“Can you shelter me awhile?” he said.  “I believe that all my countrymen are killed.”

“We will do our best, my lad,” the syndic said at once.  “But the houses will be ransacked presently from top to bottom.”

“Let him have one of the servant’s disguises,” the wife said; “they can all be trusted.”

One of the serving men was at once called in, and he hurried off with Malcolm.

The young Scotchmen had made themselves very popular with the servants by their courtesy and care to avoid giving unnecessary trouble, and in a few minutes Malcolm was attired as a serving man, and joined the servants who were busy in spreading the tables with provisions, and in broaching a large cask of wine to allay the passions of the Imperialists.

It was not long before they came.  Soon there was a thundering knocking at the door, and upon its being opened a number of soldiers burst in.  Many were bleeding from wounds.  All bore signs of the desperate strife in which they had been engaged.

“You are welcome,” the host said, advancing towards them.  “I have made preparations for your coming; eat and drink as it pleases you.”

Rushing to the wine casks, the soldiers appeased their thirst with long draughts of wine, and then fell upon the eatables.  Other bands followed, and the house was soon filled from top to bottom with soldiers, who ransacked the cupboards, loaded themselves with such things as they deemed worth carrying away, and wantonly broke and destroyed what they could not.  The servants were all kept busy bringing up wine from the cellars.  This was of good quality, and the soldiers, well satisfied, abstained from personal violence.

All night long pandemonium reigned in the town.  Shrieks and cries, oaths and sounds of conflict arose from all quarters, as citizens or their wives were slaughtered by drunken soldiers, or the latter quarrelled and fought among themselves for some article of plunder.  Flames broke out in many places, and whole streets were burned, many of the drunken soldiers losing their lives in the burning houses; but in the morning the bugles rang out, the soldiers desisted from their orgies, and such as were able to stand staggered away to join their colours.

A fresh party marched into the town; these collected the stragglers, and seized all the horses and carts for the carriage of the baggage and plunder.  The burgomaster had been taken before Tilly and commanded to find a considerable sum of money the first thing in the morning, under threat that the whole town would be burned down, and the inhabitants massacred if it was not forthcoming.

A council of the principal inhabitants was hastily summoned at daybreak.  The syndics of the various guilds between them contributed the necessary sum either in money or in drafts, and at noon Tilly marched away with his troops, leaving the smoking and ruined town behind him.  Many of the inhabitants were forced as drivers to accompany the horses and carts taken away.  Among these were three of the syndic’s serving men, Malcolm being one of the number.