Page:Tudor Jenks--The defense of the castle.djvu/161

Rh the point where the ram struck. In less than half an hour, it seemed that the wall must be broken through, and come toppling down, Hugh found Edgar watching anxiously for the moment when the wall should give way. He greeted Hugh warmly, and demanded whether they could not do something besides standing idle while the castle was battered down before their eyes. Hugh stood gazing thoughtfully at the cracked wall, and for a few moments said nothing. Then, catching sight of the great timbers of the fallen crane, he seemed to have a sudden inspiration. He turned to Edgar:

"Since the wall must go down," he exclaimed, "why should it not fall outward as well as inward? Let me get together some of our men"— at the moment the ram struck the wall again, and a great stone fell inward—"and we will wedge the timbers of the crane so that the wall will come down"—bang! came the ram once more—"upon the front of the cat. It may do some damage in its fall."

Hugh hastened away, and was back in a few moments with about thirty men, carrying pick-axes and crowbars. With the picks they dug three deep holes in the ground, raising some stones of the pavement of the courtyard, and then one by one they set the three great timbers of the