Page:Tudor Jenks--The defense of the castle.djvu/181

Rh come so near, for fear they might fail at the last minute, when the Count's men would have lowered their drawbridge, and could then march out upon the ramparts and sweep them clear of the defenders. This danger the Friar admitted, but did not believe it could be avoided. Hugh was compelled to admit, in his turn, that he saw no way of keeping the tower at a distance, and that the close attack offered the best chance of destroying it.

"The tower," said the Friar, "will be put in motion early in the day. At the same time, the battering-ram will finish the front wall; the mangonels will be all trained upon us; and it may be that a storming party with ladders will come against some new portion of the wall. So be it. We must take our chances with the other attacks, and give every effort to repelling the tower. A few crossbowmen wall be enough to defend the breach, since that is only a feigned attack, and will not be closely followed up. Lord Edgar, with a chosen body of men, must be ready to repulse any storming-party wherever they may present themselves. And our main force must be gathered to repulse the tower. We will place the mangonels where they will best command it, and hurl barrels of flaming pitch upon its roof. Then, too, if they succeed in lowering the draw-