Page:Tudor Jenks--The defense of the castle.djvu/285

257 now dark, but there was no necessity of saving ammunition, and so the mangonels were kept at work, with gradually shortening range to adapt the fire to the supposed advance oi the Count's men.

When at last the line was near enough to be made out, it was found that the attack was directed principally against the southeastern tower. Luke had advised the Count to delay the final attack upon the keep until he had reduced the smaller towers remaining. When it was certain that this was the besiegers' object, Hugh sent all the men he could spare—some thirty archers and men armed with spears, or long poleaxes—into the threatened tower. And a part of these, five or six, clambered to its roof, which was now a ruined pile of stone and timber, so that they could fling upon the heads of the attacking party whatever stones or planks they could dislodge with crowbars. The rest of the occupants of the tower placed themselves at the loopholes, discharging their bolts and arrows into the mass of the besieging force—though with little damage because the men were covered by their shields.

Owing to Luke's inventive ability the garrison placed in this tower soon found themselves outwitted. Luke, in devising the attack, resolved to put in practice an artifice he had not yet used in this