The Waverley novels, by Sir Walter Scott, complete in 12 vol., printed from the latest English ed., embracing the author's last corrections, prefaces & notes.

290 WAVERLEY NOVELS.
commences-all peaceful and quiet without, while an hundred contradictory
passions were raging in his bosom.
Corporal IIumgudgeon, meanwhile, remained steady upon his post; yet,
though as determined a soldier as ever fought among the redoubted regiment of Ironsides, and possessed of no small share of that exalted fanaticism which lent so keen an edge to the natural courage of those stern religionists, the veteran felt his present situation to be highly uncomfortable.
Within a pike's length of him arose a turret, which was about to be dispersed in massive fragments through the air; and he felt small confidence
in the length of time which might be allowed for his escape from such a
dangerous vicinity. The duty of constant vigilance upon his post, was
partly divided by this natural feeling, which induced him from time to
time to bend his eyes on the miners below, instead of keeping them riveted
on the opposite turret.
At length the interest of the scene arose to the uttermost. After entering and returning from the turret, and coming out again more than once, in
the course of about twenty minutes Pearson issued, as it might be supposed,
for the last time, carrying in his hand, and uncoiling, as he went along, the
sausage, or linen bag, (so called from its appearance,) which, strongly sewed
together, and crammed with gunpowder, was to serve as a train betwixt the
mine to be sprung, and the point occupied by the engineer who was to give
fire. He was in the act of finally adjusting it, when the attention of the
corporal on the tower became irresistibly and exclusively riveted upon the
preparations for the explosion. But while he watched the aide-de-camp
drawing his pistol to give fire, and the trumpeter handling his instrument
as waiting the order to sound the retreat, fate rushed on the unhappy sentinel in a way he least expected.
Young, active, bold, and completely possessed of his presence of mind,
Albert Lee, who had been from the loopholes a watchful observer of every
measure which had been taken by his besiegers, had resolved to make one
desperate effort for self-preservation. While the head of the sentinel on the
opposite platform was turned from him, and bent rather downwards, he
suddenly sprung across the chasm, though the space on which he lighted
was scarce wide enough for two persons, threw the surprised soldier from
his precarious stand, and jumped himself down into the chamber. The
gigantic trooper went sheer down twenty feet, struck against a projecting
battlement, which launched the wretched man outwards, and then fell on
the earth with such tremendous force, that the head, which first touched the
ground, dinted a hole in the soil of six inches in depth, and was crushed
like an eggshell. Scarce knowing what had happened, yet startled and
confounded at the descent of this heavy body, which fell at no great distance from him, Pearson snapt his pistol at the train, no previous warning
given; the powder caught, and the mine exploded. Had it been strongly
charged with powder, many of those without might have suffered; but the
explosion was only powerful enough to blow out, in a lateral direction, a
part of the wall just alove the foundation, sufficient, however, to destroy
the equipoise of the building. Then, amid a cloud of smoke, which began
gradually to encircle the turret like a shroud, arising slowly from its base
to its summit, it was seen to stagger and shake by all who had courage to
look steadily at a sight so dreadful. Slowly, at first, the building inclined
outwards, then rushed precipitately to its base, and fell to the ground in
huge fragments, the strength of its resistance showing the excellence of the
mason-work. The engineer, so soon as he had fired the train, fled in such
alarm that he wellnigh ran against his General, who was advancing towards
him, while a huge stone from the summit of the building, flying farther thain
the rest, lighted within a yard of them.
" Thou hast been over hasty, Pearson," said Cromwell, with the greatest
composure possible -" hath no one fallen in that same tower of Siloe?"