when off duty from the walls, however fatigued they might be
with their labour, flocked at once to the chapels, to pray for strength
to resist and for early succour. Never were the whole population of the
town more deeply animated by religious excitement, never a whole
population more thoroughly and unanimously determined to die, rather than
surrender.

When not upon the walls or in chapel, John spent much of his time in
amusing the children, of whom there were many in the tanner's house. The
change from their country quarters, the crowded town, the privation of
milk, and the scantiness and unfitness of their rations, soon began to
tell upon the little ones, and John felt thankful, indeed, that his mind
had been stored with stories from his varied reading of the last two or
three years. With these, he was able to interest and quiet the children,
who sat round him with wrapt attention, while the booming of the guns and
the occasional rattling of musketry outside passed unheeded.

Scarce a day passed without active fighting, the initiative being always
taken by the besieged, for, in the royal army, the policy of blockade
rather than assault was steadily adhered to. The besieged, however,
continually sallied out, and attacked the parties engaged in throwing up
works. There was no settled plan of operations; but the commander on each
portion of the walls led out his men against the enemy, whenever he
thought he saw a favourable opportunity. The fights which ensued were
stoutly contested, and many were killed, but no advantage was gained on
either side. If it was the intention of the besieged to incite the
Royalists to make an attack upon the city, they failed altogether, and,
indeed, would have served their purpose better had they remained quietly
within the walls, for the energy and desperation with which they fought
were well calculated to deter even the most energetic commander from
attacking a town defended by eight or nine thousand men, animated by such
fiery energy.

So confident, indeed, were the besieged, that the gates were often left
open, and taunting invitations to come on and take Derry were shouted to
the besiegers. The supply of provisions found to be stored away was
vastly greater than had been expected, for many of the fugitives had
brought in large stores, and a great number of the inhabitants had been,
for weeks, making preparation for the siege, by buying up quantities of
grain and storing it in their