"He selected 3000 of his best Scottish infantry, among whom was
Hepburn's own regiment, and 500 horse under Colonel Thurn. When
they were drawn up he gave them a short address on the desperate
nature of the service they were about to perform, namely, to cut
a passage over a strongly fortified hill defended by 30,000 men.
The column, commanded by Hepburn, started at dusk, and, unseen by
the enemy, approached their position, and working round it began
to ascend the hill by a narrow and winding path encumbered by rocks
and stones, thick underwood, and overhanging trees.

"The difficulty for troops with heavy muskets, cartridges, breastplates,
and helmets, to make their way up such a place was enormous, and
the mountain side was so steep that they were frequently obliged
to haul themselves up by the branches of the trees; nevertheless,
they managed to make their way through the enemy's outposts unobserved,
and reached the summit, where the ground was smooth and level.

"Here they fell at once upon the Poles, who were working busily
at their trenches, and for a time gained a footing there; but a
deadly fire of musketry with showers of arrows and stones, opened
upon them from all points, compelled the Scots to recoil from the
trenches, when they were instantly attacked by crowds of horsemen
in mail shirts and steel caps. Hepburn drew off his men till they
reached a rock on the plateau, and here they made their stand, the
musketeers occupying the rock, the pikemen forming in a wall around
it.

"They had brought with them the portable chevaux-de-frise carried
by the infantry in the Swedish service. They fixed this along in
front, and it aided the spearmen greatly in resisting the desperate