of the Good Knight,
and sent him forth with a trumpeter in attendance to conduct him back to
his garrison.

They had not gone very far, only about twelve miles from Milan, when they
met the main body of the French army. Every one was greatly surprised to
see Bayard, for there had been great sorrow at the rumour that the gallant
knight had been too rash and had been taken prisoner through his youthful
boldness and rashness. When he reached the camp he found that the news of
his exploit had preceded him, for the Sire de Ligny, his good leader, came
forward to meet him with a smile, saying: "Hallo! Picquet, who has got you
out of prison? Have you paid your ransoms' I was on the point of sending
one of my trumpeters to pay it and fetch you back."

"My lord," replied the Good Knight, "I thank you humbly for your good will;
but the lord Lodovico set me free by his great courtesy."

It was at Novara that Lodovico Sforza met the army of France. The Duke's
forces were composed of different races--German "landsknechte," Burgundians
who were commanded by the same Claude de Vauldray who had fought with the
Good Knight in his first tournament, and Swiss mercenaries. There were
bands of Swiss fighting on the side of the French, and those within the
city declared that they would not fight against their fellow-countrymenn in
the other camp. They laid down their arms, and neither threat nor promise
availed. Soon it was discovered that one of the gates of Novara had been
opened by treachery, and that the French were entering the city. Then, as a
last hope, Lodovico and his companions put on the dress of common soldiers
and mixed with them in the ranks. But the unfortunate Duke was betrayed by
one of the Swiss captains, who was put to death later by his own countrymen
as a traitor.

On the occasion of Louis' former conquest of this land he had given several
important towns and estates to his general, the Sire de Ligny. These had
revolted with the rest of the duchy, to the great annoyance of de Ligny,
and a report reached the citizens of Tortona and Voghera that their homes
were to be sacked and pillaged. This was of course in those days the usual
penalty of rebellion, but the French general was a generous and merciful
man who had no such cruel intentions. However, the inhabitants of Voghera
took counsel together, and twenty of the chief merchants went forth to meet
their lord and humbly pray for mercy, two miles outside the city gates.