of the land,
with every cross-road and by-path, they were able to lie in wait for
the foragers and to do much damage. Four hundred cavaliers, coming
up from Burgundy, were attacked by one Malhortie de Roziere, and
literally cut to pieces, while their horses changed sides with ease.
Only a few escaped to report the fate of the others to Charles. Not
long after, Malhortie, encouraged by this success, crept up to the
Burgundian camp, fell upon the sleepers, and captured a goodly number
of horses.

The troops on which Charles counted most confidently were
Campobasso's. Several attempts were made to warn him that treachery
was possible in that quarter if the commander were too much
exasperated by delays in payment, too much tried by the ill-temper of
his employer. But the duke persisted in being oblivious to what was
passing under his eyes. Thus, while awaiting the moment for his final
defection, the Italian found it possible to enter into communication
with Rene and to retard the operations of the siege so as to give time
for the advance of the army of relief.

The weather of this year was a marked contrast to the mild season of
1473. The winter set in early and the cold became very severe, almost
at once. Their sufferings made the burghers very impatient for the
relief of whose coming they could get no certain assurance. The
Burgundian lines were held so rigidly that the interchange of messages
between the city and her friends was rendered very difficult.[12] One
Suffren de Baschi tried to slip through to Nancy, to tell the besieged
that Rene was levying troops in Switzerland and would soon be with
them. Baschi fell into the duke's hands and was immediately hanged.
One story says that Campobasso was among the interceders for his life
and received a box on the ear for his pains, an insult that proved the
last straw in his allegiance to Charles. Commines, however, declares
that the Italian urged the death of the captive, fearful of the
premature betrayal of his own intended treachery.

This execution was one of those arbitrary acts condemned by public
opinion as contrary to the code of warfare. Intense indignation among
the Lorrainers and the Swiss forced Rene to retaliatory measures, and
he ordered the execution of all the Burgundian prisoners. One hundred
and twenty bodies hung on the gibbets, each bearing an inscription
to the effect that their death was the work of _le temeraire_. The
rancour of the proceedings beca