batteries were now raised on
the bank of the river, and a heavy fire was poured, without intermission,
upon the Irish on their side of the broken arch.

Both parties had erected a breastwork on the bridge, at their respective
sides of the breach, and from behind this, day and night, a continued
musketry fire was kept up, the grenadiers of the English army throwing
grenades into the enemy's works. After some days, the breastwork on the
Irish side was set on fire by the continued assault of shot and grenades.
The wattles of which it was composed, dried by the hot weather, were soon
in a blaze, and, under cover of the flames and smoke, the English ran
forward the great beams they had prepared in readiness, and threw them
across the gap in the bridge.

The fire from all the batteries on the English side was directed against
the burning breastwork, while the grenadiers hastened to lay planks
across the beams to complete the bridge. The work was well-nigh done when
an Irish sergeant and ten men, all clad in armour, leaped through the
flames of the breastwork, and began to hew with their axes at the beams
and planks.

For a moment, the British were paralysed at the daring action. Then the
batteries and musketry fire again opened, a storm of shot and bullets
swept across the bridge, and the whole of the gallant fellows fell dead;
but in a moment another party, similarly armed, dashed through the flames
and took their places.

Regardless of the fire they whirled their axes. Nine fell, but the last
two gave the final stroke to the beams. The bridge fell with a crash into
the river below, and the two survivors recrossed the breastwork and
joined their friends within, amid the wild enthusiasm of the defenders;
an enthusiasm in which even the baffled assailants joined, for the
British grenadiers gave a cheer, in token of their admiration at the
gallantry and devotion of the deed.

In all history, there is no record of a more gallant action than this,
performed by two sergeants and twenty men, who thus encountered almost
certain death to maintain their post. The destruction of the temporary
bridge filled Ginckle and his officers with consternation, and the manner
in which their design had been baffled showed the spirit of the
defenders, and the magnitude of the task which they had undertaken.

But it was resolved, at another council which was called, to attempt one
more effort before abandoning the enterprise. A finished platf