Page:Tudor Jenks--The defense of the castle.djvu/211

Rh rest to retreat, while he held the pursuers in check. This plan succeeded, for before the Count's men had rallied and advanced again to the attack, the garrison had secured their retreat into the second intrenchment, whereupon, Hugh and the rearguard took to their heels, and followed at the top of their speed.

The pursuit of this handful of men was checked by a timely flight of arrows, and Hugh and his chosen band thus gained a place of safety without losing a man. Seeing the well-manned wall before them, the assaulting party did not attempt, for the moment to press their advantage, but remained content—as well they might—with the capture of the gateway. This gave them possession of the whole southern wall between the towers, for the defenders on the ramparts betook themselves to the towers, barring the great doors behind them, and stationing themselves behind the loopholes and near the doors ready to resist any further advance.

But both sides were exhausted by the hand-to-hand fighting, and so there came a lull in the conflict. The besiegers remained in possession of the outer bailey, the breached outer wall, which they soon after battered down, the inner wall between the towers, and had gained also the gateway that gave access to the inner bailey. The garrison,