``Wellsaid，stoutyeoman，’’answeredtheBlackKnight；``andifIbethoughtworthytohaveachargeinthesematters，andcanfindamongthesebravemenasmanyasarewillingtofollowatrueEnglishknight，forsoImaysurelycallmyself，I
amready，withsuchskillasmyexperiencehastaughtme，toleadthemtotheattackofthesewalls。’’
Thepartsbeingthusdistributedtotheleaders，theycommencedthefirstassault，ofwhichthereaderhasalreadyheardtheissue。
Whenthebarbicanwascarried，theSableKnightsentnoticeofthehappyeventtoLocksley，requestinghimatthesametime，tokeepsuchastrictobservationonthecastleasmightpreventthedefendersfromcombiningtheirforceforasuddensally，andrecoveringtheoutworkwhichtheyhadlost。Thistheknightwaschieflydesirousofavoiding，consciousthatthemenwhomheled，beinghastyanduntrainedvolunteers，imperfectlyarmedandunaccustomedtodiscipline，must，uponanysuddenattack，fightatgreatdisadvantagewiththeveteransoldiersoftheNormanknights，whowerewellprovidedwitharmsbothdefensiveandoffensive；
andwho，tomatchthezealandhighspiritofthebesiegers，hadalltheconfidencewhicharisesfromperfectdisciplineandthehabitualuseofweapons。