heirs? 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 arr