bas lieu, as they scornfully called her--and that they
would never permit themselves to be led or guided by one who could
have no knowledge of war, even though she might be able to read the
secrets of the future.

In spite of what had been now ruled by the Church concerning her,
there were always those, both in the French and English camps, who
called her a witch; and we, who heard so many flying rumours,
wondered greatly what view the redoubtable La Hire took of this
matter, and Dunois, the Bastard of Orleans, as he was often called.
For these two men, with Xaintrailles, were the ruling Generals in
Orleans, and their voice would be paramount with the army there,
and would carry much weight with those reinforcements for the
relieving force which we were to find awaiting us at Tours and at
Blois.

Now La Hire, as all men know, was a man of great renown, and of
immense personal weight and influence. He was a giant in stature,
with a voice like a trumpet, and thews of steel; a mighty man in
battle, a daring leader, yet cautious and sagacious withal; a man
feared and beloved by those whom he led in warfare; a gay roysterer
at other times, with as many strange oaths upon his lips as there
are saints in the calendar; what the English call a swashbuckler
and daredevil; a man whom one would little look to be led or guided
by a woman, for he was impatient of counsel, and headstrong alike
in thought and action.

And this was the man who was to meet us at Tours, form his
impression of the Maid, and throw the great weight of his personal
influence either into one scale or the other. Truth to tell, I was
something nervous of this ordeal, and there were many who shared my
doubts and fears. But the Maid rode onward, serene and calm, the
light of joy and hope in her eyes, untroubled by any doubts. At
last she was on her way to the relief of the beleaguered city;
there was no room for misgiving in her faithful heart.

We entered Tours amid the clashing of joy bells, the plaudits of
the soldiers, and the laughter, the weeping, the blessings of an
excited populace, who regarded the Maid as the saviour of the
realm. They crowded to their windows and waved flags and kerchiefs.
They thronged upon her in the streets to gaze at her fair face and
greet her as a deliverer.

It was indeed a moving scene; but she rode through it, calm and
tranquil, pausing in the press to speak a few words of thanks and
greeting, but preserving always her