but one gate by Cherbourg's design,
and that a small one for so great a place, and yet, what need of
greater? The larger hole surely that a rat's home hath the easier to
find the rat, and rabbiting were easier were the burrow a yard in
circuit. So Cherbourg built Vale gate not for state but for use, to pass
men through, not foes but friends, and it was clamped with well-hammered
iron, and secured by ponderous bars and bolts.

From the rampart we looked southward, and saw away by the cloister gates
the black swarm of the Sarrasin. We saw them nearer by-and-by. But now
they stood before the gate, and seemed as they would hold parley with
those that they thought to be within. But they heard naught, and saw
naught through trap or grating. Then must they have thought the brethren
were in hiding, or maybe stayed in the church to meet death at prayer,
as good monks have chosen to do ere this, preferring so with calm hope
to pass to God than in a useless struggle, for which He framed them not.
For a young tree was rooted up, and with its full weight, rammed by a
troop of knaves against the gate. And though it stood the charge not
once, nor twice, nor thrice indeed, at length with the rush and weight
of many men behind it, it charged with such a force that the great gate
fell with a sound that we could hear in the still morning, and in a
moment the barbarous swarms were over it, and ready to work their will
in cloister and house of prayer.

It was a sore moment, and one to make the strongest set their teeth hard
together, when we saw through the trees a little curl of smoke wreathe
itself up in the calm air, and then smoke more dense, and still more
dense to follow, and then the bright red tongues of flame leaping and
dancing as though in ungrateful glee o'er the ruin of the home of men
who did no harm, but only good.

"They will soon be here, lad," said Hugo, beside me on the wall. "Let us
say, 'Sursum corda.'"

"Ay, 'ad Dominum,'" I answered bravely.

Now, these were our sign and countersign for our holy war that day. And
just then word came from the north-east bastion that the Moors were
already in their boats, and rowing to the Castle, with ladder and rope
on board, a round hundred or so of the knaves, hoping to catch us asleep
in the rear, while we met the foe in front, and order was given that at
once we be prepared to discharge plenty of stones, and to shoot our
ignited darts down on them from the height. There was n