第30章 THE MELEE(5)

From the tower above, the defenders now hurled over great stones, which had been specially placed there for the purpose of destroying the drawbridge should the earthwork be carried.The boards were soon splintered, and the drawbridge was pronounced by the Earl of Talbot, who was acting as judge, to be destroyed.The excitement of the spectators was worked up to a great pitch while the conflict was going on, and the citizens cheered lustily at the success of the apprentices.

"That was gallantly done," the king said to Queen Philippa, "and the leader of the assailants is a lad of rare mettle.Not a captain of my army, no, not Sir Walter Manny himself, could have done it more cleverly.You see, by placing his forces at the ends of the wall he drew all the garrison thither to withstand the assaults from them, and thus by his sudden movement he was able to carry the outwork before they could recover from their surprise, and come down to its aid.I am curious to know what he will do next.What thinkst thou, Edward?" he asked his son, who was standing by his side.

"He will win the day," the young prince said; "and in faith, although the others are my comrades, I should be glad to see it.He will make a gallant knight, sir, one of these days, and remember he is engaged to follow my banner, so you must not steal him from me.See, my liege, they are taking planks and ladders to the outwork.""They are doing wrongly then," the king said, "for even should they bridge the moat where the drawbridge is, they cannot scale the wall there, since the tower defends it, and the ladders are but long enough to reach the lower wall.No, their leader has changed his mind, they are taking the planks along the edge of the moat towards the tower on the left, and will aid the assault by its bridge by a passage of the moat there.

It seemed, indeed, that this was the plan.While some of the assailants kept up the arrow fire on the wall others mounted the tower, while a party prepared to throw a bridge of planks across the moat.The bridge from the tower was now lowered; but a shout of triumph rose from the defenders when it was seen that by some mistake of the carpenters this was too short, and when lowered did not reach within six feet of the wall.

"All the better," the king said, while the prince gave an angry exclamation."Accidents of this kind will happen, and give an opportunity to a leader to show his resources.Doubtless he will carry planks up to the tower and so connect the bridge and the wall."This, indeed, was what the assailants tried to do, while a party threw planks across the moat, and rushing over placed ladders against the wall and strove to climb.They strove in vain, however.The ladders were thrown down as fast as they were placed, while the defenders, thickly clustered on the walls, drove back those who tried to cross from the tower.

"I do not see the leader of the assailants," the prince said.

"He has a white plume, but it may have been shorn off," the king said.

"Look, the young Pembroke is making a sortie!"From the sortie gate behind the tower the defenders now poured out, and running down to the edge of the moat fell upon the stormers.These, however, received them with great steadiness, and while some continued the attack the rest turned upon the garrison, and, headed by Ralph the smith, drove them gradually back.

"They fight well and steadily," the king said."One would have thought that they had reckoned on the sortie, so steadily did they receive it."As only a portion of the garrison had issued out they were unable to resist long the pressure of the apprentices, who drove them back step by step to the sally- port, and pressing them hard endeavoured to force their way in at their heels.