on. They'd all got some
one to tumble on, except the bottom one, and I don't suppose he's much
hurt."

"Hurt, man? He must be killed."

"Tchah! not he, sir. T'others would be too soft. Look, sir; don't lose
none of it. You may never have such a chance again. Yes; there,
they've got the ladder up once more, and some's holding it while the
others goes up. Yes. Huzza! they'll do it now. No. If they haven't
overturned it again."

"Yes," said Fred, sadly, and yet unable to help feeling pleased, so
thoroughly were his sympathies on both sides. "They're giving it up,
Samson; they're retiring."

"No, sir; only carrying some of the hurt ones out of the fight. There
goes another ladder up--two. Hah! look at that!"

Fred's eyes were already riveted on the fresh scene, for, plainly seen
even at that distance, the strong oaken-boarding screen nailed over the
window at the end of the terrace on the ground floor was suddenly thrown
down, and with a shout which was faintly heard on the hill, a party of
about five and twenty Cavaliers rushed out, sword in hand, taking the
attacking party in the flank with such vigour that they gave way, the
two scaling-ladders were overturned, and for the moment the Puritans
took to flight, and the attack seemed to have failed.

"Beaten, Samson," said Fred, unable to crush down a feeling of
satisfaction, even at the reverse of his own party.

"Beaten, sir? Not they. Only driven back. It's just like the waves
down by the cave, yonder; they come back again stronger than ever. Told
you so, sir. Look at that."

Samson Dee was right, for a solitary figure had suddenly stepped forward
from the second rank, rallied the beaten men, and advanced with them
slowly and steadily. There was a desperate _melee_, as the Cavaliers,
reinforced by more from within, tried to complete their rout, and then,
as it seemed to the excited watchers, the Royalists were driven back
step by step, by sheer force of numbers. Then in the midst of a
seething confusion, all swayed here and there along the terrace, and on
and on, till the barricaded windows and porch were reached, and then, as
they were checked by the stubborn walls as water is stopped by a pier,
they struggled fighting ever sidewise, a stream of mingled men along the
front of the house and over the broken-down boarding, till the tide of
confusion set right through the open window into the Hall.

At first this human current was a mingling of