ght be heard their cries and whoops
of delight as they dragged forth the rich tapestries, the silver
flagons, and the carved furniture. Down in the courtyard half-clad
wretches, their bare limbs all mottled with blood-stains, strutted
about with plumed helmets upon their heads, or with the Lady Rochefort's
silken gowns girt round their loins and trailing on the ground behind
them. Casks of choice wine had been rolled out from the cellars, and
starving peasants squatted, goblet in hand, draining off vintages which
De Rochefort had set aside for noble and royal guests. Others, with
slabs of bacon and joints of dried meat upon the ends of their pikes,
held them up to the blaze or tore at them ravenously with their teeth.
Yet all order had not been lost amongst them, for some hundreds of the
better armed stood together in a silent group, leaning upon their rude
weapons and looking up at the fire, which had spread so rapidly as to
involve one whole side of the castle. Already Alleyne could hear the
crackling and roaring of the flames, while the air was heavy with heat
and full of the pungent whiff of burning wood.

CHAPTER XXXI. HOW FIVE MEN HELD THE KEEP OF VILLEFRANCHE

Under the guidance of the French squire the party passed down two narrow
corridors. The first was empty, but at the head of the second stood a
peasant sentry, who started off at the sight of them, yelling loudly to
his comrades. "Stop him, or we are undone!" cried Du Guesclin, and had
started to run, when Aylward's great war-bow twanged like a harp-string,
and the man fell forward upon his face, with twitching limbs and
clutching fingers. Within five paces of where he lay a narrow and
little-used door led out into the bailey. From beyond it came such a
Babel of hooting and screaming, horrible oaths and yet more horrible
laughter, that the stoutest heart might have shrunk from casting down
the frail barrier which faced them.

"Make straight for the keep!" said Du Guesclin, in a sharp, stern
whisper. "The two archers in front, the lady in the centre, a squire
on either side, while we three knights shall bide behind and beat back
those who press upon us. So! Now open the door, and God have us in his
holy keeping!"

For a few moments it seemed that their object would be attained without
danger, so swift and so silent had been their movements. They were
half-way across the bailey ere the frantic, howling peasants made a
movement to stop them. The few w