The battle was raging all along the south of the city, a dense cloud of smoke covering the land like a pall, hiding the glaring light of the sun and making the atmosphere more densely oppressive than ever. The little party toiled wearily up the hill, the perspiration pouring off them as they struggled beneath their iron burdens, prepared to do or die. Helmar led the way, and never for a moment paused, although the weight of the heavy block was almost unbearable. He thought nothing of the flying shells, nothing of the death he was facing at every step, only of reaching the top and securing the pulley. A few more yards and the journey would be over.
"Come on, lads, only another step or two!" he cried, gasping for breath in the parching air.
"Ay, ay," came the answer in various tones.
At last the top was reached. The sight now became fearful; the bursting shells, ploughing up the ground on all sides, were enough to strike terror into any one's heart. The blue-jackets, used to facing fire of all kinds, simply laughed and joked as they pointed out the inaccuracy of the firing.
"Them savages 'ad better go back to their bows and arrers," exclaimed one of the men, as he saw a shell pitch about half-way short of the hill. "Blowed if they could 'it an 'aystack, the black divils!"
His companions laughed, and it did all hands good. Notwithstanding their indomitable pluck, the nervous strain was great, and the laugh relieved them. The hill-top was very bare, and, as George glanced round for a means of securing the pulley, he began to think that after all he had no easy task. The only possible means of securing it was to drive strong poles deep and firmly into the earth, and then fix the pulleys to them.
As Helmar stood examining the spot, a splinter of one of the shells struck the earth close to him, and glancing off, whizzed past within an inch of his face. Springing back, he turned to a man near him.
"That was a close call," he said.
"Ay, and it might ha' been closer," was the solemn reply.
There was no time to be lost, Helmar had made up his mind, and gave his instructions to the men. Taking a crowbar, about seven feet long, they drove it into the earth until there was little more than two feet of it remaining above ground. Just as this was finished, a shell pitched and burst barely twenty yards from them, and the whole party narrowly escaped death. The explosion tore up the ground until it looked as if a plough had recently passed over it.