rs had been pursuing some
fugitives, who had fallen a prey to their good steel blades. They were
just about to return to the others, round whom the fight still raged,
though with far less fierceness than at first, when these new
adversaries set upon them from behind. John was the only one who had
seen the approach, and he only just in time to give one warning shout.
Before the Prince could turn, an axe was whirling in the air above his
head; and had not John flung himself at that instant upon the Prince,
covering his person and dragging him aside at the same moment, a
glorious page in England's history would never have been written. But
John's prompt action saved the young Edward's life, though a frightful
gash was inflicted upon his own shoulder, which received the weight of
the robber's blow. With a gasping moan he sank to the ground, and knew
no more of what passed, whilst Gaston and Raymond each sprang upon one
of their assailants with a yell of fury, and the Prince flung himself
upon the fellow who had so nearly caused his death, and for all he knew
had slain the trusty John before his very eyes.

The Prince soon made sure of his man. The fellow, having missed his
stroke, was taken at a disadvantage, and was unable to free his axe or
draw his dagger before the Prince had stabbed him to the heart. Gaston
and Raymond were sore beset with their powerful adversaries, and would
scarce have lived to tell the tale of that fell struggle had not help
been nigh at hand from the Master Huntsman. But he, missing the Prince
from the cave's mouth, and seeing the peril he was in, now came running
up, shouting to his men to follow him, and the three giant brothers were
soon lying together stark and dead, whilst poor John was tenderly lifted
and carried out of the melee.

The fighting was over now. The robbers had had enough of it. Some few
had escaped, or had sought to do so; but by far the greater number lay
dead on or about the rocky platform, where the fiercest of the fighting
had been. They had slain each other as well as having been slain by the
Prince's band, and the place was now a veritable shambles, at which some
of the lads began to look with shuddering horror.

Several of their own number were badly hurt. Three lay dead and cold.
Victory had indeed been theirs, but something of the sense of triumph
was dashed as they bore away the bodies of their comrades and looked
upon the terrible traces of the fray.

But the Pri