The hour fixed arrived. The gates were thrown open.
Lambert and his men marched in and took possession of the fortress. The
garrison was marshalled before him, and a strict search made among them
for the six men, whom he fully expected to find. They were not there.
The castle was closely searched. They could not be found. He was
compelled to admit that the garrison had told him the truth, and that
the six had indeed escaped.
For this Lambert did not seem in any sense sorry. The men were brave.
Their act had been one allowable in war. He was secretly rather glad
that they had escaped, and treated the others courteously, permitting
them to leave the castle with their effects and seek their homes, as he
had promised. And so ended the taking and retaking of Pontefract Castle.
It was the last stronghold of the king in England, and was not likely to
be used again for that purpose. But to prevent this, Lambert handled it
in such fashion that it was left a vast pile of ruins, unfit to harbor a
garrison. He then drew off his troops, not having discovered the
concealed men in this proceeding. Ten days passed. Then the two flung
down their wall and emerged among the ruins. They found the castle a
place for bats, uninhabited by man, but lost no time in seeking less
suspicious quarters.
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