At that moment the cannon thundered again. Huge chunks were ripped from the ridge. The force of one blast caused a twelve-foot section of hillside to slide away, sending rock and earth tumbling down the slope.
‘How in seven hells did he know they were going to fire one more salvo?’ asked Gallowglass.
‘They were hoping to catch more of us as we swarmed back up to defend the ridge,’ Taybard told him, taking up his blanket-wrapped Emburley and untying the strings that held the covering in place.
Behind them two thousand musketeers scrambled over the ruined ridge, taking up pre-arranged positions in three ranks. Bendegit Law and his artillery men came over the ridge top, hauling barrels of powder. Eight of the twenty defensive cannon placed on the ridge had been smashed by the enemy salvoes. Four others were damaged. Bendegit Law directed his men with quiet efficiency. Bringing the eight surviving cannons to bear they loaded them and waited.
Taybard could see the faces of the attackers now, grim and determined as they stormed the slope. Lifting the Emburley rifle he cocked the hammer. ‘Front rank forward!’ bellowed General Beck.
The six hundred men of the front rank shuffled into position. ‘Take aim!’
The red-garbed attackers faltered as the musketeers appeared on the ridge. Then they charged.
‘Fire!’
Six hundred muskets loosed thunder into the charging men. Smoke billowed across the ridge top. ‘Second rank forward!’ shouted Beck. The first rank fell back to the rear to reload as the next line of musketeers stepped in to take their places. This manoeuvre was an innovation of Beck’s that the men had been practising for weeks now. In most battles Taybard had seen or taken part in the object had been to deliver full ferocious volleys, then to reload. This rolling fire was far more effective.
The second rank emptied their muskets into the now faltering advance. Hundreds of enemy soldiers were down. Still they pushed on, stepping over the bodies of dead and dying.
‘Third rank forward!’ yelled Beck. Tire!’
Some of the soldiers below were starting to shoot up the slope now, and a score of Eldacre men went down.
The first of the enemy was almost at the top of the slope when Bendegit Law ordered the cannons to be fired. The blast ripped away the leading ranks of the enemy.
Taybard watched it all as if in a dream, his Emburley unfired. Smoke covered the ridge like a blanket of fog, and when the first rank volleyed again Taybard could not even see the enemy. Beside him Gallowglass was frantically reloading.
The second rank moved forward again, but this time Beck did not order them to fire.
The breeze picked up once more and the smoke cleared. The hillside was littered with red-coated bodies. The survivors were pulling back.
The Moidart approached Beck. Taybard heard what he said. ‘While not wishing to appear intrusive, Beck, might it not be wise to pull back? I fear another salvo is likely soon.’
‘Indeed, my lord, that is good advice.’ He swung towards the men. ‘By rank fall back to the base of the hill!’
The move was not quite swift enough. In the distance the huge fifteen pounders roared. The Eldacre men began to run. Two explosive charges burst in the air above them. More than a hundred musketeers went down.
Taybard and Gallowglass had not moved from their trench. Once more earth rained down upon them.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
KAELIN RING WATCHED THE CARNAGE ON THE WESTERN RIDGE THEN returned his gaze to the open lands directly south. There was still no attack from that quarter. More columns of enemy musketeers were advancing now against the ridge, and he could see the Moidart and the defenders marching back into position.
‘I wouldn’t want to be up there,’ said Korrin Talis.
Raising his head above the earth sacks Kaelin scanned the south. Lines of horsemen were gathering beneath the far slopes. ‘Not long to wait,’ said Kaelin. The knights are forming.’
‘How many?’ asked Korrin.
‘Can’t tell. Too much smoke. I’d expect around four thousand. Everyone knows what to do?’
‘Of course they know what to do,’ snapped Korrin. ‘We’re not idiots.’