No wonder that the clash and din was something deafening, that the
boom of the great cannon ceased not; smoke and fire seemed to
envelop the walls of the towers; the air was darkened by clouds of
arrows; great stones came crashing into our midst. Men fell on
every side; we had much ado to press on without treading under foot
the dead and dying; but the white pennon fluttered before us, and
foot by foot we crept up towards the base of the tower.
Victory! Victory! was the cry of our hearts. We were close to the
walls now--the Maid had seized a ladder, and with her own hands was
setting it in position, when--O woe! woe!--a great cloth-yard shaft
from an English bow, tipped with iron and winged with an eagle's
plume, struck upon that white armour with such crashing force that
a rent was made in its shining surface, and the Maid was borne to
the ground.
Oh, the terrible fear of that moment! The yell of triumph and joy
which arose from the walls of the fortress seemed to turn my blood
into liquid fire.
The English had seen the fall of our champion.
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