The wall crumbled rapidly beneath the blows of the great stones, and Walter saw that by the following morning a breach would be effected.When night fell he called his men together and asked if any would volunteer to carry news through the enemy to the prince.The enterprise seemed well-nigh hopeless, for the French, as if foreseeing that such an attempt might be made, had encamped in a complete circle round the castle, as was manifest by the position of their fires.Several men stepped forward, and Walter chose three light and active men - archers - to attempt the enterprise.
These stripped off their steel caps and breastpieces, so that they might move more quickly, and when the French fires burned low and all was quiet save the creak of the machine and the dull heavy blows of the stones against the wall, the three men were lowered by ropes at different points, and started on their enterprise.A quarter of an hour later the garrison heard shouts and cries, and knew that a vigilant watch had been set by the French, and that one, if not all, of their friends had fallen into their hands.All night long the machine continued to play.
An hour before daylight, when he deemed that the enemy's vigilance would be relaxed, Walter caused himself with Ralph and twelve of his men-at-arms to be lowered by ropes from the wall.Each rope had a loop at the bottom in which one foot was placed, and knots were tied in order to give a better grasp for the hands.They were lowered at a short distance from the spot at which the machine was at work; all were armed with axes, and they made their way unperceived until within a few yards of the wagon.Then there was a cry of alarm, and in a moment they rushed forward among the enemy.The men working the machine were instantly cut down, and Walter and his party fell upon the machine, cutting the ropes and smashing the wheels and pulleys and hewing away at the timber itself.In a minute or two, however, they were attacked by the enemy, the officer in command having bade a hundred men lie down to sleep close behind the machine in case the garrison should attempt a sortie.Walter called upon Ralph and four of the men-at-arms to stand beside him while the others continued their work of destruction.The French came up in a tumultuous body, but, standing so far apart that they could wield their axes, the English dealt such destruction among their first assailants that these for a time recoiled.As fresh numbers came up, encouraged by their leader they renewed the attack, and in spite of the most tremendous efforts Walter and his party were driven back.
By this time, however, so much damage had been done to the machine that it would be some hours before it could be repaired, even if spare ropes and other appliances had been brought with it from Amiens; so that, reinforced by the working party, Walter was again able to hold his ground and after repulsing a fresh onslaught of the enemy he gave the word for his men to retire at full speed.
The French were so surprised by the sudden disappearance of their foes that it was a moment or two before they started in pursuit, and Walter and his men had gained some thirty yards before the pursuit really commenced.
The night was a dark one, and they considerably increased this advantage before they reach the foot of the wall, where the ropes were hanging.
"Has each of you found his rope?" Walter asked.
As soon as an affirmative answer was given he placed his foot in the loop and shouted to the men above to draw up, and before the enraged enemy could reach the spot the whole party were already some yards above their heads.
The archers opened fire upon the French, doing, in spite of the darkness, considerable execution, for the men had snatched up their arms at the sudden 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.
