he breastwork was about five feet
high, and was absolutely unclimbable.

"It could not be better," Francois said. "A solid work would not be
half so difficult to get over. Twenty men here could keep a host at
bay."

Another tier of unskinned carcasses was laid down behind the
breastwork, for the defenders to stand on; and earth was piled over
it, to afford a footing.

They had but just completed their preparations when the trumpet,
from above, sounded the signal that the enemy were approaching. All
took the posts that they had before occupied. The enemy approached
as they had expected, in three bodies; each preceded by a
detachment that carried in front of them great faggots, which
served as a protection against the missiles of the besieged. Among
them were men carrying sacks.

"What can they have there?" Philip asked one of the Huguenot
gentlemen.

"I should say it was earth," he replied

"Earth?" Philip repeated, puzzled. "What can they want that for?"

"I should think it is to cover the planks thickly, before they lay
down the faggots; otherwise the planks would burn, and perhaps fall
bodily in the water, before the fire had done its work on the
doors."

"No doubt that is it," Philip agreed. "I did not think of that
before."

As soon as the heads of the columns approached within a hundred
yards, the men with arquebuses opened fire; and those with
crossbows speedily followed suit. Four hundred men with arquebuses
at once ran forward, until within a short distance of the moat; and
opened so heavy a fire, against the defenders of the wall and
house, that these were compelled to stoop down under shelter. Some
of them would have still gone on firing from the windows, but
Philip ordered them to draw back.

"It is of no use throwing away life," he said. "We cannot hope to
prevent them planting their faggots, and firing them."

He himself went up into a small turret, partly overhanging the wall
and, through a loophole, watched the men at work. The contents of
the sacks were emptied out upon the planks, the latter having been
first soaked with water, drawn from the moat by a pail one of the
men carried. The earth was levelled a foot deep, and then a score
of buckets of water emptied over it. Then the faggots were piled
against the door. A torch was applied to them and, as soon as this
was done, the assailants fell back; the defenders plying them with
shot and cross bolts, as soon as they did so.

Philip now