Page:Tudor Jenks--The defense of the castle.djvu/201

Rh few of his best marksmen withdrew only to the southwest tower, where, upon the roof had been placed a mangonel and a balista in which the Friar always took especial pride. These had been previously trained upon the wall opposite, so that they might be used against the siege-tower, and the Friar remained here until the drawbridge of the tower was opened and the men had spread themselves over the rampart. Before the wall was deserted by the defenders the Friar could not discharge his balista for fear he might strike his own men; but as soon as these were safely within the stone towers, he set his engineers to work.

At first he discharged a great dart or two to make sure of range and aim. Then to the next dart was tied a great bunch of tow dipped in pitch and set on fire a moment before it was shot from the balista. So true was the aim that the flaming dart entered the open doorway of the tower and fixed itself, quivering, into the back wall. Another and another followed, and each struck truly, either within the tower or in the unprotected framework that had been exposed by the lowering of the bridge.

So great was the noise around, that these darts were unnoticed by the Count's men until cries of triumph from the garrison and shouts of alarm from the guards on top of the siege-tower caused