saint george for england-第26节

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s；　and　a　month　after　Vannes　was　taken　they　suddenly　appeared　before　the　town　with　an　army　of　12；000　men；　commanded　by　Beaumanoir；　marshal　of　Bretagne　for　Charles　of　Blois。　The　same　reasons　which　had　induced　the　Earl　of　Northampton　to　decide　upon　a　speedy　assault　instead　of　the　slow　process　of　breaching　the　walls；　actuated　the　French　in　pursuing　the　same　course；　and；　divided　into　a　number　of　storming　parties；　the　army　advanced　at　once　to　the　assault　on　the　walls。　The　little　garrison　prepared　for　the　defence。

〃The　outlook　is　bad；　Walter；〃　Sir　John　Powis　said。　　〃These　men　approach　with　an　air　of　resolution　which　shows　that　they　are　bent　upon　success。　They　outnumber　us　by　twelve　to　one；　and　it　is　likely　enough　that　the　citizens　may　rise　and　attack　us　in　the　rear。　They　have　been　ordered　to　bring　the　stones　for　the　machines　to　the　walls；　but　no　one　has　laid　his　hand　to　the　work。　We　must　do　our　duty　as　brave　men；　my　lad；　but　I　doubt　me　if　yonder　is　not　the　last　sun　which　we　shall　see。　Furious　as　the　French　are　at　our　recent　success　here　you　may　be　sure　that　little　quarter　will　given。〃



CHAPTER　X：　A　PLACE　OF　REFUGE



The　French；　excited　to　the　utmost　by　the　exhortations　of　their　commanders；　and　by　their　desire　to　wipe　out　the　disgrace　of　the　easy　capture　of　Vannes　by　the　English；　advanced　with　ardour　to　the　assault；　and　officers　and　men　vied　with　each　other　in　the　valour　which　they　displayed。　In　vain　did　the　garrison　shower　arrows　and　cross…bow　bolts　among　them；　and　pour　down　burning　oil　and　quicklime　upon　them　as　they　thronged　at　the　foot　of　the　wall。　In　vain　were　the　ladders；　time　after　time；　hurled　back　loaded　with　men　upon　the　mass　below。　The　efforts　of　the　men…at…arms　to　scale　the　defences　were　seconded　by　their　archers　and　crossbow…men；　who　shot　such　a　storm　of　bolts　that　great　numbers　of　the　defenders　were　killed。　The　assault　was　made　at　a　score　of　different　points；　and　the　garrison　was　too　weak　to　defend　all　with　success。　Sir　John　Powis　and　his　party　repulsed　over　and　over　again　the　efforts　of　the　assailants　against　that　part　of　the　wall　entrusted　to　them；　but　at　other　points　the　French　gained　a　footing；　and　swarming　up　rushed　along　the　walls；　slaying　all　whom　they　encountered。

〃All　is　lost；〃　Sir　John　exclaimed；　〃let　us　fall　back　to　the　castle　and　die　fighting　there。〃

Descending　from　the　wall　the　party　made　their　way　through　the　streets。　The　French　were　already　in　the　town；　every　house　was　closed　and　barred；　and　from　the　upper　windows　the　burghers　hurled　down　stones　and　bricks　upon　the　fugitives；　while　parties　of　the　French　soldiers　fell　upon　them　fiercely。　Many　threw　down　their　arms　and　cried　for　quarter；　but　were　instantly　slain。



For　a　while　the　streets　were　a　scene　of　wild　confusion；　here　and　there　little　knots　of　Englishmen　stood　together　and　defended　themselves　until　the　last；　others　ran　through　the　streets　chased　by　their　exulting　foes；　some　tried　in　vain　to　gain　shelter　in　the　houses。　Sir　John　Powis's　band　was　soon　broken　and　scattered；　and　their　leader　slain　by　a　heavy　stone　from　a　housetop。　Walter　fought　his　way　blindly　forward　towards　the　castle　although　he　well　knew　that　no　refuge　would　be　found　there。　Ralph　Smith　kept　close　beside　him；　levelling　many　of　his　assailants　with　the　tremendous　blows　of　a　huge　mace。　Somehow；　Walter　hardly　knew　how；　they　made　their　way　through　their　assailants　and　dashed　in　at　the　castle　gate。　　A　crowd　of　their　assailants　were　close　upon　their　heels。　　Walter　glanced　round；　dashing　across　the　courtyard　he　ran　through　some　passages　into　an　inner　yard；　in　which；　as　he　knew；　was　the　well。　The　bucket　hung　at　the　windlass。

〃Catch　hold；　Ralph！〃　he　exclaimed；　〃there　is　just　a　chance；　and　we　may　as　well　be　drowned　as　killed。〃　They　grasped　the　rope　and　jumped　off。　The　bucket　began　to　descend　with　frightful　velocity。　Faster　and　faster　it　went　and　yet　it　seemed　a　long　time　before　they　plunged　into　the　water；　which　was　nigh　a　hundred　feet　below　the　surface。　Fortunately　the　rope　was　considerably　longer　than　was　necessary；　and　they　sank　many　feet　into　the　water；　still　retaining　their　hold。　　Then　clinging　to　the　rope　they　hauled　themselves　to　the　surface。

〃We　cannot　hold　on　here　five　minutes；〃　Ralph　exclaimed；　〃my　armour　is　dragging　me　down。〃

〃We　will　soon　get　rid　of　that；〃　Walter　said。

〃There　go　our　helmets；　now　I　will　hold　on　with　one　hand　and　help　you　to　unbuckle　your　breast　and　back　pieces；　you　do　the　same　for　me。〃

With　great　efforts　they　managed　to　rid　themselves　of　their　armour；　and　then　held　on　with　ease　to　the　rope。　They　hauled　the　bucket　to　the　surface　and　tied　a　knot　in　the　slack　of　the　rope；　so　that　the　bucket　hung　four　feet　below　the　level　of　the　water。　Putting　their　feet　in　this；　they　were　able　to　stand　with　their　heads　above　the　surface　without　difficulty。

〃This　is　a　nice　fix；〃　Ralph　exclaimed。　〃I　think　it　would　have　been　just　as　well　to　have　been　killed　at　once。　They　are　sure　to　find　us　here；　and　if　they　don't　we　shall　die　of　cold　before　tomorrow　morning。〃

〃I　don't　think　they　will　find　us；〃　Walter　said　cheerfully。　　〃When　they　have　searched　the　castle　thoroughly　it　may　occur　to　some　of　them　that　we　have　jumped　down　the　well；　but　it　will　be　no　particular　business　of　anyone　to　look　for　us；　and　they　will　all　be　too　anxious　to　get　at　the　wine　butts　to　trouble　their　heads　about　the　matter；　besides；　it　must　be　a　heavy　job　to　wind　up　this　bucket；　and　it　is　not　likely　there　will　be　such　urgent　need　of　water　that　anyone　will　undertake　the　task。〃

〃But　we　are　no　better　off　if　they　don't；〃　Ralph　remarked；　〃for　we　must　die　here　if　we　are　not　hauled　out。　I　suppose　you　don't　intend　to　try　and　climb　that　rope。　　I　might　do　twenty　feet　or　so　on　a　pinch；　but　I　could　no　more　get　up　to　the　top　there　than　I　could　fly。〃

〃We　must　think　it　over；〃　Walter　rejoined；　〃where　there　is　a　will　there　is　a　way；　you　know。　We　will　take　it　by　turns　to　watch　that　little　patch　of　light　overhead；　if　we　see　anyone　looking　down　we　must　leave　the　bucket　and　swim　to　the　side　without　making　the　least　noise。　They　may　give　a　few　turns　of　the　windlass　to　see　if　anyone　has　hold　of　the　rope　below；　be　sure　you　do　not　make　the　slightest　splashing　or　noise；　for　the　sound　would　be　heard　above　to　a　certainty。〃

Ten　minutes　later　they　saw　two　heads　appear　above；　and　instantly　withdrew　their　feet　from　the　bucket　and　made　a　stroke　to　the　side；　which　was　but　four　feet　distant；　being　careful　as　they　did　that　no　motion　was　imparted　to　the　rope。　　Then　though　it　was　too　dark　to　see　anything；　they　heard　the　bucket　lifted　from　the　water。　A　minute　later　it　fell　back　again　with　a　splash；　then　all　was　quiet。

〃We　are　safe　now；　and　can　take　our　place　in　the　bucket。　　They　are　satisfied　that　if　we　did　jump　down　here　we　are　drowned。　And　now　we　must　think　about　climbing　up。〃

〃Aye；　that　will　require　a　good　deal　of　thinking；〃　Ralph　grumbled。

For　some　time　there　was　silence；　then　Walter　said；　〃The　first　thing　to　do　is　to　cut　off　the　slack　of　the　rope；　there　are　some　twelve　feet　of　it。　Then　we　will　unwind　the　strands　of　that。　There　are　five　or　six　large　strands　as　far　as　I　can　feel；　we　will　cut　them　up　into　lengths　of　about　a　couple　of　feet　and　we　ought　to　be　able　to　tie　these　to　the　rope　in　such　a　way　as　not　to　slip　down　with　our　weight。　If　we　tie　them　four　feet　apart　we　can　go　up　step　by　step；　I　don't　see　much　difficulty　about　that。〃

〃No；〃　Ralph　said　much　more　cheerfully；　〃I　should　think　that　we　could　manage　that。〃

They　at　once　set　to　work。　The　rope　was　cut　up　and　unravelled；　and　the　strands　cut　into　pieces　about　two　feet　long。　They　then　both　set　to　work　trying　to　discover　some　way　of　fastening　it　by　which　it　would　not　slip　down　the　rope。　　They　made　many　fruitless　attempts；　each　time　that　a　strand　was　fastened　with　a　loop　large　enough　for　them　to　pass　a　leg　through；　it　slid　down　the　rope　when　their　weight　was　applied　to　it。　At　last　they　succeeded　in　finding　out　a　knot　which　would　hold。　This　was　done　by　tying　a　knot　close　to　one　end　of　a　piece　of　the　strand；　then　sufficient　was　left　to　form　the　loop；　and　the　remainder　was　wound　round　the　rope　in　such　a　way　that　the　weight　only　served　to　tighten　its　hold。

〃Shall　we　begin　at　once？〃　Ralph　said；　when　success　was　achieved。

〃No；　we　had　better　wait　until　nightfall。　The　vibration　of　the　rope　when　our　weight　once　gets　on　it　might　be　noticed　by　anyone　crossing　the　courtyard。〃

〃Do　you　think　we　have　sufficient　bits　of　rope；〃　Ralph　asked。

〃Just　enough；　I　think；〃　Walter　replied；　〃there　were　six　strands；　and　each　has　made　six　pieces；　so　we　have　thirty…six。　　I　know　the　well　is　about　a　hundred　feet　deep；　for　the　other　day　I　heard　some　of　the　soldiers　who　were　drawing　water　grumbling　over　the　labour　required。　So　if　we　put　them　three　feet　apart　it　will　take　thirty…three　of　them；　which　will　leave　three　over；　but　we　had　better　place　them　a　little　over　a　yard　so　as　to　make　sure。〃

In　a　short　time　the　fading　brightness　of　the　circle　of　light　far　overhead　told　them　that　twilight　had　commenced；　and　shortly　afterwards　they　attached　the　first　strand　to　the　rope　some　three　feet　above　the　water。

〃Now；〃　Walter　said；　〃I　will　go　first；　at　any　rate　for　a　time。　　I　must　put　one　leg　through　the　loop；　and　sit；　as　it　were；　while　I　fasten　the　one　above；　as　I　shall　want　both　hands　f