Page:Tudor Jenks--The defense of the castle.djvu/193

 advance upon the castle being simultaneous upon two sides—the east and south, it will be necessary to describe each separately. Upon the eastward wall, Hugh in command of by far the largest part of the defenders opposed the coming of the great tower, which was rolling forward with the resistless leisure of an incoming tide—"without haste, and without rest." Before it could come right up to the castle-wall, it was requisite to fill up at least a part of the moat, since the drawbridge, meant to be lowered until it should rest upon the top of the wall, was not long enough to extend the whole width of the moat, even should the tower be placed upon the very edge; and this would be dangerous, for the bank might cave in under its weight and let the great structure topple into the ditch. So while the tower was pushed near enough to bring its occupants within arrow-range—enabling them to exchange volleys with the men upon the castle-walls—there it halted, and the Count's soldiers pushed forward 167