o sign yet of the
foe in front, so we went to the seaward wall, whither the boats drew
near. Now, Hugo himself sent forth the first stones, but the boats were
yet too far, and the balls but struck the waves, and made them spurt up
fountains of foam.

Yet the rogues seemed surprised and scared at our being so ready with
defence, and they stayed a moment ere they came within range of our
armoury. Then at a signal of command they all rowed straight forward.
They hoped out of so many some would get through. See! A very hail of
stones and rocky fragments, and a very shower of fiery arrows, each one
a deadly comet as it falls! They descend on the swift-rowed boats. They
fall as they will without mercy on man or thwart. The devils shriek out
and drop their oars, and writhe horribly when they are hit. And some
with bold hands sweep them out of their craft.

In one boat some three fire-darts fell, and while the rogues struggled
among themselves to escape burning, a worse thing happened, for the dry
wood within sprang into flame, and no dowsing of the water could put the
fire out, till the waves rushed in and swamped her in a moment, and the
crew of some ten souls were struggling in the water. None of the rest
essayed to save them; they were already overburdened, and had their own
work to escape damage.

I know not whether they retired, or whether, landing hard by, they
swelled the main attack, which as I write had already begun. For Hugo
had left me to speed the manage of the balls, and when he called me
again I saw a new sight in front of the great southwestern bastion.

The Moors were gathered in force indeed, and an evil crew, evil
equipped, and in evil order they were. Each within a little his own
general as we first viewed them, each his own envoy to shoot forth to us
on the walls foul and blasphemous words, that shamed us to hear: "Come
forth, ye foul rats of the cloister; come and be spitted here on the
ground." "Spear or fire, greasy monks, which choose ye, or a spit to
roast your fat carcases by the flame." "Good Michael, send us, prithee,
thine envoy hither; see us deck him with fair traps for thine
entertainment"

In such wise they ranted and railed before us, but naught was said in
answer, nor, as they doubtless hoped, did they draw us to think of
leaving our fastness for the open. No word was spoken. No arrow was
shot. Nor was a ball thrown yet.

But the number of the villains! Stretching back across the comm