might be provided with a pistol to be used against the enemy if an opportunity offered.

Never had the garrison been so excited before, because they had never before such a difficult and dangerous task to perform, and even the boldest felt that success was uncertain.

Major Farrington retracted the opinion he had at first expressed as to the impossibility of the feat, but he was secretly anxious; and even the countess herself, despite her undaunted demeanour, was not free from internal misgiving.

The besiegers remained tolerably quiet during the remainder of the day, and only indulged in an occasional shot from a saker or a perier.

Rigby made no experiment with his new grenadoes and fire-balls, reserving them for the following afternoon, when the countess was informed that he had invited Colonel Holland, the governor of Manchester, and several others to witness the destruction of her house.

When this was told her by Major Farrington, she simply remarked: "I am glad he has asked so many of his friends to witness his own discomfiture."

None of the garrison retired to rest on that night-neither did the countess.

Long before it was light all were prepared. Captain Radcliffe was on the ramparts with his marksmen and musketeers, and Captain Farmer had assembled his men on the parade.

Provided with strong ropes, shovels, and other implements, the serving-men were ready to set forth, under the command of Trioche and the steward.

It was still dark, when the sally-port was opened, and two companies of musketeers, each numbering fifty men, came forth, respectively commanded by Standish and Chisenhale.

So noiseless were their movements, that their approach was not discovered till they got under the cannon of the battery nearest them, the ramparts of which they scaled in spite of the desperate resistance of the soldiers, and put all within the fort to the sword.

The noise of this conflict roused all the besiegers from their slumber, but the assailants had successfully accomplished their first object, and secured themselves a retreat. Moreover, they had obtained a fresh supply of powder.

Leaving Bretergh and Walthew with a sufficient number of men to hold the fort, Standish and Chisenhale fought their way along the trenches to the battery on which the mortar was placed.

They were followed in their march by the party of serving-men, not one of whom manifested the slightest fear, though it was their first fight.

The sconce in which the mortar was placed was guarded by fifty men, who fired upon their assailants as they came on, but could not check their advance, and did them little injury.

From the position of this fort, which has been described as on a rising ground, it was soon found by the Royalists that their muskets were useless. They therefore picked up some of the large stones lying about, and hurled them over the ramparts. The clatter of these missiles on the steel headpieces was prodigious. Many of the soldiers were stunned and fell to the ground. Others fled. Taking advantage of their confusion, the assailants quickly cleared the ditch surrounding the fort, and scaling the ramparts, killed several of the enemy, and put the rest to flight.

Having thus secured their prize, they gave a loud shout, which was returned by their comrades in the battery they had first taken, and again by the musketeers on the postern-tower and on the walls of the castle.

The time had now come when the assistance of the serving-men, who had attended them during the attack, was required.

These stout fellows, who, it has been said, were provided with the necessary implements, soon contrived to level the trench, while the musketeers pulled down a portion of the ramparts.

A passage being thus made for the mortar, it was dragged by a score of strong hands from the sconce, then down the side of the mound, and across the now levelled trench.

Thus much was accomplished without opposition. But the enemy were resolved to prevent the removal of the great engine.

A large party of musketeers rushed forward with shouts and attacked the successful Royalists, who returned their fire, and a sharp conflict ensued.

However, it did not last long. Aided by Captain Molineux Radcliffe from the walls of the castle, which were within musket-shot, Standish and Chisenhale were soon able to disperse the foe, and moved on as fast as they could with their prize towards the gateway.

Two other attempts were made to check their retreat, but were equally unsuccessful.

The victors were now joined by Bretergh and Walthew with the party from the battery first taken, and their force was sufficient to repel any attack. So they moved on tranquilly under the guns of the garrison.

They had good reason to be satisfied with the result of the sortie. Not only had they secured the grand prize for which they had come forth, but what was nearly as important, they had obtained a large supply of powder; so that they were now quite easy on that score.

In addition to all these things, snatched from the very teeth of the foe, they brought back with them a great number of muskets, three drums, and five prisoners-the latter captured at the battery from which the mortar was taken.

As the victors entered the gates they were welcomed by the guard with shouts and other demonstrations of delight, but this was nothing compared to the frantic enthusiasm manifested by the soldiers collected in the court-yard at the sight of the mortar.

They could scarcely believe that the terrible engine that had caused them so much alarm was standing before them. They struck it with their guns, they spurned it, they leaped upon it, they danced round it, and committed a hundred extravagances.

"Ah! monster," cried one of them, who had jumped inside it, and tried to make it ring with the butt-end of his gun, "we have thee now, and will not let thee go."

"Little did Rigby think when he had thee cast, in the hope that thou wouldst accomplish our destruction, that thou wouldst soon be turned against himself, and help to deliver us from him."

This speech was received with loud cheers and laughter by all who heard it, and the mortar rang like an anvil with the blows dealt against it.

The officers did not attempt to check the exuberant delight of the men, for they were almost as much excited themselves.

The countess, who was in the court-yard with her daughters and her customary attendants, was enchanted by the spectacle. The shouts and demonstrations of the men delighted her. She felt that their confidence-if it had been at all shaken-was completely restored, and that henceforth all would go on well.

After watching the spectacle for a few minutes, she desired Major Farrington to bring before her Standish, Chisenhale, and the other officers, who had assisted in the glorious undertaking, and publicly thanked them for the great service they had rendered her.

"I do not hesitate to declare," she said in a loud voice, that all might hear her words, "that by your bravery and gallantry you have rescued us all from a cruel foe. You have saved this ancient pile from destruction by fire, and all within its walls from death, for I would have perished rather than yield, and I know full well you would all have died with me!"

"We would!" responded a hundred voices.

Allowing these vociferations to subside, she again addressed the officers.

"Besides this mortar," she said, "you have brought me, I am told, a good supply of powder, with several other prizes. These I will receive anon. Our first duty is to Heaven."

She then proceeded to the chapel followed by all those who had just returned from the successful sortie.

XXIV.

How Colonel Holland promised to bring Reinforcements from Manchester

GREAT was the mortification of Rigby, when he found that the engine, with which he had hoped to accomplish the destruction of Lathom House, had been taken from him; and additional sharpness was added to the stroke by the fact that Colonel Holland had been invited to witness his triumph, and had used great despatch to arrive in time.

Unable to invent any excuses, Rigby was obliged to confess the truth-neither could he conceal the fact that such great discontent prevailed among his soldiers, that a mutiny was threatened. More than two hundred had run away from the trenches that morning, and these added to the large number killed in the attack of the Royalists, or malignants, as he termed them, made a very serious loss. Nor did he see how the reduction of the garrison could now be accomplished, except by starvation or want of water. He believed that their stock of provisions was getting low, and hoped to drain their well, but so many failures in his plans had occurred that he did not feel very sanguine. The siege might drag on till the countess obtained assistance from the king, or from the Earl of Derby, who he understood had quitted the Isle of Man, and was now in Chester.

After thus explaining his position, he requested Colonel Holland to send him an immediate reinforcement from Manchester.

"I want five hundred men without delay to replace those I have lost," he said. "I am no longer equal to the task given me. The sorties of the enemy are so frequent, that the soldiers are obliged to guard the trenches for two nights running-sometimes more. By this last attack I have lost more than two hundred of my best men, and at least twenty engineers. I would fain have another mortar, in order that I may make a fresh attempt to burn down the house. I should likewise feel well pleased if you would send Colonel Rosworm to me. He might render me great assistance."

"I am unable to comply with the latter request," replied Colonel Holland. "I have already spoken to Rosworm on the subject, but he absolutely refuses to lend any further aid against the Countess of Derby, and does not seek to disguise his hope that she may be able to hold out. I will bring you the five hundred men you require with as little delay as possible, though their withdrawal from the Manchester garrison will greatly reduce our strength-but I cannot promise you another mortar. However, it is time this long siege should be brought to a close. The heroic defence made by the countess-for heroic it is-is the talk of the whole county, and is damaging our cause while it raises the hopes of the malignants. We must compel her to surrender."

"I see not how that can be accomplished," rejoined Rigby. "I have tried every means, but hitherto without success. After the defeat of today matters will become worse. As I have just explained to you the soldiers refuse to work in the trenches, and many of them have taken to flight. Another such month as I have gone through would compel me to raise the siege. The labour is beyond my strength."

"Well, you shall have the reinforcement you require, and that speedily," replied Colonel Holland. "But you must not relax in your exertions."

"I shall remove the demi-cannon and the culverin from the batteries, or the enemy will obtain possession of them next," said Rigby.

"That will be judicious," rejoined Colonel Holland. "The cannon can be taken back again when I arrive with the reinforcement."

"But by that time the batteries may be destroyed," remarked Rigby.

"Others must then be reared," said Colonel Holland. "Do not let the countess suppose you are discouraged. Keep up a bold appearance. When I come back we will send her another summons to surrender."

"If we do, she will hang the messenger."

"No, I will take it myself," replied Colonel Holland. "Bold as she is, she will not venture to hang me."

"I am not sure of it," said Rigby. "But I would as soon enter a lion's den as into her mansion. I should expect to be torn in pieces. She is often on the Eagle Tower. I wish a shot could reach her."

The colloquy then ended, and Colonel Holland set out out on his return to Manchester.

XXV.

Of Asaph the Avenger, and the terrible Crime he committed