walls of the

chateau of villefranche. ill armed and half starved, they were

still desperate men, to whom danger had lost all fears: for what

was death that they should shun it to cling to such a life as

theirs? the castle was theirs, and the roaring flames were

spurting through the windows and flickering high above the

turrets on two sides of the quadrangle. from either side they

were sweeping down from room to room and from bastion to bastion

in the direction of the keep. faced by an army, and girt in by

fire, were six men and one woman; but some of them were men so

trained to danger and so wise in war that even now the combat was

less unequal than it seemed. courage and resource were penned in

by desperation and numbers, while the great yellow sheets of

flame threw their lurid glare over the scene of death.

"there is but space for two upon a step to give free play to our

sword-arms," said du guesclin. "do you stand with me, nigel,

upon the lowest. france and england will fight together this

night. sir otto, i pray you to stand behind us with this young

squire. the archers may go higher yet and shoot over our heads.

i would that we had our harness, nigel."

"often have i heard my dear sir john chandos say that a knight

should never, even when a guest, be parted from it. yet it will

be more honor to us if we come well out of it. we have a vantage,

since we see them against the light and they can scarce see us.

it seems to me that they muster for an onslaught."

"if we can but keep them in play," said the bohemian, "it is

likely that these flames may bring us succor if there be any true

men in the country."

"bethink you, my fair lord," said alleyne to sir nigel, "that we

have never injured these men, nor have we cause of quarrel

against them. would it not be well, if but for the lady's sake,

to speak them fair and see if we may not come to honorable terms

with them?"

"not so, by st. paul!" cried sir nigel. "it does not accord with

mine honor, nor shall it ever be said that i, a knight of

england, was ready to hold parley with men who have slain a fair

lady and a holy priest."

"as well hold parley with a pack of ravening wolves," said the

french captain. "ha! notre dame du guesclin! saint ives!

saint ives!"

as he thundered forth his war-cry, the jacks who had been

gathering before the black arch of the gateway rushed in madly in

a desperate effort to carry the staircase. their leaders were a

small man, dark in the face, with his beard done up in two

plaits, and another larger man, very bowed in the shoulders, with

a huge club studded with sharp nails in his hand. the first had

not taken three steps ere an arrow from aylward's bow struck him

full in the chest, and he fell coughing and spluttering across

the threshold. the other rushed onwards, and breaking between du

guesclin and sir nigel he dashed out the brains of the bohemian

with a single blow of his clumsy weapon. with three swords

through him he still struggled on, and had almost won his way

through them ere he fell dead upon the stair. close at his heels

came a hundred furious peasants, who flung themselves again and

again against the five swords which confronted them. it was cut

and parry and stab as quick as eye could see or hand act. the

door was piled with bodies, and the stone floor was slippery with

blood. the deep shout of du guesclin, the hard, hissing breath

of the pressing multitude, the clatter of steel, the thud of

falling bodies, and the screams of the stricken, made up such a

medley as came often in after years to break upon alleyne's

sleep. slowly and sullenly at last the throng drew off, with

many a fierce backward glance, while eleven of their number lay

huddled in front of the stair which they had failed to win.

"the dogs have had enough," said du guesclin.

"by saint paul! there appear to be some very worthy and valiant

persons among them," observed sir nigel. "they are men from

whom, had they been of better birth, much honor and advancement

might be gained. even as it is, it is a great pleasure to have

seen them. but what is this that they are bringing forward?"

"it is as i feared," growled du guesclin. "they will burn us

out, since they cannot win their way past us. shoot straight and

hard, archers; for, by st. ives! our good swords are of little

use to us."

as he spoke, a dozen men rushed forward, each screening himself

behind a huge fardel of brushwood. hurling their burdens in one

vast heap within the portal, they threw burning torches upon the

top of it. the wood had been soaked in oil, for in an instant it

was ablaze, and a long, hissing, yellow flame licked over the

heads of the defenders, and drove them further up to the first

floor of the keep. they had scarce reached it, however, ere they

found that the w