Page:Tudor Jenks--The defense of the castle.djvu/132

108 and then mount it upon great wheels as if it were a long truck—in fact it was much like the long trucks used by ship-builders to transport enormous pieces of timber. The end of the battering-ram was then armed with a metal head or beak. This was affixed by the Count's blacksmiths who had set up a forge in the forest, just out of range of the castle. All day and even late into the night the heavy sledges were ringing upon the anvils, and the giant bellows were blowing the smith's fires as he made or repaired the many pieces of metal work used by the besiegers, in framing their great tower, or in setting up the mangonels. In a few days, however, the garrison saw that the front of the cat had been repaired, and it came rolling back to its place against the castle walls. When it had once more approached as far as the causeway over the moat, it was followed by the advance of the ram—which came along the same track, propelled by men who pushed it, offering a tempting mark to the artillerymen of the castle, who at once aimed their balistæ at the advancing machine. Hugh and the Friar directed two of these machines, and there was a keen rivalry between them to see which could make the best shots. One would send a great dart whizzing through the air and then, sometimes before the first missile had struck, the second would be on its way. The