The Imperialists, seeing the movement up the steep
road to the castle gate, opened fire with their arquebuses, but
the defenders of the wall replied so hotly that they were forced
to retire out of range. The cannon played steadily all day, and by
nightfall two breaches had been effected in the wall and the gate
had been battered down.
But by this time an ample store of provisions had been collected
in the castle and as the Imperialists were seen to form up for the
assault the trumpet was sounded, and at the signal the whole of
the defenders of the walls left their posts and fell back to the
castle, leaving the deserted town at the mercy of the enemy. The
Imperialists raised a shout of triumph as they entered the breaches
and found them undefended, and when once assured that the town was
deserted they broke their ranks and scattered to plunder.
It was now quite dark, and many of them dragging articles of furniture
into the streets made great bonfires to light them at their work
of plunder. But they had soon reason to repent having done so, for
immediately the flames sprang up and lighted the streets, flashes
ran round the battlements of the castle, and a heavy fire was
opened into the streets, killing many of the soldiers. Seeing the
danger of thus exposing the men to the fire from the castle, the
Imperialist commander issued orders at once that all fires should
be extinguished, that anyone setting fire to a house should be
instantly hung, and that no lights were to be lit in the houses
whose windows faced the castle.
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