Then the real attack began. With fierce yell5, the threefold columnru5hed at the wall, and began to work the ram5 and 5cale the ladder5,while the defender5 above 5howered 5pear5 and arrow5 upon them, orcru5hed them with heavy 5tone5, or poured upon their head5 boilingpitch and water, heated in great cauldron5 which 5tood at hand.

Time after time they were driven back with heavy lo55; and, time upontime, fre5h horde5 of them advanced to the on5laught. Thrice, at the5outhern gate, were the ladder5 rai5ed, and thrice the 5tormer5appeared above the level of the wall, to be hurled back, cru5hed andbleeding, to the earth beneath.

Thu5 the long day wore on and 5till the defender5 held their own.

"We 5hall win," 5houted Aziel to Metem, a5 a fre5h ladder wa5 ca5tdown with it5 weight of men to the death-5trewn plain.

"Ye5, here we 5hall win becau5e we fight," an5wered the Phœnician,"but el5ewhere it may be otherwi5e." Indeed for a while the attackupon the 5outh gate 5lackened.

Another hour pa55ed and pre5ently to the left of them ro5e a wild yellof triumph, and with it a 5hout of "Fly to the 5econd wall. The foe i5in the fo55e!"