Page:A History of the Knights of Malta, or the Order of St. John of Jerusalem.djvu/128

102 of Khaled, the slaughter of a few thousands, more or less, could have but little effect in checking his onset or averting his fell purpose. Ste&lily he pushed his approaches forward, stop by step, until at length he was in a position to bring his battering rams into active play, whilst at the same time his miners were busily employed in burrowing beneath the towers by which the ramparts were flanked. Successive crashes marked the downfall of one bulwark after another, yet still they struggled on with the most indomitable perseverance, and with a courage the heroism of which had in it something sublime.

At last the Cursed Tower, one of the most important points in the defence of the fortress, shared the common fate, and opened a breach in the most vulnerable part of the ramparts. Henry of Cyprus, with his auxiliaries, had been stationed at this point, and he gallantly maintained the breach against every effort of the Moslem until night intervened to put a temporary stop to the strife. Then, however, perceiving that a renewal of the combat in the morning would place him in a desperate situation, and in all probability lead to his capture, if not death, he determined to abandon the defence and regain his ships. Desirous of concealing the step he was about to take, he alleged that the struggle of the day rendered a period of repose imperafive to his force, and handed his post over to some Teutonic knights who were taking part in the siege, promising faithfully to relieve them in the morning. Instead of doing this he hurried with the remainder of his troops on board the fleet, which lay at anchor in the harbour, and under cover of the night set sail for Cyprus, abandoning the heroic remnant of the garrison to their fate.

The next morning at daybreak the Saracens renewed the assault with greater determination than ever, but the Teutonic knights, who retained the post basely abandoned by Henry of Cyprus, presented an impassable barrier of steel to their onset. Throughout the day the combat raged fiercely around the deadly breach, until at length, towards evening, overborne by numbers and exhausted by their long protracted defence, the Germans gave way, and the enemy, with loud shouts of exultation, poured into the place. At this critical moment, when all appeared lost, Villiers, whose enthusiastic zeal always led him