Others were cleaning their arms.
The sudden appearance of a mounted officer armed from head to foot caused a general pause in their occupation, although none had any suspicion that the splendidly attired officer was a fugitive; but, believing that he was one of Leslie's friends who was setting out on some mission, they paid no further heed to him, as quietly and without any sign of haste he rode through the gateway of the castle into the town.

The inhabitants were already in the streets, country women with baskets were vending their produce, and the market was full of people.
Malcolm rode on at a foot pace until he was within sight of the open gate of the town.

When within fifty yards of the gate he suddenly came upon Colonel Leslie, who had thus early been making a tour of the walls to see that the sentries were upon the alert, for Duke Bernhard's force was within a few miles.

He instantly recognized Malcolm.
"Ah!" he exclaimed, "Captain Graheme--treachery! treachery! shut the gate there," and drawing his sword, threw himself in Malcolm's way.
Malcolm touched the horse with his spur and it bounded forward; he parried the blow which Leslie struck at him, and, with a sweeping cut full on the traitor's helmet, struck him to the ground and then dashed onward.

A sentry was beginning to shut the gate, and his comrades were running out from the guardhouse as Malcolm galloped up.
The steward had fastened the holsters on to the saddle, and Malcolm, before starting, had seen to the priming of the pistols in them.