Page:Tudor Jenks--The defense of the castle.djvu/179

Rh renewal of the tower's advance, and of the blows from the battering-ram, was racking his brains for the best way of replying to the besiegers. The tower was his chief anxiety, for he feared lest it would enable the Count to bring his large force of trained soldiers against the garrison in a hand-to-hand fight, that would be sure to result in a defeat for the side weaker in numbers. He felt sure that the drawbridge would be in working order again by the next day, and he could hardly hope for a second shot that would again disable the tower. He wondered whether there was no means of burning the great structure. There was a chance that this might be done by a sortie from the castle, but it would be certain to cost the lives of some of his bravest men, and would be a doubtful enterprise at the best. He was sure from the ability Luke the Lurdane had displayed already, that the tower would be watchfully guarded all night by a stronger force than could be brought against it.

Regretfully, Hugh decided that a sortie was out of the question, and again began to consider other plans. He recalled the appearance of the great tower, and remembering that it had a flat top, concluded that the best method of attack would be to train his mangonels upon it, and fling barrels of flaming pitch so that they would