and fight face to face with the South’ron foe, until the castle is our own and the lady Ross is free. Sir James Ross will retain a small party here for the purpose of defence; is not the stratagem practicable, Ridgley, at least to brave and gallant men fighting for their liberties ?” “ It is, Sir Knight." “ Hasten then forthwith and let the wain be filled, for my spirit thirsts for the combat, and it will almost be eventide ere our march has begun.” The cart was in due time prepared, and Douglas with his panoplied followers was in readiness. The waggon advanced slowly through the woods towards the castle; Douglas and his band followed at a small distance, shielding themselves from the view of the fortress by the intervening trees. The approach to the gate by which the waggon was to pass, ded through a long avenue of elms; the waggon entered it; Douglas and his men followed with silent and steady pace. They halted at a turn of the avenue immediately contiguous to the gate; still the forester advanced. He is within-his axe is gleaming in the moonbeams—the large piles tumble in the path, and to shut the gate now would require the united strength of twenty instead of one. The sound of the falling piles is the signal for Douglas to advance. Firmly and silently the gallant men move onward, and ere they are yet within the gate, Ridgley with his axe has slain the porter before he can sound the alarm; still the besiegers advance; the three sentinels are found asleep ; one is hurled from the battlements into the Nith, the other two are slaughtered. Thus far they had been successful and still the garrison was undisturbed. They paused for a moment to reconnoitre and to resolve. The forester was dismissed to the apartment of lady Ross to inform her of the deliverance which had come, and to prevent her alarm. Immediately after, it was discovered that the greater part of the garrison were asleep in a tenement that stood in the middle of the fortress, disjoined from the rest of the building. Douglas determined to leave this in the meantime undisturbed, while he hastened to the hall in which Cressingham and his officers, unconscious of their impending fate exhausted the night in mirth and revelry. They silently approached the door of the apartment, and then by one sudden and simultaneous rush they were in the midst of the wassailers. “ Now dastardly oppressor,” exclaimed Douglas, as he sprang in the direction of Cressingham, “ask pardon of Heaven forthy tyranny and thy cruelties,another minute and this sword shall have drunk thy blood." The governor could not have looked more astonished or dismayed, had some beings from another world rushed into his presence,—so unexpected was the intrusion. In a moment the awful truth flashed upon him that this was the Douglas and his band. He drew his sword, but scarcely had he time to wield it, ere he was transfixed by Douglas, and fell ponderously at his feet. Another South'ron soon felt his vengeance, while his noble band was spreading destruction with almost equal speed. Meantime, Ridgley according to the command of Douglas, had gone to the apartment of the lady Ross, and having obtained admission, had informed her of the hopes of a speedy deliverance. But she would not consent to Ridgley's remaining with herself and his daughter, while the band of Douglas could but ill spare an unnecessary diminution. Accordingly, after much entreaty, the forester left her, but ere he reached the scene of immediate contest, he had formed the resolution of giving a more speedy termination to the siege. The fuel which he had been accustomed to collect from the woods, lay beneath the tenement which lodged the greater portion of the garrison. This he determined to set on fire, and to aid in the slaughter a hundred times more effectively than he could possibly have done by the sword. Accordingly, when Douglas issued from the hall, the tenement had already begun to burn. Suddenly the flames spread throughout the lower part of the building, succeeded by terrible shrieks and cries. The greater number escaped, but when they found themselves received by armed men, and when no leader appeared to summon them to defence, they were seized with panic and despair, and yielded themselves up an easy prey to Douglas. Tradition indeed assures us, that the number of prisoners seized on this occasion, equalled that of the besiegers, and that for greater security, it was found needful to divide them into two different portions, and to distribute them between two distinct prison houses. Such was the memorable siege of the castle of Sanquhar. Ere the sun had again tinged the bosom of the Solway, the news of deliverance and of victory had spread throughout the vale, and the Lion-banner of Scotland, had supplanted the dragon of St. George, and was waving sublimely in the breeze. The peace of Nithsdale was restored for many a year. The peasant could again cultivate his field and the shepherd tend his flocks in safety. The sound of the native harp and pibroch, awaked once more the echoes of the ancient Ettrick forest. Nor must we here forget to add, that Ridgley was reinstated in his office of forester, with higher honours and privileges than ever, and that ere the lapse of a year, Nithsdale was called to rejoice at the bridal of the “ Sweet Rose of Niddesdale," with the best and the bravest of the Douglasses. A. T. MUSIC AND MOONLIGHT. In lonely musing oft I feel |