Page:Tudor Jenks--The defense of the castle.djvu/203

Rh driven out of the demolished tower, not even troubling to send arrows after the fleeing soldiers. Hugh, however, was struck by the small number of men that fled from the tower, and instantly concluded that the bulk of the count'sCount's [sic] forces must have been engaged in the attack elsewhere. He therefore left only a few of his men to keep guard upon the east wall and marched the rest to reinforce Edgar on the south side of the castle—where he found his aid was needed.

For Edgar had unexpectedly found himself exposed to the most dangerous assault of all. This was the result of Luke's shrewd strategy. Luke was well aware of the strength of the garrison, and he had seen that on the previous advance of the siege-tower, the great majority of the defenders had been gathered upon the east wall to oppose it. He therefore shrewdly reasoned that the tower was most feared by the garrison, and would be most strongly resisted; and hence he had advised the Count to mass most of his men in the edge of the woods ready to support the attack on the south wall when the ram should have made a breach. If the tower should be successful, these men could readily be used to follow up that attack; but Luke relied mainly upon gaining an entrance within the walls when the breach was made, provided that the garrison should here