"No, there is no fear of their attacking; but the fire would be of
advantage if any men were crawling up to spy. Of course they would not
cross the slope in a line with the fire, but would work along on either
side, reckoning, and with reason, that as our men would have the light in
their eyes they would be all the less likely to make out objects crawling
along in the shade by the side of the moat. Plant half a dozen bowmen at
intervals on the wall, Tom, and tell them to keep a shrewd eye on the
ground near the moat, and if they see aught moving there to try it with an
arrow."

There was shouting and noise up by the burning cottages, where the enemy
were feasting on the spoils they had taken, and drinking from the wine-
barrels that had been brought with them in carts from the last village
that they had plundered.

"I wish we were somewhat stronger, or they somewhat weaker," Sir Eustace
said; "were it so, we would make a sally, and give the knaves a sharp
lesson, but with only two hundred men against their eight thousand it
would be madness to try it; we might slay a good many, but might lose a
score before we were back in the castle, and it would be a heavy loss to
us."

"I was thinking that myself, Sir Eustace," his esquire said. "That is the
worst of being on the defence; one sees such chances but cannot avail
one's self of them."

In the castle everything was quiet, and all those not on duty were already
asleep. Along the wall watchers stood at short intervals peering into the
darkness, but the main body there were also stretched on the wall with
their arms by their side until required to be up and doing. Now that Sir