Page:Tudor Jenks--The defense of the castle.djvu/196

170 Hugh called his men about him, and gave them his orders:

"We must retire," said he "into the two towers at the ends of the rampart. It is too late to prevent them from lowering their bridge and gaining a foothold on the walls; but from the side towers we can command its whole extent, and unless they are in great force, we may drive them back into their tower. But to meet them here would be madness, when from the towers we may resist them at advantage. Besides, I have a plan that will be aided by this retreat. So let no rash youngster be too proud to obey instantly the signal of recall."

The tower had now with much creaking and tottering been brought to the edge of the moat. There was some difficulty in pushing it upon the bridge of logs, upon which it must rest half its weight, but at last the front edge was successfully placed on the bridge, and in a few minutes more the tower was near enough to the walls to permit of lowering its drawbridge.

Up to the last moment. Hugh kept his men behind the battlements, and directed flights of arrows against the openings in the tower; but when the great bridge began to be lowered, he sounded his horn as a signal to retreat, and was promptly obeyed, though more than one crossbowman and