Page:A History of the Knights of Malta, or the Order of St. John of Jerusalem.djvu/299

Rh he renew the effort. His knights, he felt, must. recover the lost ground or all was over; better to die on the breach than to survive the loss of his stronghold. The third time he succeeded in mounting the wall, where, being speedily joined by numerous comrades, the fight became more equal. The mere numbers of t.he Turks acted prejudicially to them; they were so crowded on the narrow rampart that they were unable to act with vigour. Swaying to and fro before the fierce attack of the knights, they were gradually driven backward with resistless force over the breach.

The pasha was not prepared tamely to surrender the advantage he had secured. A body of veteran janissaries was despatched to support the yielding assailants, and once more to secure possession of the breach. D’Aubusson, in his gallant array, was easily recognizable in the throng, and Paleologus, who knew that he was the life and soul of the defence, told off a certain number of chosen men, who were to forego all meaner prey, and to devote themselves to a combined attack upon the hero so conspicuous at the head of his heroic band. Dashing upon the defenders with an impetus which had so often before led to victory, and clearing for themselves a passage through the mass of combatants, they succeeded in reaching the spot where D’Aubusson stood. hemmed in though he was by these new foes, ho yielded not a step, but maintained the unequal combat with undaunted energy. His desperate situation was soon seen by his brothers-in-arms, and a rush made to the rescue. The janissaries were driven back in confusion, and D’Aubusson extricated from his most perilous position. Unfortunately, however, before this aid arrived he had received three new and most grievous wounds.

Ere he was borne from the field he had the consolation of seeing the enemy driven over the blood-stained breach, and his victorious knights pursuing them at the edge of the sword. This, in fact, was the turning point of the struggle. The panic once established spread amongst the infidels with a rapidity which their disorganized and overcrowded condition rendered fatal. Plying from the avenging wrath of their pursuers, they found all egress blocked by the tumultuous masses assembled on the spot. In this perilous