saint george for england-第41部分

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The　French；　apparently　as　well　aware　as　the　garrison　of　the　necessity　for　haste；　laboured　at　the　repair　of　the　machine。　　Bodies　of　men　started　to　cut　down　trees　to　supply　the　place　of　the　beams　which　had　been　rendered　useless。　Scarcely　had　the　assault　ceased　when　horsemen　were　despatched　in　various　directions　to　seek　for　fresh　ropes；　and　by　dint　of　the　greatest　exertions　the　machine　was　placed　in　position　to　renew　its　attack　shortly　after　noon。

By　two　o'clock　several　large　portions　of　the　damaged　wall　had　fallen；　and　the　debris　formed　a　slope　by　which　an　assaulting　column　could　rush　to　the　bridge。　As　soon　as　this　was　manifest　the　French　force　formed　for　the　assault　and　rushed　forward　in　solid　column。

Walter　had　made　the　best　preparation　possible　for　the　defence。　In　the　courtyard　behind　the　breach　his　men　had　since　morning　been　driving　a　circle　of　piles；　connected　by　planks　fastened　to　them。　These　were　some　five　feet　high；　and　along　the　top　and　in　the　face　next　to　the　breach　sharp…pointed　spikes　and　nails　had　been　driven；　rendering　it　difficult　in　the　extreme　for　anyone　to　climb　over。　As　the　column　of　the　assailants　approached　Walter　placed　his　archers　on　the　walls　on　either　side　of　the　breach；　while　he　himself；　with　his　men…at…arms；　took　his　station　in　the　gap　and　faced　the　coming　host。　The　breach　was　some　ten　yards　wide；　but　it　was　only　for　about　half　this　width　that　the　mound　of　broken　stones　rendered　it　possible　for　their　enemies　to　assault；　consequently　there　was　but　a　space　of　some　fifteen　feet　in　width　to　be　defended。　Regardless　of　the　flights　of　arrows；　the　French；　headed　by　their　knights　and　squires；　advanced　to　the　assault；　and　clambering　up　the　rough　stones　attacked　the　defenders。

Walter；　with　Ralph　and　three　of　his　best　men…at…arms；　stood　in　the　front　line　and　received　the　first　shock　of　the　assault。　The　roughness　and　steepness　of　the　mound　prevented　the　French　from　attacking　in　regular　order；　and　the　very　eagerness　of　the　knights　and　squires　who　came　first　in　contact　with　their　enemies　was　a　hindrance　to　them。　When　the　columns　were　seen　gathering　for　the　assault　Walter　had　scattered　several　barrels　full　of　oil　and　tar　which　he　found　in　the　cellars　over　the　mound　in　front　of　the　breach；　rendering　it　greasy　and　slippery；　and　causing　the　assailants　to　slip　and　stagger　and　many　to　fall　as　they　pressed　forward　to　the　assault。　Before　the　fight　commenced　he　had　encouraged　his　soldiers　by　recalling　to　them　how　a　mere　handful　of　men　had　at　Cressy　withstood　for　hours　the　desperate　efforts　of　the　whole　of　the　French　army　to　break　through　their　line；　and　all　were　prepared　to　fight　to　the　death。

The　struggle　was　a　desperate　one。　Served　by　their　higher　position；　and　by　the　difficulties　which　the　French　encountered　from　the　slipperiness　of　the　ground　and　their　own　fierce　ardour　to　attack；　Walter　and　his　little　band　for　a　long　time　resisted　every　effort。　He　with　his　sword　and　Ralph　with　his　heavy　mace　did　great　execution；　and　they　were　nobly　seconded　by　their　men…at…arms。　As　fast　as　one　fell　another　took　his　place。　The　breach　in　front　of　them　was　cumbered　with　dead　and　red　with　blood。　Still　the　French　poured　upwards　in　a　wave；　and　the　sheer　weight　of　their　numbers　and　the　fatigue　caused　by　the　tremendous　exertions　the　defenders　were　making　began　to　tell。　Step　by　step　the　English　were　driven　back；　and　Walter　saw　that　the　defence　could　not　much　longer　be　continued。　He　bade　one　of　his　men…at…arms　at　once　order　the　archers　to　cease　firing；　and；　leaving　the　walls；　to　take　refuge　in　the　keep；　and　thence　to　open　fire　upon　the　French　as　they　poured　through　the　breach。

When　he　found　that　this　movement　had　been　accomplished　Walter　bade　the　men…at…　arms　fall　back　gradually。　A　gap　had　been　left　in　the　wooden　fence　sufficient　for　one　at　a　time　to　pass；　and　through　this　the　men…at…arms　retired　one　by　one　to　the　keep　until　only　Walter　and　five　others　were　left。　　With　these　Walter　flung　himself　suddenly　upon　the　assailants　and　forced　them　a　few　feet　down　the　slope。　　Then　he　gave　the　word；　and　all　sprang　back；　and　leaping　down　from　the　wall　into　the　courtyard　ran　through　the　barrier；　Walter　and　Ralph　being　the　last　to　pass　as　the　French　with　exulting　shouts　leapt　down　from　the　breach。　There　was　another　fierce　fight　at　the　barrier。　Walter　left　Ralph　to　defend　this　with　a　few　men…at…　arms　while　he　saw　that　all　was　in　readiness　for　closing　the　door　rapidly　in　the　keep。　Then　he　ran　back　again。　He　was　but　just　in　time。　Ralph　indeed　could　for　a　long　time　have　held　the　narrow　passage；　but　the　barriers　themselves　were　yielding。　The　French　were　pouring　in　through　the　breach；　and　as　those　behind　could　not　see　the　nature　of　the　obstacle　which　arrested　the　advance　of　their　companions　they　continued　to　push　forward；　and　by　their　weight　pressed　those　in　front　against　the　spikes　in　the　barrier。　　Many　perished　miserably　on　these。　　Others；　whose　armour　protected　them　from　this　fate；　were　crushed　to　death　by　the　pressure；　but　this　was　now　so　great　that　the　timbers　were　yielding。　Walter；　seeing　that　in　another　moment　they　would　be　levelled；　gave　the　word；　sprang　back　with　Ralph　and　his　party；　and　entered　the　keep　just　as　with　a　crash　the　barrier　fell　and　the　French　poured　in　a　crowd　into　the　courtyard。　　Bolting　the　door　the　defenders　of　the　keep　piled　against　it　the　stones　which　had　been　laid　in　readiness。

The　door　was　on　the　first　floor；　and　was　approached　by　a　narrow　flight　of　stone　steps；　up　which　but　two　abreast　could　advance。　In　their　first　fury　the　French　poured　up　these　steps；　but　from　the　loopholes　which　commanded　it　the　English　bowmen　shot　so　hard　that　their　arrows　pierced　the　strongest　armour。　Smitten　through　vizor　and　armour；　numbers　of　the　bravest　of　the　assailants　fell　dead。　　Those　who　gained　the　top　of　the　steps　were　assailed　by　showers　of　boiling　oil　from　an　upper　chamber　which　projected　over　the　door；　and　whose　floor　was　pierced　for　this　purpose；　while　from　the　top　of　the　keep　showers　of　stones　were　poured　down。　After　losing　great　numbers　in　this　desperate　effort　at　assault　the　French　drew　off　for　a　while；　while　their　leaders　held　council　as　to　the　best　measures　to　be　taken　for　the　capture　of　the　keep。

After　a　time　Walter　from　the　summit　saw　several　bodies　of　men　detach　themselves　from　the　crowd　still　without　the　castle　and　proceed　into　the　country。　Two　hours　later　they　were　seen　returning　laden　with　trunks　of　trees。　These　were　dragged　through　the　breach；　and　were；　in　spite　of　the　efforts　of　the　archers　and　of　the　men…at…arms　with　their　stones；　placed　so　as　to　form　a　sort　of　penthouse　against　one　side　of　the　keep。　Numbers　of　the　soldiers　now　poured　up　with　sacks　and　all　kinds　of　vessels　which　they　had　gathered　from　the　surrounding　villages；　filled　with　earth。　This　was　thrown　over　the　beams　until　it　filled　all　the　crevices　between　them　and　formed　a　covering　a　foot　thick；　so　that　neither　boiling　oil　nor　water　poured　from　above　could　penetrate　to　injure　those　working　beneath　its　shelter。　When　all　was　ready　a　strong　body　armed　with　picks　and　crowbars　entered　the　penthouse　and　began　to　labour　to　cut　away　the　wall　of　the　keep　itself。

〃Their　commander　knows　his　business；〃　Walter　said；　〃and　the　device　is　an　excellent　one。　We　can　do　nothing；　and　it　only　depends　upon　the　strength　of　the　wall　how　long　we　can　hold　out。　The　masonry　is　by　no　means　good；　and　before　nightfall；　unless　aid　comes；　there　will　be　nought　for　us　but　death　or　surrender。〃



CHAPTER　XVI：　A　PRISONER


As　long　as　it　was　light　an　anxious　look…out　was　kept　from　the　top　of　the　keep　towards　Calais。　There　was　nothing　to　be　done。　The　besiegers　who　had　entered　the　walls　were　ensconced　in　the　various　buildings　in　the　courtyard　or　placed　behind　walls　so　as　to　be　out　of　arrow…shot　from　above；　and　were　in　readiness　to　repel　any　sortie　which　might　be　made　to　interfere　with　the　work　going　on　under　the　penthouse。　But　no　sortie　was　possible；　for　to　effect　this　it　would　be　necessary　to　remove　the　stones　from　the　door；　and　before　this　could　be　accomplished　the　besiegers　would　have　rallied　in　overwhelming　force；　nor　could　a　sortie　have　effected　anything　beyond　the　slaying　of　the　men　actually　engaged　in　the　work。　　The　beams　of　the　penthouse　were　too　strong　and　too　heavily　weighted　with　earth　to　be　removed；　and　the　attempt　would　only　have　entailed　useless　slaughter。　　The　penthouse　was　about　forty　feet　in　length；　and　the　assailants　were　piercing　three　openings；　each　of　some　six　feet　in　width；　leaving　two　strong　supporting　pillars　between　them。　　Anxiously　the　garrison　within　listened　to　the　sounds　of　work；　which　became　louder　and　louder　as　the　walls　crumbled　before　the　stroke　of　pickaxe　and　crowbar。

〃I　shall　hold　out　until　the　last　moment；〃　Walter　said　to　Ralph；　〃in　hopes　of　relief；　but　before　they　burst　in　I　shall　sound　a　parley。　To　resist　further　would　be　a　vain　sacrifice　of　life。〃

Presently　a　movement　could　be　seen　among　the　stones；　and　then　almost　simultaneously　two　apertures　appeared。　The　chamber　into　which　the　openings　were　made　was　a　large　one；　being　used　as　the　common　room　of　the　garrison。　Here　twenty　archers；　and　the　remaining　men…at…arms　…　of　whom　nearly　one…half　had　fallen　in　the　defence　of　the　breach　…　were　gathered；　and　the　instant　the　orifices　appeared　the　archers　began　to　s