gonel, whose mighty beam,
swinging high, hurled aloft the bulging wine-skin, the which, bursting
in mid-air, deluged with water all below--prior and monk, acolyte and
chorister; whereat from all Belsaye a shout went up, that swelled to
peal on peal of mighty laughter, the while, in stumbling haste, the
dripping Prior was borne by dripping monks back to Duke Ivo's mighty
camp. And lo! from this great camp another sound arose, a roar of
anger, fierce and terrible to hear, that smote Belsaye to silence. But,
out upon the battlement, plain for all folk to see, sprang Giles
flourishing his six-foot bow.

"Archers!" he cried, "archers, ye hear the dogs bay yonder--fling back
their challenge!

"Ho, archers! shout and rend the skies,
Bold archers shout amain
Belsaye, Belsaye--arise, arise!
Pentavalon--Beltane!"

Then from tower and turret, from wall and keep and market-square a
great and joyous shout was raised--a cry fierce and loud and very
purposeful, that rolled afar:

"Arise, arise!--ha, Beltane--Pentavalon!"

"Beltane," quoth Sir Benedict, smiling his wry smile as he turned to
descend the tower, "methinks yon roguish archer's wit hath served us
better than all our wisdom. Belsaye hath frighted away fear with
laughter, and her men, methinks, will fight marvellous well!"

CHAPTER LXV

TELLETH OF ROSES

A fair and strong city was Belsaye, for (as hath been said) to north
and east of it the river flowed, a broad stream and deep, while south
and west it was fortified by a goodly moat; wherefore it was to south
and west that the besiegers mustered their chief force and set up their
mightiest engines and towers. Day in, day out, mangonel, trebuchet and
balista whirred and crashed from keep and tower and curtain-wall, while
from every loophole and crenelle long-bows twanged and arrows flew; yet
with each succeeding dawn the besiegers' fence-works crept nearer,
closing in upon the city until, within close bowshot of the walls, they
set up earthworks and stockades and from these strong barriers plied
the defenders with cloth-yard shaft and cross-bow bolt what time their
mighty engines advanced, perriers and rams wherewith to batter and
breach the city's massy walls.

So day in, day out, Eric's chosen men plied trebuchet and balista, and
Beltane, beholding the dire havoc wrought by heavy stone and whizzing
javelin among the dense ranks of the besiegers despite their mantlets
and stout palisades, grew s