And now the trumpet gave the signal for battle. First the Volscians drew near to the wall. These held their shields over their heads, joining them in close array so that they were like unto the shell of a tortoise, and they that bare them filled the moat and pulled down the wall. And some would have mounted the walls on ladders; while the men of Troy cast spears at them and thrust at them with poles, being indeed well used to the manner of such a fight from walls. But on the covering of shields they threw down a huge block, breaking it through and scattering the men, who would not indeed fight any more in such fashion, but cast all manner of javelins and the like against the men of Troy. And Mezentius the Tuscan came on, shaking a lighted torch of pine in his hand, and Messapus tore down the rampart and called for a scaling-ladder, that he might mount up into the breach. Now there was a tower upon the wall, which the Italians sought to take, and the men of Troy to defend it cast stones and darts through the loopholes thereof. On to this Turnus cast a torch, setting fire to the wall, and the flame, the wind fanning it, climbed from story to story. And when they that were therein fled to the part that was yet unconsumed, lo! the whole tower fell forward, and all perished, two only escaping, Helenor and Lycus. And Helenor was the elder, and when he saw that the enemy was about him on every side, then, even as a beast which the hunters compass about with a great ring waxeth desperate and flingeth himself over the nets upon their spears, so he threw himself on the ranks of the Latins where the spears were thickest, and so died. But Lycus was very swift of foot, and won even as far as the wall, and would fain have climbed thereon. But Turnus caught him, crying, "Thinkest thou to escape me?" and he laid hands upon him as he hung from the wall, dragging down much wall likewise: even as an eagle seizes a swan or a wolf a lamb, so he seized him. Then did the battle wax fiercer and fiercer, and many fell on this side and on that. For Ilioneus smote Lucetius when he would have set fire to the gates, and Capys slew Privernus, and Mezentius, having cast away his spear, smote the son of Arcens with a bullet of lead from his sling.