goes on as usual here and in other houses takes people's thoughts
off the dangers of the position, and prevents anything like panic
being felt."

The lads spent the greater part of the day at their lookout, and
could see that the wall against which the Spanish fire was directed
was fast crumbling. Looking down upon it, it seemed deserted of
troops, for it would be needlessly exposing the soldiers to death
to place them there while the cannonade continued; but behind the
wall, and in the street leading to it, companies of English and
Dutch soldiers could be seen seated or lying on the ground.

They were leaning our of the dormer window in the high roof watching
the Spanish soldiers in the batteries working their guns, when,
happening to look round, they saw a crossbow protruded from a window
of the warehouse to their right, and a moment afterwards the sharp
twang of the bow was heard. There was nothing unusual in this; for
although firearms were now generally in use the longbow and the
crossbow had not been entirely abandoned, and there were still
archers in the English army, and many still held that the bow was
a far better weapon than the arquebus, sending its shafts well nigh
as far and with a truer aim.

"If that fellow is noticed," Geoffrey said, "we shall have
the Spanish musketeers sending their balls in this direction. The
governor has, I heard Captain Vere say, forbidden shooting from the
warehouses, because he does not wish to attract the Spanish fire
against them. Of course when the wall yields and the breach has to
be defended the warehouses will be held, and as the windows will
command the breach they will be great aids to us then, and it would