The shouts of the Scots as the fire covered its
walls, and the streaming flames licking the windows, and pouring into
every opening of the building, raised such a terror in the breasts of
the wretches within, that, with the most horrible cries, they again and
again flew to the doors to escape. Not an avenue appeared; almost
suffocated with smoke, and scorched by the blazing rafters which fell
from the burning roof, they at last made a desperate attempt to break a
passage through the great portal. Arnuf was at their head, and sunk to
abjectness by his despair, in a voice which terror rendered piercing,
he called aloud for mercy. The words reached the ear of Sir Roger
Kirkpatrick, who stood neared to the door. In a voice of thunder he
replied, "That ye gave, ye shall receive. Where was mercy when our
fathers and our brothers fell beneath your murderous axes!"
Aymer de Valence came up at this moment with a wooden pillar, which he
and his strongest men in the company had torn from under the gallery
that surrounded the room, and with all their strength dashing it
against the great door, they at last drove it from its bolts. But now
a wall of men opposed them.
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