The Boy who sailed with Blake | Page 7

reach.
A loud shout rose all along our line, in which we in the tower joined
right heartily, but our troops were too wearied with the ceaseless
exertions they had made during the whole of the afternoon to pursue
the fugitives; indeed, it would have been the very thing the Prince
would have desired, as he would have been down upon them with his
cavalry, and although they might have retreated to the lines, many a
valuable life would have been sacrificed, and no advantage gained.
Colonel Blake therefore contented himself with the brilliant success he
had achieved. He had shown those haughty Cavaliers that the garrison
of Lyme was not to be so easily overcome as they had thought, and had
taught them what they were to expect should they again venture to
assail us.
Such was the termination of the first day of the siege. Descending from
our tower with the satisfaction of having faithfully fulfilled our promise,
we went down the lines to view more nearly the battle-field. The whole
ground was strewed near and far off with the bodies of men and horses.
Parties were at once sent out to bring in any who might be still living,
and to bury the dead while the rays of the setting sun gleamed on the
white tents of the Royalist camp, which could be seen in the distance.
Few doubted that another day would see a fresh attack made on our
entrenchments, but some were sanguine enough to believe that the
Prince, after the lesson he had received, would retire. I asked my father
what he thought. He answered--

"The Royalists will not go away without further attempts to reduce the
town, for they know too well that if they do they will leave a vigilant
enemy in their rear, under whose standard thousands of honest Puritans
will gladly gather to destroy the enemies of our country's freedom."
The next morning it was seen that the Cavaliers were busy erecting
batteries and throwing up earthworks on all the neighbouring heights,
so that they might command our forts and batter down our houses.
Notwithstanding the preparations made for the destruction of the town,
Colonel Blake urged the garrison to resist to the bitter end, assuring
them that ere that should come Parliament would send them relief.
I cannot attempt to give a detailed account of the siege. Soon after his
first repulse, Prince Maurice opened fire from his great guns placed on
all the heights commanding the town, from the effects of which not
only the houses but our forts suffered. In a short time the fort at the Cob
was knocked to pieces by a battery which had been thrown up at Holme
Bush, which also swept the bay, so as to render it dangerous for any
vessel to enter the harbour in the day time. Information was also
received that the Cavaliers were busy throwing up another battery at
Colway Hill, in front of Colway House, and into this battery they were
seen dragging some of their largest ordnance. As it commanded Davies
Fort, which was the key of our defences, the Colonel ordered a large
body of men to strengthen that fort as rapidly as possible. Volunteers
were not lacking, and Lancelot and I were allowed to help. We called
for Dick Harvey on the way, and when the men saw three young
gentlemen, the sons of the three principal persons in the place,
labouring away as hard as any one, it encouraged them to still greater
exertions, and in a few hours a bank twelve feet thick had been thrown
up, which it was not likely the shot from the enemy's guns could
penetrate. Colonel Blake passing while we were thus occupied, patted
me on the head.
"Well done, young comrade," he said in a kind tone. "If we had a
garrison of a few hundred boys like you, we might hold the place
against all assailants, without the help of more veteran troops."

The earthworks had been completed, and Lancelot and I were standing
on the top, surveying with no little pride the portion we had assisted in
throwing up, when I saw a puff of smoke issue from Colway Hill,
followed by a thundering report, and a round shot plunged into the
bank close beneath our feet.
"Come down, youngsters!" shouted my father, who had just before
entered the fort. "More of those iron balls will be coming in this
direction. You must not run the risk of losing your lives when you
cannot advance our good cause." We unwillingly obeyed, but we had
not gone far before a succession of reports showed that the enemy had
already got several guns into position, and had not the fort been
strengthened, it would soon have been