Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1850-09-19

picked men, and twelve-foot ladder, and the
fortress is our own!"
The Earl of Moray, whatever his real thoughts
Of the enterprise might have been, was not the
man to refuse such challenge. A ladder was
provided, and thirty men chosen from the troops;
And in the middle of dark night the party.
commanded by Randolph himself, and guided by
William Francis, set forth on their desperate
enterprise.
By ketching crag after crag, and digging
their fingers into the interstices of the rocks,
they succeeded in mountinga considerable wav;
but the weather was now so thick, they could
receive bat little assis tance from their eyes and
thus they continued to climb, almost in utter
darkness, like men struggling up precipice in
the night mare. They at length reached a
shelving table of the cliff shove which the as
cent, for ten twelve feet was perpendicular;
and having fixed their ladder, the whole party
lay down to recover breath
From this place we could hear the tread and
voices of the 'cheek watchers" or patrol above;
and, surrounded by the perils OF such a mo-
me 1t, it is NOT wonderful that some illusions
may have mingled with their thoughts. They
even imagined that they were seen from the bat
Elements, although beng themselves unable to
see the warders, this was highly improbable.
1t became evident, notwithstanding, from the
words they caught here and there in the paus-
es Of the night wind, that the conversation of
the English soldiers above related to a surprise
= of the Castle and at length these appalling
words broke like thunder on their eals: : "Stand !
see you we'll" a frag uent of the rock was
hurled down at the same instant; aud as rush.
: ing from crag to crag it bounded over their
>, heads, Randolph and his brave followers, r
this wild, helpless, and extraordinary situation
felt the damp of mortal terror gathering upor
70 g their brow, as they cung with death grip tt
" the precipice
' The startled echoes of the rock were at lengt
~ silent, and so were the voices above. The ad
. vcnturers paused, listening breathless II
sound was heard but the sighing Of the wilC
ana lilC tllEuSuTGu ucuu VI tilt Stilllcl WIZ
resumed his walk. The men though they wei
t. in o dream, and no wonder; for the incident ju
is mentioned, which is related by Barbour, VIZ
Id one Of the most singular condolences that ev'
b. occurred. The shout of the sentinel and Il
at missile he had thrown, was merely boys
IT. freak and while listening to the echoes OF Il
ot rock, he had not the smallest idea that II
sounds which gave pleasure to him carried terri
re and almost despair into the hearts OF the en
sy my.
ne The adventurers, half uncertain whether tne
re were not the victims of some illusion, determll
III ed that it was as safe to 90 on as to turn PACK
w ..',l-- Ie"ra"ine their labonous and dangerot
Ut path, the at length reached the bottom of til
o. wall. 1'iis last barrier they scaled by mean
of the ladder; and leaping down among tn
IS astonished cheek watchers, they raised thei
u war.cry, and in the midst of answering shout
l. Of "taeason treason" Notwithstanding tn
r. desperate resistance of the garrison capture
"a the Castle of Ednburg.- Boston Museum.