All at once two of the knights were hurled from the wall; one seemed to be caught by his men, the other came heavily to the ground.  While they were fighting their immediate antagonists, others within the wall had come with lances; and literally thrust them from the parapet.  The other two still fought back to back for a moment; then, finding themselves overwhelmed, they sprang down among their friends.

The minute the two first fell, the grooms with the horses ran towards the wall, and despite the rain of arrows, darts, and stones from the parapet, Felix saw with relief three of the four knights placed on their chargers.  One only could sit upright unassisted, two were supported in their saddles, and the fourth was carried by his retainers.  Thus they retreated, and apparently without further hurt, for the enemy on the wall crowded so much together as to interfere with the aim of their darts, which, too, soon fell short.  But there was a dark heap beneath the wall, where ten or twelve retainers and slaves, who wore no armour, had been slain or disabled.  Upon these the loss invariably fell.

None attempted to follow the retreating party, who slowly returned towards the camp, and were soon apparently in safety.  But suddenly a fresh party of the enemy appeared upon the wall, and the instant afterwards three retainers dropped, as if struck by lightning.  They had been hit by sling stones, whirled with great force by practised slingers.  These rounded pebbles come with such impetus as to stun a man at two hundred yards.  The aim, it is true, is uncertain, but where there is a body of troops they are sure to strike some one.  Hastening on, leaving the three fallen men where they lay, the rest in two minutes were out of range, and came safely into camp.  Everyone, as they crossed the stream, ran to meet them, the king included, and as he passed in the throng, Felix heard him remark that they had had a capital main of cocks that morning.

Of the knights only one was much injured; he had fallen upon a stone, and two ribs were broken; the rest suffered from severe bruises, but had no wound.  Six men-at-arms were missing, probably prisoners, for, as courageous as their masters, they had leapt down from the wall into the town.  Eleven other retainers or slaves were slain, or had deserted, or were prisoners, and no trouble was taken about them.  As for the three who were knocked over by the sling stones, there they lay until they recovered their senses, when they crawled into camp.  This incident cooled Felix’s ardour for the fray, for he reflected that, if injured thus, he too, as a mere groom, would be left.  The devotion of the retainers to save and succour their masters was almost heroic.  The mailed knights thought no more of their men, unless it was some particular favourite, than of a hound slashed by a boar’s tusk in the chase.