"Fire!"
The third reloaded round flew toward the gate.
They'd already used half the cannonballs they could fire. Schneider, his face drenched in sweat, seemed to be praying that the gate would shatter before all the cannonballs ran out.
No, he really was praying.
He gave the order to fire and clasped both hands together.
But this time there was considerable progress.
Crash-crash!
Rumble!
One of the chains anchoring the raised drawbridge, which blocked access across the moat, snapped. As the drawbridge swayed and lurched wildly, the defenders clung to it for dear life.
"Verdammt! One better-placed hit and it would have snapped completely!"
"Dammit, Commander! Water got into the fuse of cannon four and it's unusable!"
"What?! Damn it all! Verflucht nochmal!"
One cannon dropped out in the end. While cooling the cannon, water had accidentally gotten into the fuse hole and soaked the interior. It was a common mistake, but in real combat it was fatal.
