Lion of the North

G.A. Henty

Description

Set in the seventeenth century, this thrilling historical novel geared for younger audiences follows a young Scot named Malcolm as he joins the effort to thwart Catholic forces in Germany who are seeking to vanquish Protestantism. Under the command of Swedish King Gustavus Adolphus, one of the greatest military commanders of all time, Malcolm truly comes into his own, exhibiting bravery and confidence on the battlefield.

Sujets

• Historical fiction

Informations

• Publié par: The Floating Press
• Date de parution: 01 décembre 2016
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781776674411
• Langue: English

Extrait

THE LION OF THE NORTH
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G.A. HENTY
 
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The Lion of the North First published in 1896 Epub ISBN 978-1-77667-441-1 Also available: PDF ISBN 978-1-77667-442-8 © 2015 The Floating Press and its licensors. All rights reserved. While every effort has been used to ensure the accuracy and reliability of the information contained in The Floating Press edition of this book, The Floating Press does not assume liability or responsibility for any errors or omissions in this book. The Floating Press does not accept responsibility for loss suffered as a result of reliance upon the accuracy or currency of information contained in this book. Do not use while operating a motor vehicle or heavy equipment. Many suitcases look alike. Visit www.thefloatingpress.com
Contents
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Preface Chapter I - The Invitation Chapter II - Shipwrecked Chapter III - Sir John Hepburn Chapter IV - New Brandenburg Chapter V - Marauders Chapter VI - The Attack on the Village Chapter VII - A Quiet Time Chapter VIII - The Siege of Mansfeld Chapter IX - The Battle of Breitenfeld Chapter X - The Passage of the Rhine Chapter XI - The Capture of Oppenheim Chapter XII - The Passage of the Lech Chapter XIII - Captured by the Peasants Chapter XIV - In the Churchtower Chapter XV - A Timely Rescue Chapter XVI - The Siege of Nuremberg Chapter XVII - The Death of Gustavus Chapter XVIII - Wounded Chapter XIX - A Pause in Hostilities Chapter XX - Friends in Trouble Chapter XXI - Flight Chapter XXII - The Conspiracy Chapter XXIII - The Murder of Wallenstein Chapter XXIV - Malcolm's Escape Chapter XXV - Nordlingen
Preface
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MY DEAR LADS,
You are nowadays called upon to acquire so great a mass of learningand information in the period of life between the ages of twelve andeighteen that it is not surprising that but little time can be sparedfor the study of the history of foreign nations. Most lads are,therefore, lamentably ignorant of the leading events of even the mostimportant epochs of Continental history, although, as many of theseevents have exercised a marked influence upon the existing state ofaffairs in Europe, a knowledge of them is far more useful, and, itmay be said, far more interesting than that of the comparatively pettyaffairs of Athens, Sparta, Corinth, and Thebes.
Prominent among such epochs is the Thirty Years' War, which arose fromthe determination of the Emperor of Austria to crush out Protestantismthroughout Germany. Since the invasion of the Huns no struggle whichhas taken place in Europe has approached this in the obstinacy of thefighting and the terrible sufferings which the war inflicted upon thepeople at large. During these thirty years the population of Germanydecreased by nearly a third, and in some of the states half the townsand two-thirds of the villages absolutely disappeared.
The story of the Thirty Years' War is too long to be treated in onevolume. Fortunately it divides itself naturally into two parts. Thefirst begins with the entry of Sweden, under her chivalrous monarchGustavus Adolphus, upon the struggle, and terminates with his death andthat of his great rival Wallenstein. This portion of the war has beentreated in the present story. The second period begins at the point whenFrance assumed the leading part in the struggle, and concluded with thepeace which secured liberty of conscience to the Protestants of Germany.This period I hope to treat some day in another story, so that you mayhave a complete picture of the war. The military events of the presenttale, the battles, sieges, and operations, are all taken from the bestauthorities, while for the account of the special doings of Mackay's,afterwards Munro's Scottish Regiment, I am indebted to Mr. J. Grant'sLife of Sir John Hepburn.
Yours sincerely,
G. A. HENTY
Chapter I - The Invitation
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It was late in the afternoon in the spring of the year 1630; thehilltops of the south of Scotland were covered with masses of cloud, anda fierce wind swept the driving rain before it with such force that itwas not easy to make way against it. It had been raining for three dayswithout intermission. Every little mountain burn had become a boilingtorrent, while the rivers had risen above their banks and flooded thelow lands in the valleys.
The shades of evening were closing in, when a lad of some sixteen yearsof age stood gazing across the swollen waters of the Nith rushing pastin turbid flood. He scarce seemed conscious of the pouring rain; butwith his lowland bonnet pressed down over his eyes, and his plaidwrapped tightly round him, he stood on a rising hummock of ground at theedge of the flood, and looked across the stream.
"If they are not here soon," he said to himself, "they will not getacross the Nith tonight. None but bold riders could do so now; butby what uncle says, Captain Hume must be that and more. Ah! here theycome."
As he spoke two horsemen rode down the opposite side of the valley andhalted at the water's edge. The prospect was not a pleasant one. Theriver was sixty or seventy feet wide, and in the centre the water sweptalong in a raging current.
"You cannot cross here," the boy shouted at the top of his voice. "Youmust go higher up where the water's deeper."
The wind swept his words away, but his gestures were understood.
"The boy is telling us to go higher up," said one of the horsemen.
"I suppose he is," the other replied; "but here is the ford. You see theroad we have travelled ends here, and I can see it again on the otherside. It is getting dark, and were we to cross higher up we might loseour way and get bogged; it is years since I was here. What's the boygoing to do now? Show us a place for crossing?"
The lad, on seeing the hesitation of the horsemen, had run along thebank up the stream, and to their surprise, when he had gone a littlemore than a hundred yards he dashed into the water. For a time the waterwas shallow, and he waded out until he reached the edge of the regularbank of the river, and then swam out into the current.
"Go back," the horseman shouted; but his voice did not reach theswimmer, who, in a few strokes, was in the full force of the stream, andwas soon lost to the sight of the horsemen among the short foaming wavesof the torrent.
"The boy will be drowned," one of the horsemen said, spurring his horseup the valley; but in another minute the lad was seen breasting thecalmer water just above the ford.
"You cannot cross here, Captain Hume," he said, as he approached thehorsemen. "You must go nigh a mile up the river."
"Why, who are you, lad?" the horseman asked, "and how do you know myname?"
"I'm the nephew of Nigel Graheme. Seeing how deep the floods were I cameout to show you the way, for the best horse in the world could not swimthe Nith here now."
"But this is the ford," Captain Hume said.
"Yes, this is the ford in dry weather. The bottom here is hard rock andeasy to ride over when the river is but waist deep, but below and abovethis place it is covered with great boulders. The water is six feetdeep here now, and the horses would be carried down among the rocks, andwould never get across. A mile up the river is always deep, and thoughthe current is strong there is nothing to prevent a bold horseman fromswimming across."
"I thank you heartily, young sir," Captain Hume said. "I can see howbroken is the surface of the water, and doubt not that it would havefared hard with us had we attempted to swim across here. In faith,Munro, we have had a narrow escape."
"Ay, indeed," the other agreed. "It would have been hard if you and I,after going through all the battlefields of the Low Countries, shouldhave been drowned here together in a Scottish burn. Your young friend isa gallant lad and a good swimmer, for in truth it was no light task toswim that torrent with the water almost as cold as ice."
"Now, sirs, will you please to ride on," the boy said; "it is gettingdark fast, and the sooner we are across the better."
So saying he went off at a fast run, the horses trotting behind him. Amile above he reached the spot he had spoken of. The river was narrowerhere, and the stream was running with great rapidity, swirling andheaving as it went, but with a smooth even surface.
"Two hundred yards farther up," the boy said, "is the beginning of thedeep; if you take the water there you will get across so as to climb upby that sloping bank just opposite."
He led the way to the spot he indicated, and then plunged into thestream, swimming quietly and steadily across, and allowing the stream todrift him down.
The horsemen followed his example. They had swum many a swollen river,and although their horses snorted and plunged at first, they soonquieted down and swam steadily over. They just struck the spot which theboy had indicated. He had already arrived there, and, without a word,trotted forward.
It was soon dark, and the horsemen were obliged to keep close to hisheels to see his figure. It was as much as they could do to keep up withhim, for the ground was rough and broken, sometimes swampy, sometimesstrewn with boulders.
"It is well we have a guide," Colonel Munro said to his companion; "forassuredly, even had we got safely across the stream, we should neverhave found our way across such a country as this. Scotland is a finecountry, Hume, a grand country, and we are all proud of it, you know,but for campaigning, give me the plains of Germany; while, as for yourweather here, it is only fit for a water rat."
Hume laughed at this outburst.
"I sha'n't be sorry, Munro, for a change of dry clothes and a corner bya fire; but we must be nearly there now if I remember right. Graheme'shold is about three miles from the Nith."
The boy presently gave a loud shout, and a minute later lights were seenahead, and in two or three minutes the horsemen drew up at a door besidewhich two men were standing with torches; another strolled out as theystopped.
"Welcome, Hume! I am glad indeed to see you; and—ah! is it you, Munro?it is long indeed since we met