en alarm, and had joined the fray in such haste that
many of them had not had time to put on their steel caps. There was
noise and bustle in the enemy's camp, for the whole force were now under
arms, and in their anger at the sudden blow which had been struck them
some bodies of men even moved forward towards the walls as if they
intended to renew the assault of the previous day; but the showers
of arrows with which they were greeted cooled their ardour and they
presently retired out of reach of bowshot. There was a respite now for
the besiegers. No longer every few minutes did a heavy stone strike the
walls.

The morning's light enabled the defenders of the castle to see the
extent of the damage which the battering machine had effected. None
too soon had they put a stop to its work, for had it continued its
operations another hour or two would have effected a breach.

Already large portions of the wall facing it had fallen, and other
portions were so seriously damaged that a few more blows would have
levelled them.

"At any rate," Walter said to Ralph, "we have gained a respite; but even
now I fear that if the Black Prince comes not until tomorrow he will
arrive too late."

The French, apparently as well aware as the garrison of the necessity
for haste, laboured at the repair of the machine. Bodies of men started
to cut down trees to supply the place of the beams which had been
rendered useless. Scarcely had the assault ceased when horsemen were
despatched in various directions to seek for fresh ropes, and by dint of
the greatest exertions the machine was placed in position to renew its
attack shortly after noon.

By two o'clock several large portions of the damaged wall had fallen,
and the debris formed a slope by which an assaulting column could rush
to the bridge. As soon as this was manifest the French force formed for
the assault and rushed forward in solid column.

Walter had made the best preparation possible for the defence. In the
courtyard behind the breach his men had since morning been driving a
circle of piles, connected by planks fastened to them. These were some
five feet high, and along the top and in the face next to the breach
sharp-pointed spikes and nails had been driven, rendering it difficult
in the extreme for anyone to climb over. As the column of the assailants
approached Walter placed his archers on the walls on either side of the
breach, while he himself, with his men-at-arms, took