most trusty
men-at-arms he assigned the command of these parties, he himself and
Ralph being thus left free to give their aid where it was most needed.

The assailants were well provided with scaling-ladders, and advanced
with a number of crossbow-men in front, who speedily opened a hot fire
on the walls. Walter ordered his archers to bide their time, and not to
fire a shot till certain that every shaft would tell. They accordingly
waited until the French arrived within fifty yards of the wall, when
the arrows began to rain among them with deadly effect, scarce one but
struck its mark--the face of an enemy. Even the closed vizors of the
knights and chief men-at-arms did not avail to protect their wearers;
the shafts pierced between the bars or penetrated the slits left open
for sight, and many fell slain by the first volley. But their numbers
were far too great to allow the columns being checked by the fire of so
small a number of archers; the front ranks, indeed, pressed forward more
eagerly than before, being anxious to reach the foot of the wall, where
they would be in comparative shelter from the arrows.

The archers disturbed themselves in no way at the reaching of the wall
by the heads of the columns; but continued to shoot fast and true
into the mass behind them, and as these were, for the most part, less
completely armed than their leaders, numbers fell under the fire of
the sixty English bowmen. It was the turn of the men-at-arms now.
Immediately the assailants poured into the dry moat and sought to raise
their ladders the men-at-arms hurled down the masses of stones piled
in readiness, while some poured buckets of boiling water over them. In
spite of the loss they were suffering the French raised their ladders,
and, covering their heads with their shields, the leaders strove to gain
the walls. As they did so, some of the archers took post in the flanking
towers, and as with uplifted arms the assailants climbed the ladders,
the archers smote them above the joints of their armour beneath the
arm-pits, while the men-at-arms with pike and battle-axe hewed down
those who reached the top of the ladders. Walter and Ralph hastened from
point to point encouraging the men and joining in the defence where the
pressure was hottest; and at last, after two hours of vain effort and
suffering great loss, the assailants drew off and the garrison had
breathing time.

"Well done, my men!" Walter said, cheeringly; "they have h