re from his great guns placed
on all the heights commanding the town, from the effects of which not
only the houses but our forts suffered. In a short time the fort at the
Cob was knocked to pieces by a battery which had been thrown up at Holme
Bush, which also swept the bay, so as to render it dangerous for any
vessel to enter the harbour in the day time. Information was also
received that the Cavaliers were busy throwing up another battery at
Colway Hill, in front of Colway House, and into this battery they were
seen dragging some of their largest ordnance. As it commanded Davies
Fort, which was the key of our defences, the Colonel ordered a large
body of men to strengthen that fort as rapidly as possible. Volunteers
were not lacking, and Lancelot and I were allowed to help. We called
for Dick Harvey on the way, and when the men saw three young gentlemen,
the sons of the three principal persons in the place, labouring away as
hard as any one, it encouraged them to still greater exertions, and in a
few hours a bank twelve feet thick had been thrown up, which it was not
likely the shot from the enemy's guns could penetrate. Colonel Blake
passing while we were thus occupied, patted me on the head.

"Well done, young comrade," he said in a kind tone. "If we had a
garrison of a few hundred boys like you, we might hold the place against
all assailants, without the help of more veteran troops."

The earthworks had been completed, and Lancelot and I were standing on
the top, surveying with no little pride the portion we had assisted in
throwing up, when I saw a puff of smoke issue from Colway Hill, followed
by a thundering report, and a round shot plunged into the bank close
beneath our feet.

"Come down, youngsters!" shouted my father, who had just before entered
the fort. "More of those iron balls will be coming in this direction.
You must not run the risk of losing your lives when you cannot advance
our good cause." We unwillingly obeyed, but we had not gone far before
a succession of reports showed that the enemy had already got several
guns into position, and had not the fort been strengthened, it would
soon have been rendered untenable. Numerous successive attacks were
made, but were repulsed as the first had been.

Poor little Audrey and Cicely were in a great state of alarm while the
firing continued, naturally fearing that the whole town would soon be
battered down.

At length, however, the Royalists d