Page:Tudor Jenks--The defense of the castle.djvu/99

Rh that would interfere with the passing of the mangonel. As fast as these were cut, they were cleared of their branches, cut into lengths, and smoothed to make rollers. Then, by means of crowbars, these were placed under the long timbers that made the base of the mangonel, and in two or three hours the soldiers were able, by means of long levers and ropes, to roll the great machine back into the woods where it could no longer be seen by the defenders of the castle. Then the new timber was put in place, and the machine was again ready for action.

But all this had taken time, and it was late in the afternoon before they were able to resume the bombardment of the palisade, which in the mean- time, had been repaired by a party from the castle, who had little difficulty in replacing the fallen palisades. Seeing the palisade was as good as new, the Count came to Luke in a rage, and derided him before his men.

"Luke," cried the Count, "you have had a whole day for your engine-work, and have lost some of my men, while all you have accomplished is the knocking down of a couple of ten-pins, that have been promptly set up again. Do you think I mean to spend three good months in sitting here in the woods before this castle?"

Luke made no reply, but scowled, and adjusted