“I have seldom heard pleasanter news,” Caretto said; “for just as I fell asleep I was wondering how we were to rid ourselves of the corpses6 of the infidels. By tomorrow the place would have become unbearable7; and though, living, the Turks could not turn us out of the tower, they would when dead speedily have rid the place of us.”
In half an hour a number of Moslem8 vessels9 were seen approaching. Caretto did not wish the Turks to imagine that he doubted their good faith, and while directing the main body of knights to remain in concealment11 near the breach12, he placed two on sentry13 duty on the crest14 of the ruins, and, with four other knights and Gervaise, went down in complete armour15 to salute16 the officer in command of the burying party, as he landed from the boats. The ships anchored a short distance out, and a number of boats rowed from them to the shore. As the Turkish officer landed, Caretto saluted17 him, and said in Arabic,
“I give you courteous18 greeting, Sir. When the cannon19 cease to sound and swords are sheathed20, there is no longer animosity between brave men; and no braver than those whose bodies lie stretched there, breathed the air of heaven. If, sir, I and the knights with me do not uncover our heads, it is from no want of respect for the dead, but solely21 because we dare not stand bareheaded under the fierce rays of the sun.”
The Turk answered with equal courtesy, complimenting the knights on their defence.
“Had I not seen it with my own eyes,” he said, “I should have deemed it altogether impossible that so small a number of men could thus for hours have withstood the attacks of some of the best of the sultan's troops. Tales have come down to us from our fathers of the marvellous prowess of the knights of your Order, and how at Smyrna, at Acre, and elsewhere, they performed such feats22 of valour that their name is still used by Turkish mothers as a bugbear to frighten their children. But the stories have always seemed to me incredible; now I perceive they were true, and that the present members of the Order in no way fall short of the valour of their predecessors24.”
The knights remained with the Turkish commander and some of his officers while the work of collecting and carrying away the dead was performed, the conversation on their side being supported by Caretto and Gervaise. No less than seven hundred bodies were carried down to the boats, besides a great many wounded by the artillery25 fire. None were, however, found breathing among the great pile of dead at the upper part of the breach, for the axes and double handed swords of the knights had, in most of the cases, cleft26 through turban and skull27.
“This represents but part of our loss,” the Turkish commander said sadly, as the last party came down with their burdens to the boats. “At least as many more must have perished in the sea, either in their endeavours to escape when all was lost, in the destruction of their vessels by fire, by the shot from your batteries, or by being run down by your galleys28. Ah, Sir Knight2, if it had not been for the appearance of your fire ships, methinks the matter might have ended differently.”
“In that I altogether agree with you,” Caretto said. “We were indeed, well nigh spent, and must have soon succumbed29 had it not been that the fire ships arrived to our rescue. You have a fair right to claim that the victory would have remained in your hands, had not those craft gone out and snatched it from you.”
Then, with salutes31 on both sides, the Turks took their places in the boats, and the knights returned to the fort. As soon as darkness came on, a large body of slaves were marched down from the town, and, under the direction of the knights, laboured all night at the mound32, removing great quantities of the fallen stones and rubbish in a line halfway33 up it, and piling them above so as to form a scarp across the mound that would need ladders to ascend34. Another party worked at the top of the mound, and there built up a wall eight feet high. The work was completed by daylight, and the knights felt that they were now in a position to resist another attack, should Paleologus again send his troops to the assault.
The night had passed quietly. There was a sound of stir and movement in the Turkish battery, but nothing that would excite the suspicion of a large body of troops being in motion. When it became light it was seen that the Turkish ships had sailed away to their previous anchorage on the other side of the Island, and although at considerable intervals35 the great cannon hurled36 their missiles against the fort, it was evident that, for the time at least, the attack was not to be pressed at that point. A fresh body of slaves, however, came down from the town to relieve those who had been all night at work, and the repair of the defences was continued, and with greater neatness and method than had been possible in the darkness.
At eight o'clock the bells of St. John's Church gave notice that a solemn service of thanksgiving for the repulse37 of the enemy was about to be held. Notice had been sent down early to the tower; and all the knights who could be spared, without too greatly weakening the garrison, went up to attend it; the service was conducted with all the pomp and ceremony possible, and after it was over a great procession was formed to proceed to the shrine38, where a picture of the Virgin39 held in special reverence40 by the Order was placed.
As it wound through the streets in splendid array, the grand master and officials in all their robes of state, the knights in full armour and the mantles42 of the Order, while the inhabitants in gala costume lined the streets, windows, and housetops, the ladies waving scarves and scattering43 flowers down on the knights, the roar of great cannon on the south side of the city showed that the Turks had commenced the attack in another quarter. Without pausing, the procession continued its way, and it was not until the service in the chapel44 had been concluded that any steps were taken to ascertain45 the direction of the attack. As soon as it was over, the knights hastened to the walls. During the night the Turks had transported their great basilisks, with other large pieces of artillery, from the camp to the rising ground on the south side of the city, and had opened fire against the wall covering the Jews' quarter, and at the same time against the tower of St. Mary on the one hand and the Italian tower on the other.
From other commanding spots huge mortars47 were hurling48 great fragments of rock and other missiles broadcast into the town. The portion of the wall selected for the attack showed that the Turks had been well informed by their spies of the weak points of the defence. The wall behind which the Jews' quarter lay, was, to all appearance, of thick and solid masonry49; but this was really of great age, having formed part of the original defences of the town, before the Order had established itself there. The masonry, therefore, was ill fitted to resist the huge balls hurled against it by the basilisks. The langue of Provence was in charge of this part of the wall, and, leaving them for the present to bear the brunt of the storm, the grand master sent the knights who could be spared, to assist the inhabitants to erect50 shelters against the storm of missiles falling in the town.
Sheds with sharply sloping roofs, constructed of solid timber, were built against the inner side of the walls, and beneath these numbers of the inhabitants found refuge. The work was performed with great celerity by the inhabitants, aided by the gangs of slaves, and in two or three days the townspeople were all in shelter, either in these sheds, in the vaults51 of the churches, or in other strongly constructed buildings.
Among the missiles hurled into the town were balls filled with Greek fire, but the houses being entirely52 built of stone, no conflagrations53 of importance were caused by them, as a band of knights was organised specially54 to watch for these bombs, and whenever one of them was seen to fall, they hurried from their lookout55 to the spot, with a gang of slaves carrying baskets of earth and buckets of water, and quenched56 the flames before they had made any great headway.
The roar of the bombardment was almost continuous, and was heard at islands distant from Rhodes, telling the inhabitants how the battle between the Christians58 and the Moslems was raging.
It was not long before the wall in the front of the Jews' quarter began to crumble59, and it was soon evident that it must, ere many days, succumb30 to the storm of missiles hurled against it. D'Aubusson lost no time in making preparations to avert60 the danger. He ordered all the houses in rear of the wall to be levelled; a deep semicircular ditch was then dug, and behind this a new wall, constructed of the stones and bricks from the houses destroyed, was built, and backed with an earthen rampart of great thickness and solidity.
The work was carried on with extraordinary rapidity. The grand master himself set the example, and, throwing aside his robes and armour, laboured with pick and shovel61 like the commonest labourer. This excited the people to the highest pitch of enthusiasm, and all classes threw themselves into the task. Knights and slaves, men, women, and children, and even the inmates62 of the convents and nunneries, aided in the work, and when at last the outer wall fell, and the Turks thought that success was at hand, the pasha saw with astonishment63 and dismay that entry to the city was still barred by a work as formidable as that which he had destroyed at an enormous expenditure64 of ammunition65. There was now a short breathing time for the besieged66; but the depression which the failure of their efforts excited among the Turks, was shortly dispelled67 by the arrival of a ship, with a despatch68 from Constantinople, in which the pasha was informed that the sultan himself was about to proceed to Rhodes with a reinforcement of a hundred thousand men, and a fresh park of artillery.
Paleologus had some doubts as to whether the report was true or was merely intended to stimulate69 him to new efforts for the speedy capture of the place. Knowing well that the grand master was the heart and soul of the defence, and that the failure of the assault was mainly due to his energy and ability, he determined70 to resort to the weapon so frequently in use in Eastern warfare—that of assassination71. To this end he employed two men, one a Dalmatian, the other an Albanian; these presented themselves before the walls as deserters, and as there was no reason for suspecting their tale, they were admitted within the gates, and welcomed as having escaped from enforced service. They soon spread the tale of the speedy coming of the sultan with vast reinforcements, and as the pasha had on the previous day caused salutes to be fired, and other demonstrations72 to be made, the news was readily credited, and caused the greatest dismay among the defenders73.
Some of the knights of the Italian and Spanish langues believed the prospect74 of a successful defence against so enormous a force was absolutely hopeless, and determined to put pressure upon D'Aubusson to treat for surrender before it became too late. They opened negotiations75 with an Italian named Filelfo, one of D'Aubusson's secretaries, who undertook to lay their opinion before the grand master. D'Aubusson at once summoned the knights concerned in the matter before him. They found him with several members of the council.
“Sir Knights,” he said, “I have heard from my secretary your opinions in the matter of a surrender, and since you are in such terror of the Moslem sultan, you have my full permission to leave the town; and, more than that, I will myself secure your safe departure, which might be imperilled if your comrades or even the inhabitants of the town came to learn that you had advocated surrender; but,” he went on, changing his tone from that of sarcasm76 to sternness, “if you remain with us, see that the word surrender never again passes your lips, and be assured that, should you continue your intrigues78, in that direction, you shall meet with the fate you so justly deserve.”
Overwhelmed by the grand master's accusation79 and sternness, the Italian and Spanish knights threw themselves on their knees and implored80 him to grant them an early opportunity of retrieving81 their fault by battle with the infidel. Feeling that the lesson had been sufficiently82 severe, and that henceforth there would be no renewal83 of intrigues for a surrender, D'Aubusson forgave them, and promised them a place in the van when next the Moslems attacked. The incident was not without its advantage, for the two pretended deserters, believing that Filelfo, who had also fallen under the displeasure of the grand master, would be ready to join in the conspiracy84 against his life, approached him. Filelfo, who was greatly attached to D'Aubusson, saw by their manner that they wished to engage him in some intrigue77, and, feigning85 great resentment86 and anger at his disgrace, led them on until they divulged87 the entire plot for D'Aubusson's assassination, and made brilliant offers to him if he would afford them facilities for carrying it out, producing, in proof of their power to do so, a letter of the pasha, authorising them to make such promises in his name.
Filelfo at once divulged the whole plot to D'Aubusson. The two men were immediately arrested, tried by the council, and sentenced to death. They were not, however, formally executed, for the populace, obtaining news of their treachery, broke in upon their guards, and tore them to pieces. Foiled in his attempt on the life of the grand master, the pasha prepared for a renewal of the attack, and it was not long before the knights on the lookout at the church of St. John perceived that the fort of St. Nicholas was again to be the scene of the attack. It was ere long discovered that a large number of men were busy some distance along the shore in building a long structure, that could only be intended for a floating bridge. Among the sailors who had aided in the attack with the fire ships were several men belonging to an English trader in the port. All who had done so had been handsomely rewarded for their conduct, and five of the Englishmen had afterwards gone to the English auberge and had asked to be enrolled88 for service against the Turks, as they were weary of remaining on board in idleness when there was work to be done. Their offer had been accepted, and they had, in common with all the sailors in the port, laboured at the construction of the inner wall. When that was completed, Sir John Boswell, under whose special charge they had been placed, said to Gervaise, “I think that I cannot do better than send these men down to St. Nicholas. It is probable that now the Turks see that they can do nothing at the new breach, they may try again there. Sailors are accustomed to night watches, and there are many of our knights who are not used to such work, and can be better trusted to defend a breach than to keep a vigilant89 watch at night. Will you take these men down to Caretto, and tell him that he can sleep soundly if he has a couple of them on watch? One of them, Roger Jervis, who is the mate of their ship, can speak some Italian, and as he is in command of them, Caretto will find no trouble in making them understand him.”
St. Nicholas had now been put into a fair state of defence, as a party had been kept steadily90 at work there. Gervaise had not been to the tower since the morning after the assault, and saw with satisfaction how much had been done to render it secure. He found that Caretto was fast recovering from his wounds.
“As it seems probable, Sir Fabricius,” he said, after the first greetings to the knight, “that the Turks will favour you with another visit, I have brought you five watchdogs. They are countrymen of mine, and were among those who navigated91 the fire ships the other day. Sir John Boswell has sent them down; they are, of course, accustomed to keep watch at night. One of them is mate of their vessel10, and will be in command of them; he speaks a little Italian, and so will understand any orders you may give him. I have been speaking to him as we came down; he will divide his men into two watches, and will himself be on guard all night. Will you assign them some quiet place where they can sleep in the daytime? They can erect a shelter with a piece of sail cloth and a few bits of board, and they will, of course, be furnished with food.”
“I shall be very glad to have them, for I am always restless at night, lest those on watch should close their eyes. You see, they have quite made up their minds that this fort will not be attacked again, and so are less inclined to be vigilant than they would be, did they think that an attack was impending92.”
Now that there was reason to believe that St. Nicholas might again be attacked, Gervaise was frequently there with orders or inquiries93 from the grand master. A number of vessels in the harbour were fitted up as fire ships, so as to be in readiness when the attack came. He was about to start early one morning when he saw Roger Jervis coming up with a heavy anchor on his shoulder.
“Why, what are you bringing that up here for?” he asked. “Have you been diving; for I see your clothes are dripping with water?”
“Ay, ay, sir, I have been in the water, and that Italian commander told me to come straight up here to tell the grand master all about the story; and right glad am I to have met you, for I should have made but a poor fist of it alone; I don't know more of their lingo94 than just to talk a few words of it.”
“Then you had better tell me the story before I take you in.”
“Well, it was like this, Sir Knight: I had Hudson and Jeffreys posted upon the wall, and I thought I would take a turn down on the rocks, for it was a dark night, and you can see much farther when you are by the edge of the water than you can when you are at the masthead. I sat there for an hour, and was thinking that it was about time to go up and turn out the other watch, when I saw something dark upon the water. It wasn't a ship, that was certain, and if it was a boat there wasn't any one in it; but it was too dark to make quite sure what it was. I watched it for a time, though I did not think much of the thing, taking it for a boat that had got adrift, or maybe a barrel from one of the Turkish ships. Presently I made out that it was a good bit nearer than when I first saw it.
“That puzzled me. There is no tide to speak of in these seas, and there was no wind moving about. I could make out now that it was a boat, though a very small one, but certainly there was no one rowing it. It looked a very strange craft, and as I saw by the way it was bearing that it would come ashore95 about five or six fathoms96 from where I was sitting, I slid quietly off the rock, put my sword down by me handy for action, and waited. Presently the boat came up alongside the rock, and a fellow stood up from behind the stern. I was glad to see him, for I had begun to think that there was witchcraft97 in the thing moving along by itself, but I can tell you I was savage98 with myself for not having guessed there was a man swimming behind and pushing it on.
“He stooped over the boat, and took something heavy out; then he felt about among the rocks under the water, and then laid the thing down there, and seemed to me to be settling it firm. I had half a mind to jump up and let fly at him, but then I thought it would be better to let him finish what he was doing, and go off with the idea that no one had seen him. So I kept hid until he started again. He waded99 a short way before he had to swim, and I could see that as he went he was paying out a rope over the stern. It was clear enough now what he had been up to: he had been fixing an anchor. What he did it for, or what use it could be to him, I could not say, but it was certain that he would not take all that trouble, with the chance of being knocked on the head, for nothing; so I waited for a bit till he had got out of sight, and over to the other side of the port.
“Then I got up and felt about, and, chancing to get my foot under the rope, went right over into the water. After that you may guess I was not long in finding the anchor. I unknotted the rope from it and carried it ashore; then it struck me that the Turks might take it into their heads to give a pull on it in the morning, and if they did; they would find out that their game, whatever it was, had been found out; so I got hold of a stone of about twenty pound weight, and fastened the rope's end round it. That was enough to prevent the rope getting slack and make them think that it was still fast to the anchor; but, of course, if they pulled hard on it it would come home directly. I went and reported the matter the first thing this morning to the governor. He seemed to think that it was important, and told me to bring the anchor up to the grand master, who would get one of the English knights to find out all about it; for he could not make out much of what I said.”
“It is very important,” Gervaise said, “and you behaved very wisely in the matter, and have rendered a great service by your discovery. I will take you in at once to the grand master.”
Still bearing the anchor, the sailor followed Gervaise into an apartment where D'Aubusson was taking council with some of the senior knights.
“Pardon my interrupting your Highness,” Gervaise said; “but the matter is so important that I knew you would listen to it, however occupied you were.” And he then repeated the narrative100 of the sailor's discovery.
“This is indeed of the highest importance,” D'Aubusson said, “and the knowledge that it gives us may enable us to defeat an attempt, that might otherwise have proved our ruin. You see, knights, it solves the question that we were just discussing. We agreed that this long floating bridge that they have been constructing, was intended to enable them to cross the outer port and again attack St. Nicholas; and yet it seemed to us that even by night our batteries would be able to keep up such a fire on the boats, towing the head of the bridge across, as to render it well nigh impossible for them to get it over. Now you see what their plan is. With the aid of this rope, the end of which they think is firmly fixed101 on our side, they mean to haul the bridge across, and that so silently that they hope to be upon us almost before we have time to don our armour. We shall now be fully102 prepared, and need have no fear of the result.”
There could now be little doubt that the attack would be made without loss of time, especially as the Turks believed that they could get their bridge across unseen. The fire ships—which were altogether more formidable than those Gervaise had improvised—were ordered to be made ready for action. This being arranged, the admiral left the council at once, that no time should be lost in getting them in readiness. D'Aubusson then turned to the English sailor.
“You have rendered us a great service indeed by your vigilance, and showed great prudence103 by allowing the Turk to believe that he had accomplished104 his mission unsuspected. Had he thought he had been observed, some other plan would have been adopted. For so great a service it is meet that a great reward should be given.”
He then took a bag from the hands of one of his secretaries, whom he had sent to fetch it, while they were discussing the matter of the fire ships.
“Here are two hundred golden crowns,” he added, handing the bag to the seaman105. “With these you can either settle on shore, or can build a stout106 ship and pursue your calling. Should you do so, call her the St. Nicholas, in remembrance of the gratitude107 of the Order of St. John for your having saved that fort from the Turks.”
Astonished and delighted at the reward, which represented a very large sum in those days, the sailor stammered108 his thanks, and added, “I hope tonight that if I again have charge of a fire ship, I may be able to do more to prove to your Highness how grateful I am for the gift.”
Throughout the day preparations for the defence of St. Nicholas went on unceasingly. Gangs of men, as usual, worked in the breach; but, as it was deemed advisable that there should be no outward show of activity that would lead the Turks to suspect that their design had been discovered, neither reinforcements of men nor munitions109 were sent along the mole110; everything being taken out by boats, which, rowing closely along under the wall, were hidden from the view of the Turks. Barrels of Greek fire and pitch, cauldrons for heating the latter, a store of firewood, great balls of cotton steeped in oil and turpentine, sheaves of darts111, spikes112 on short staves, that were, after darkness fell, to be thrust in among the fallen masonry to form a chevaux-de-frise—these, and all other matters that the ingenuity113 of the defenders could suggest, were landed at the water gate of the fort, while the garrison was strengthened by the addition of a large number of knights. Stores of ammunition were collected in readiness at all the batteries that commanded the mouth of the outer port, and by sunset D'Aubusson felt that everything that was possible had been done to meet the impending storm.
At midnight the Turkish preparations were complete. The attack by the bridge was to be assisted by a large number of boats and other craft, and many armed galleys were also brought up to destroy or tow away the defenders' fire ships. Paleologus himself was down by the shore directing the preparations. Some of his best troops were placed upon the floating bridge, and, when all was ready, the order was given to pull upon the rope. No sooner, however, did the strain come upon it than there was a jerk, the rope slackened, and it was at once evident that the anchor had been discovered and the well laid plan disconcerted. Paleologus was furious, but, believing that the attack he had arranged would still be irresistible114, he ordered a number of boats to take the bridge in tow, while a still larger force was to make a direct attack upon the breach. The movement was to be conducted as silently as possible until it was discovered, and then a dash forward was to be made.
It was two o'clock before the fresh arrangements were completed and the boats put out. They had gone but a short distance when the anxious watchers in St. Nicholas learnt by the dull, confused sound that came across the water, that the attack was, in spite of the failure of the plan to take the bridge silently across, to be persevered115 in. A cannon was at once fired to give notice to the other batteries to be in readiness, and as soon as the dark mass of boats was made out the guns of the fort opened a destructive fire upon them, and a moment later were seconded by those from the fortress116; these, however, were at present being fired almost at random117, as the Turkish boats could not be made out at that distance. Now that all need for concealment was at an end, the Turkish war cry rose shrilly118 in the air, and the boatmen bent119 to their oars120. The great cannon at St. Anthony's Church hurled their tremendous missiles at the tower, seconded by the fire of a number of other pieces that had in the darkness been brought down almost to the water's edge.
As before, the boats swept up to the foot of the breach, the Turks leaped out, and, undismayed by the storm of shot, climbed up to the assault. The short ladders that they had brought with them enabled them to surmount121 the escarpments so laboriously122 made, and with loud shouts of “Allah!” they flung themselves upon the defenders on the crest of the breach. Here they were met by a line even more difficult to break through than before. The knights were ranged three deep; those in the front were armed with swords and battleaxes, while those in the other two lines thrust their spears out between the swordsmen, covering them with a hedge of steel points. Others in the rear brought up buckets of blazing pitch and Greek fire, and, advancing through gaps left for the purpose, hurled the buckets down into the struggling mass on the slope. There the fire not only carried death among the assailants, but the lurid123 flames enabled the batteries to direct their shot with terrible effect upon the breach, the crowded boats at its foot, and the bridge which was, with immense labour, presently got into position.
It was not long before fresh light was thrown upon the scene, as the fire ships, issuing out from the inner harbour, burst into columns of flame, and, towed by boats, came into action. They were convoyed by the two galleys, each with a full complement124 of knights, and these soon became engaged in a fierce fight with the Turkish vessels that bore down to arrest the course of the fire ships. The scene was indeed a terrible one, the roar of cannon, the shouts of the combatants, the screams of the poor wretches125 upon whom the terrible Greek fire fell, the clash of arms and the shouts and cries of the Turks as they pressed across the bridge, united in a din46 that thrilled with horror the spectators, both in the city and on St. Stephen's Hill.
Several of the Turkish galleys, in their efforts to arrest the approach of the fire ships towards the bridge, became themselves involved in the flames; but they were so far successful that when daylight broke the bridge was still intact and the combat at the breach continued to rage with determination and fury on both sides. The Turks there were led by a brave young prince named Ibrahim, a near relative of the sultan, with whom he was a great favourite, and he was ever in the front line of the assailants, his splendid bravery animating126 the soldiers to continue their efforts. As the daylight broadened out, however, the light enabled the Christian57 gunners to aim with far greater accuracy than had before been possible, and, concentrating their fire upon the bridge, across which reinforcements continued to press to the support of the assailants, they succeeded in sinking so many of the boats that it was no longer passable.
Next they turned their fire upon the Turkish galleys, four of which they sank. Shortly afterwards, a ball struck the gallant127 young leader of the Turks, who, although previously128 several times wounded, had continued to fight in the front line. He fell dead, and his followers129, disheartened by his fall and by the destruction of the bridge, at once abandoned their efforts, and rushed down to the foot of the breach. The terrible scene enacted130 at the repulse of the previous attack was now repeated. The concentrated fire of the guns of the defenders carried destruction into the crowded mass. Some gained the boats that still remained uninjured, and rowed for the opposite shore; the greater number rushed into the water and strove to recross it either by swimming or by the aid of the debris131 of the shattered boats. Their total loss was greater even than that suffered by them in the first attack, between two and three thousand being either killed or drowned, among them a number of their best officers. The amount of spoil, in the form of rich jewels and costly132 gold ornaments133, found on the bodies of the dead piled on the breach, was very great.
For three days after this terrible repulse the Turks were inactive, the pasha remaining shut up in his tent, refusing to see any one, or to issue orders. At the end of that time he roused himself from his stupor134 of grief and disappointment, and, abandoning the idea of any further attack upon the point that had cost him so dearly, he ordered the troops to move round and renew the attack upon the wall in front of the Jews' quarter, and commence the construction of a battery on the edge of the great ditch facing the retrenchment135 behind the breach before effected. The knights of Italy and Spain determined to seize the opportunity of retrieving the disgrace that had fallen upon them. At night they descended136 into the deep cutting, carrying across their ladders, and, silently mounting the opposite side, rushed with loud shouts into the unfinished battery. The Turks there, taken utterly137 by surprise, made but a slight resistance; a few were immediately cut down, and the rest fled panic stricken.
The knights at once set the woodwork of the battery on fire, hurled the guns down into the ditch, and then returned triumphantly138 into the town, the dashing feat23 completely reinstating them in the good opinion of the grand master and their comrades.
The incident showed the pasha that he must neglect no precautions, and, accordingly, he commenced his works at a distance from the walls, and pushed his approaches regularly forward until he again established a battery on the site of that from which his troops had been so unceremoniously ejected. While forming the approaches, the workmen had been constantly harassed139 by the fire from the guns on the walls, suffering considerable loss of life; but their numerical superiority was so vast that the loss in no way affected140 the plans of the pasha.
As soon as the battery was completed, gangs of men, accustomed to mining operations, set to work in its rear to drive sloping passages downwards141, opening into the face of the great cutting, and through these vast quantities of earth and stones were poured, so as to afford a passage across it, the depth being largely diminished by the great pile of rubbish that had already fallen from the breached142 wall. This novel mode of attack was altogether unexpected. The knights had regarded the fosse that had been cut at such an enormous expenditure of labour as forming an altogether impassable obstruction143, and were dismayed at seeing the progress made in filling it up. D'Aubusson himself, full of resources as he was, saw that the defence was seriously threatened, unless some plan of meeting this unexpected danger could be devised.
He consulted Maitre Georges; but the latter could make no suggestion; his only advice being the erection of a battery at a spot where it was almost self evident that it could be of no utility whatever. Other circumstances combined to render the suspicions D'Aubusson had entertained of the good faith of the renegade almost a certainty. Georges was seized, tried, and put to torture, and under this owned that he had been sent into the town for the purpose of betraying it; and he was, the same day, hung in the great square. His guilt144 must always be considered as uncertain. There was no proof against him, save his own confession145; and a confession extorted146 by torture is of no value whatever. There are certainly many good grounds for suspicion, but it is possible that Georges really repented147 his apostacy, and acted in good faith in deserting the standard of Paleologus. He was undoubtedly148 a man of altogether exceptional ability and acquirements, and even the knights who have written accounts of the siege do justice to the fascination149 of his manner and the charm of his conversation.
D'Aubusson now set to work in another direction to counteract150 the efforts of the Turks. He erected151 an immense wooden catapult, which threw huge pieces of rock into the midst of the Turkish works, crushing down the wooden screens erected to hide their approaches, breaking in the covered ways, and causing great loss of life among the besiegers. At the same time galleries were driven below the breach, opening into the ditch, where their exits were concealed152 by masses of rubbish. Through these strong working parties issued out at night, and carried away up the passages the rocks and other materials that the Turks had, during the day, brought, with immense labour, from a distance to the shoot. The materials so carried away were piled up behind the retrenchment, greatly adding to its thickness and strength.
For some days the Turks observed, to their astonishment, that the road they were constructing across the ditch was diminishing instead of increasing in bulk, and at length it became so evident that the garrison were in some way removing the materials, that the pasha determined to deliver the assault before the heap was so far diminished as to become impassable. His former defeats had, however, taught him that success could not be always calculated upon, however good its prospect might appear; and although he had no real hope that the defenders would yield, he sent a formal summons for them to do so. This was refused with disdain153, and preparations were at once made for the assault.
The pasha promised to his soldiers the sack of the town and all the booty captured, and so assured were they of success that sacks were made to carry off the plunder154. Stakes, on which the knights, when taken prisoners, were to be impaled155, were prepared and sharpened, and each soldier carried a coil of rope with which to secure his captive.
Before ordering the assault, the way was prepared for it by a terrible fire from every siege gun of the Turks. This was kept up for twenty-four hours, and so tremendous was the effect that the knights were unable to remain on the ramparts. The Turkish troops moved into position for attack, their movements being covered by the roar of the guns, and soon after sunrise on the 22nd of July the signal was given, and at a number of different points the Turks rushed to the assault. All these attacks, save that on the breach, were merely feints, to distract the attention of the garrison, and to add to the confusion caused by this sudden and unexpected onslaught. The pasha's plans were well designed and carried out; the knights, unable to keep their places on the ramparts under the storm of missiles, had retired156 to shelter behind the walls. There was no thought of an instant assault, as they considered that this would not be delivered until the new wall behind the breach had been demolished157.
Consequently, the rush of the Turks found the defenders altogether unprepared. Swarming158 across the mass of debris in the ditch, they ascended159 the breach without opposition160, and their scaling ladders were placed against the new wall before the knights could hurry up to its defence. Even before the alarm was given in the town, the Turkish standard was waving on the parapet, and the Moslems were crowding on to the wall in vast numbers. The suddenness of the attack, the complete surprise, the sound of battle at various points around the walls, caused for a time confusion and dismay among the knights charged with the defence of the wall facing the breach. Roused by the uproar161, the inhabitants of the town rushed up to their roofs to ascertain what was happening, and their cries of wild terror and alarm at seeing the Turkish banner on the walls added to the confusion. D'Aubusson sprang up from the couch, on which he had thrown himself in full armour, at the first sound of the alarm, and, sending off messages to all the auberges to summon every man to the defence, ran down into the town, followed by a small party of knights.
Rushing through the streets, now filled with half dressed people wild with terror, he reached the foot of the wall, whose summit was crowded with the enemy, and saw in an instant that all was lost unless they could be driven thence without delay. The effect of his presence was instantaneous. The knights, hitherto confused and dismayed, rallied at once, and prepared for the desperate undertaking162. The bank on the inside was almost perpendicular163, and those charged with its defence had used two or three ladders for ascending164 to the rampart. These were at once seized and planted against the wall.
The position of the contending parties was now reversed; the Christians were the assailants, the Turks the defenders. D'Aubusson himself was the first to ascend. Covering his head with his shield, he mounted the rampart; but ere he could gain a footing on the top he was severely165 wounded and hurled backwards166. Again he made the attempt, but was again wounded and thrown down. Once more he mounted, and this time made good his footing. A moment later, Gervaise, who had accompanied him from the palace, stood beside him. Animated167 with the same spirit as his leader, he threw himself recklessly against the Turks, using a short, heavy mace168, which in a melee169 was far more useful than the long sword. Scimitars clashed upon his helmet and armour; but at every blow he struck a Turk fell, and for each foot he gained a knight sprang on to the wall and joined him. Each moment their number increased, and the war cry of the Order rose louder and fiercer above the din. The very number of the Turks told against them. Crowded together as they were they could not use their weapons effectually, and, pressing fiercely upon them, the knights drove them back along the wall on either hand, hurling them down into the street or over the rampart. On so narrow a field of battle the advantage was all on the side of the knights, whose superior height and strength, and the protection afforded by their armour, rendered them almost invincible170, nerved as they were with fury at the surprise that had overtaken them, and the knowledge that the fate of the city depended upon their efforts. After a quarter of an hour's desperate conflict the Turks were driven down the partial breach effected in the wall by the last bombardment, and the Christians were again the masters of their ramparts. Paleologus, however, hurried up reinforcements, headed by a band of janissaries, whose valour had decided171 many an obstinate172 conflict. Before ordering them to advance, he gave instructions to a company of men of approved valour to devote all their efforts to attacking D'Aubusson himself, whose mantle41 and rich armour rendered him a conspicuous173 object among the defenders of the breach. Advancing to the attack, the janissaries burst through the mass of Turks still continuing the conflict, and rushed up the breach. Then the chosen band, separating from the rest, flung themselves upon the grand master, the suddenness and fury of their attack isolating174 him and Gervaise from the knights around.
Surrounded as he was by foes175, already suffering from two severe wounds and shaken by his falls from the ladder, the grand master yet made a valiant177 defence in front, while Gervaise, hurling his mace into the face of one of his assailants, and drawing his two handed sword, covered him from the attack from behind. D'Aubusson received two more severe wounds, but still fought on. Gervaise, while in the act of cutting down an assailant, heard a shout of triumph from behind, and, looking round, he saw the grand master sinking to the ground from another wound. With a cry of grief and fury Gervaise sprang to him, receiving as he did so several blows on his armour and shield intended for the fallen knight, and, standing178 across him, showered his blows with such strength and swiftness that the janissaries shrank back before the sweep of the flashing steel. More than one who tried to spring into close quarters fell cleft to the chin, and, ere his assailants could combine for a general rush, a body of knights, who had just beaten off their assailants, fell upon the ranks of the janissaries with a force and fury there was no withstanding, and the chosen troops of the sultan for the first time broke and fled.
Excited almost to madness by the sight of their beloved master stretched bleeding on the ground, the knights dashed down the breach in eager pursuit. This action was decisive of the fate of the struggle. The panic among the janissaries at once spread, and the main body of troops, who had hitherto valiantly179 striven to regain180 the advantage snatched from them, now lost heart and fled in confusion. But their escape was barred by the great body of reinforcements pressing forward across the heap of rubbish that formed the breach over the deep ditch. Maddened by fear, the fugitives181 strove to cut a way through their friends. The whole of the defenders of the breach now fell upon the rear of the struggling mass, hewing182 them down almost without resistance, while the cannon from the walls and towers kept up an unceasing fire until the last survivors183 of what had become a massacre184, succeeded in gaining their works beyond the ditch, and fled to their camp. From every gateway185 and postern the knights now poured out, and, gathering186 together, advanced to the attack of St. Stephen's Hill. They met with but a faint resistance. The greater portion of the disorganised troops had made no pause at their camp, but had continued their headlong flight to the harbour, where their ships were moored187, Paleologus himself, heartbroken and despairing at his failure, sharing their flight. The camp, with all its rich booty and the great banner of the pasha, fell into the hands of the victors, who, satisfied with their success, and exhausted188 by their efforts, made no attempt to follow the flying foe176, or to hinder their embarkation189; for even now the Turks, enormously outnumbering them as they did, might be driven by despair to a resistance so desperate as once again to turn the tide of victory.
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1
knights
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| 骑士； （中古时代的）武士( knight的名词复数 )； 骑士； 爵士； （国际象棋中）马 | |
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knight
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| n.骑士，武士；爵士 | |
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garrison
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| n.卫戍部队；驻地，卫戍区；vt.派(兵)驻防 | |
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truce
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| n.休战，(争执，烦恼等的)缓和；v.以停战结束 | |
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armistice
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| n.休战，停战协定 | |
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corpses
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| n.死尸，尸体( corpse的名词复数 ) | |
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unbearable
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| adj.不能容忍的；忍受不住的 | |
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Moslem
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| n.回教徒，穆罕默德信徒；adj.回教徒的，回教的 | |
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vessels
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| n.血管( vessel的名词复数 )；船；容器；（具有特殊品质或接受特殊品质的）人 | |
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vessel
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| n.船舶；容器，器皿；管，导管，血管 | |
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concealment
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| n.隐藏, 掩盖，隐瞒 | |
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breach
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| n.违反，不履行；破裂；vt.冲破，攻破 | |
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sentry
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| n.哨兵，警卫 | |
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crest
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| n.顶点；饰章；羽冠；vt.达到顶点；vi.形成浪尖 | |
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armour
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| （=armor）n.盔甲；装甲部队 | |
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salute
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| vi.行礼，致意，问候，放礼炮；vt.向…致意，迎接，赞扬；n.招呼，敬礼，礼炮 | |
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saluted
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| v.欢迎，致敬( salute的过去式和过去分词 )；赞扬，赞颂 | |
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courteous
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| adj.彬彬有礼的，客气的 | |
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cannon
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| n.大炮，火炮；飞机上的机关炮 | |
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sheathed
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| adj.雕塑像下半身包在鞘中的；覆盖的；铠装的；装鞘了的v.将（刀、剑等）插入鞘( sheathe的过去式和过去分词 )；包，覆盖 | |
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solely
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| adv.仅仅，唯一地 | |
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feats
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| 功绩，伟业，技艺( feat的名词复数 ) | |
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feat
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| n.功绩；武艺，技艺；adj.灵巧的，漂亮的，合适的 | |
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predecessors
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| n.前任( predecessor的名词复数 )；前辈；（被取代的）原有事物；前身 | |
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artillery
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| n.(军)火炮，大炮；炮兵(部队) | |
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cleft
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| n.裂缝；adj.裂开的 | |
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skull
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| n.头骨；颅骨 | |
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galleys
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| n.平底大船，战舰( galley的名词复数 )；（船上或航空器上的）厨房 | |
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succumbed
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| 不再抵抗（诱惑、疾病、攻击等）( succumb的过去式和过去分词 )； 屈从； 被压垮； 死 | |
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succumb
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| v.屈服，屈从；死 | |
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salutes
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| n.致敬，欢迎，敬礼( salute的名词复数 )v.欢迎，致敬( salute的第三人称单数 )；赞扬，赞颂 | |
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mound
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| n.土墩，堤，小山；v.筑堤，用土堆防卫 | |
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halfway
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| adj.中途的，不彻底的，部分的；adv.半路地，在中途，在半途 | |
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ascend
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| vi.渐渐上升，升高；vt.攀登，登上 | |
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intervals
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| n.[军事]间隔( interval的名词复数 )；间隔时间；[数学]区间；（戏剧、电影或音乐会的）幕间休息 | |
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hurled
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| v.猛投，用力掷( hurl的过去式和过去分词 )；大声叫骂 | |
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repulse
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| n.击退，拒绝；vt.逐退，击退，拒绝 | |
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shrine
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| n.圣地，神龛，庙；v.将...置于神龛内，把...奉为神圣 | |
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virgin
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| n.处女，未婚女子；adj.未经使用的；未经开发的 | |
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40
reverence
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| n.敬畏，尊敬，尊严；Reverence:对某些基督教神职人员的尊称；v.尊敬，敬畏，崇敬 | |
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41
mantle
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| n.斗篷，覆罩之物，罩子；v.罩住，覆盖，脸红 | |
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mantles
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| vt.&vi.覆盖（mantle的第三人称单数形式） | |
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43
scattering
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| n.[物]散射；散乱，分散；在媒介质中的散播adj.散乱的；分散在不同范围的；广泛扩散的；（选票）数量分散的v.散射(scatter的ing形式)；散布；驱散 | |
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chapel
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| n.小教堂，殡仪馆 | |
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ascertain
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| vt.发现，确定，查明，弄清 | |
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din
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| n.喧闹声，嘈杂声 | |
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mortars
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| n.迫击炮( mortar的名词复数 )；砂浆；房产；研钵 | |
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hurling
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| n.爱尔兰式曲棍球v.猛投，用力掷( hurl的现在分词 )；大声叫骂 | |
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masonry
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| n.砖土建筑；砖石 | |
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erect
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| n./v.树立，建立，使竖立；adj.直立的，垂直的 | |
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vaults
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| n.拱顶( vault的名词复数 )；地下室；撑物跳高；墓穴 | |
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entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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conflagrations
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| n.大火（灾）( conflagration的名词复数 ) | |
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specially
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| adv.特定地；特殊地；明确地 | |
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lookout
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| n.注意，前途，瞭望台 | |
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quenched
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| 解（渴）( quench的过去式和过去分词 )； 终止（某事物）； （用水）扑灭（火焰等）； 将（热物体）放入水中急速冷却 | |
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Christian
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| adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒 | |
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Christians
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| n.基督教徒( Christian的名词复数 ) | |
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crumble
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| vi.碎裂，崩溃；vt.弄碎，摧毁 | |
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avert
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| v.防止，避免；转移(目光、注意力等) | |
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shovel
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| n.铁锨，铲子，一铲之量；v.铲，铲出 | |
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inmates
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| n.囚犯( inmate的名词复数 ) | |
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astonishment
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| n.惊奇，惊异 | |
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expenditure
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| n.(时间、劳力、金钱等)支出；使用，消耗 | |
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ammunition
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| n.军火，弹药 | |
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besieged
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| 包围，围困，围攻( besiege的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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dispelled
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| v.驱散，赶跑( dispel的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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despatch
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| n./v.(dispatch)派遣；发送；n.急件；新闻报道 | |
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stimulate
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| vt.刺激，使兴奋；激励，使…振奋 | |
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determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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assassination
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| n.暗杀；暗杀事件 | |
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demonstrations
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| 证明( demonstration的名词复数 )； 表明； 表达； 游行示威 | |
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defenders
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| n.防御者( defender的名词复数 )；守卫者；保护者；辩护者 | |
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prospect
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| n.前景，前途；景色，视野 | |
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negotiations
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| 协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过 | |
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sarcasm
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| n.讥讽，讽刺，嘲弄，反话 （adj.sarcastic） | |
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intrigue
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| vt.激起兴趣，迷住；vi.耍阴谋；n.阴谋，密谋 | |
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intrigues
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| n.密谋策划( intrigue的名词复数 )；神秘气氛；引人入胜的复杂情节v.搞阴谋诡计( intrigue的第三人称单数 )；激起…的好奇心 | |
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accusation
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| n.控告，指责，谴责 | |
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implored
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| 恳求或乞求（某人）( implore的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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retrieving
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| n.检索（过程），取还v.取回( retrieve的现在分词 )；恢复；寻回；检索（储存的信息） | |
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82
sufficiently
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| adv.足够地，充分地 | |
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83
renewal
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| adj.(契约)延期，续订，更新，复活，重来 | |
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84
conspiracy
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| n.阴谋，密谋，共谋 | |
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85
feigning
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| 假装，伪装( feign的现在分词 )； 捏造（借口、理由等） | |
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86
resentment
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| n.怨愤，忿恨 | |
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87
divulged
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| v.吐露，泄露( divulge的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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88
enrolled
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| adj.入学登记了的v.[亦作enrol]( enroll的过去式和过去分词 )；登记，招收，使入伍（或入会、入学等），参加，成为成员；记入名册；卷起，包起 | |
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89
vigilant
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| adj.警觉的，警戒的，警惕的 | |
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90
steadily
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| adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地 | |
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91
navigated
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| v.给（船舶、飞机等）引航，导航( navigate的过去式和过去分词 )；（从海上、空中等）横越；横渡；飞跃 | |
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92
impending
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| a.imminent, about to come or happen | |
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93
inquiries
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| n.调查( inquiry的名词复数 )；疑问；探究；打听 | |
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94
lingo
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| n.语言不知所云，外国话，隐语 | |
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95
ashore
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| adv.在(向)岸上，上岸 | |
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96
fathoms
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| 英寻( fathom的名词复数 ) | |
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97
witchcraft
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| n.魔法，巫术 | |
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98
savage
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| adj.野蛮的；凶恶的，残暴的；n.未开化的人 | |
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99
waded
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| （从水、泥等）蹚，走过，跋( wade的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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100
narrative
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| n.叙述，故事；adj.叙事的，故事体的 | |
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101
fixed
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| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
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102
fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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103
prudence
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| n.谨慎，精明，节俭 | |
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104
accomplished
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| adj.有才艺的；有造诣的；达到了的 | |
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105
seaman
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| n.海员，水手，水兵 | |
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107
gratitude
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| adj.感激，感谢 | |
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108
stammered
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| v.结巴地说出( stammer的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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109
munitions
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| n.军火，弹药；v.供应…军需品 | |
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110
mole
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| n.胎块；痣；克分子 | |
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111
darts
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| n.掷飞镖游戏；飞镖( dart的名词复数 )；急驰，飞奔v.投掷，投射( dart的第三人称单数 )；向前冲，飞奔 | |
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112
spikes
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| n.穗( spike的名词复数 )；跑鞋；（防滑）鞋钉；尖状物v.加烈酒于( spike的第三人称单数 )；偷偷地给某人的饮料加入（更多）酒精（ 或药物）；把尖状物钉入；打乱某人的计划 | |
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113
ingenuity
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| n.别出心裁；善于发明创造 | |
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114
irresistible
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| adj.非常诱人的，无法拒绝的，无法抗拒的 | |
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115
persevered
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| v.坚忍，坚持( persevere的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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116
fortress
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| n.堡垒，防御工事 | |
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117
random
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| adj.随机的；任意的；n.偶然的(或随便的)行动 | |
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118
shrilly
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| 尖声的； 光亮的，耀眼的 | |
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119
bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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120
oars
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| n.桨，橹( oar的名词复数 )；划手v.划（行）( oar的第三人称单数 ) | |
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121
surmount
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| vt.克服；置于…顶上 | |
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122
laboriously
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| adv.艰苦地；费力地；辛勤地；（文体等）佶屈聱牙地 | |
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123
lurid
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| adj.可怕的；血红的；苍白的 | |
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124
complement
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| n.补足物，船上的定员；补语；vt.补充，补足 | |
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125
wretches
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| n.不幸的人( wretch的名词复数 )；可怜的人；恶棍；坏蛋 | |
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126
animating
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| v.使有生气( animate的现在分词 )；驱动；使栩栩如生地动作；赋予…以生命 | |
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127
gallant
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| adj.英勇的，豪侠的；(向女人)献殷勤的 | |
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128
previously
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| adv.以前，先前（地） | |
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129
followers
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| 追随者( follower的名词复数 )； 用户； 契据的附面； 从动件 | |
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130
enacted
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| 制定（法律），通过（法案）( enact的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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131
debris
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| n.瓦砾堆，废墟，碎片 | |
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132
costly
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| adj.昂贵的，价值高的，豪华的 | |
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133
ornaments
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| n.装饰( ornament的名词复数 )；点缀；装饰品；首饰v.装饰，点缀，美化( ornament的第三人称单数 ) | |
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134
stupor
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| v.昏迷；不省人事 | |
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135
retrenchment
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| n.节省，删除 | |
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136
descended
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| a.为...后裔的，出身于...的 | |
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137
utterly
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| adv.完全地，绝对地 | |
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138
triumphantly
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| ad.得意洋洋地；得胜地；成功地 | |
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139
harassed
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| adj. 疲倦的，厌烦的 动词harass的过去式和过去分词 | |
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140
affected
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| adj.不自然的，假装的 | |
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141
downwards
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| adj./adv.向下的（地），下行的（地） | |
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142
breached
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| 攻破( breach的现在分词 )； 破坏，违反 | |
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143
obstruction
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| n.阻塞，堵塞；障碍物 | |
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144
guilt
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| n.犯罪；内疚；过失，罪责 | |
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145
confession
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| n.自白，供认，承认 | |
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146
extorted
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| v.敲诈( extort的过去式和过去分词 )；曲解 | |
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147
repented
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| 对（自己的所为）感到懊悔或忏悔( repent的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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148
undoubtedly
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| adv.确实地，无疑地 | |
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149
fascination
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| n.令人着迷的事物，魅力，迷恋 | |
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150
counteract
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| vt.对…起反作用，对抗，抵消 | |
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151
ERECTED
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| adj. 直立的，竖立的，笔直的 vt. 使 ... 直立，建立 | |
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152
concealed
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| a.隐藏的，隐蔽的 | |
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153
disdain
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| n.鄙视，轻视；v.轻视，鄙视，不屑 | |
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154
plunder
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| vt.劫掠财物，掠夺；n.劫掠物，赃物；劫掠 | |
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155
impaled
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| 钉在尖桩上( impale的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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156
retired
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| adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的 | |
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157
demolished
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| v.摧毁( demolish的过去式和过去分词 )；推翻；拆毁（尤指大建筑物）；吃光 | |
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158
swarming
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| 密集( swarm的现在分词 )； 云集； 成群地移动； 蜜蜂或其他飞行昆虫成群地飞来飞去 | |
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159
ascended
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| v.上升，攀登( ascend的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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160
opposition
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| n.反对，敌对 | |
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161
uproar
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| n.骚动，喧嚣，鼎沸 | |
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162
undertaking
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| n.保证，许诺，事业 | |
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163
perpendicular
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| adj.垂直的，直立的；n.垂直线，垂直的位置 | |
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164
ascending
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| adj.上升的，向上的 | |
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165
severely
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| adv.严格地；严厉地；非常恶劣地 | |
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166
backwards
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| adv.往回地，向原处，倒，相反，前后倒置地 | |
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167
animated
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| adj.生气勃勃的，活跃的，愉快的 | |
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168
mace
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| n.狼牙棒，豆蔻干皮 | |
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169
melee
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| n.混战；混战的人群 | |
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170
invincible
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| adj.不可征服的，难以制服的 | |
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171
decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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172
obstinate
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| adj.顽固的，倔强的，不易屈服的，较难治愈的 | |
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173
conspicuous
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| adj.明眼的，惹人注目的；炫耀的，摆阔气的 | |
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174
isolating
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| adj.孤立的，绝缘的v.使隔离( isolate的现在分词 )；将…剔出（以便看清和单独处理）；使（某物质、细胞等）分离；使离析 | |
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175
foes
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| 敌人，仇敌( foe的名词复数 ) | |
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176
foe
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| n.敌人，仇敌 | |
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177
valiant
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| adj.勇敢的，英勇的；n.勇士，勇敢的人 | |
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178
standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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179
valiantly
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| adv.勇敢地，英勇地；雄赳赳 | |
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180
regain
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| vt.重新获得，收复，恢复 | |
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181
fugitives
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| n.亡命者，逃命者( fugitive的名词复数 ) | |
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182
hewing
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| v.（用斧、刀等）砍、劈( hew的现在分词 )；砍成；劈出；开辟 | |
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183
survivors
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| 幸存者，残存者，生还者( survivor的名词复数 ) | |
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184
massacre
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| n.残杀，大屠杀；v.残杀，集体屠杀 | |
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185
gateway
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| n.大门口，出入口，途径，方法 | |
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186
gathering
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| n.集会，聚会，聚集 | |
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187
moored
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| adj. 系泊的 动词moor的过去式和过去分词形式 | |
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188
exhausted
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| adj.极其疲惫的，精疲力尽的 | |
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189
embarkation
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| n. 乘船, 搭机, 开船 | |
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