is gripping
them, but Small Back must lead down the dance with us all in our time."

"And you are going to throw that head into the Maes?" said Crawford,
looking more attentively on the ghastly memorial of mortality.

"Ay, truly am I," said Ludovic testily. "If you refuse a dying man his
boon, you are likely to be haunted by his ghost, and I love to sleep
sound at nights."

"You must take your chance of the ghaist, man," said Crawford; "for, by
my soul, there is more lies on that dead pow than you think for. Come
along with me--not a word more--Come along with me."

"Nay, for that matter," said Le Balafre, "I made him no promise; for, in
truth, I had off his head before the tongue had well done wagging; and
as I feared him not living, by St. Martin of Tours, I fear him as little
when he is dead. Besides, my little gossip, the merry Friar of St.
Martin's, will lend me a pot of holy water."

When high mass had been said in the Cathedral Church of Liege and the
terrified town was restored to some moderate degree of order, Louis and
Charles, with their peers around, proceeded to hear the claims of those
who had any to make for services performed during the battle. Those
which respected the County of Croye and its fair mistress were first
received, and to the disappointment of sundry claimants, who had thought
themselves sure of the rich prize, there seemed doubt and mystery to
involve their several pretensions. Crevecoeur showed a boar's hide, such
as De la Marck usually wore; Dunois produced a cloven shield with his
armorial bearings; and there were others who claimed the merit of having
dispatched the murderer of the Bishop, producing similar tokens--the
rich reward fixed on De la Marck's head having brought death to all who
were armed in his resemblance.

There was much noise and contest among the competitors, and Charles,
internally regretting the rash promise which had placed the hand and
wealth of his fair vassal on such a hazard, was in hopes he might find
means of evading all these conflicting claims, when Crawford pressed
forward into the circle, dragging Le Balafre after him, who, awkward and
bashful, followed like an unwilling mastiff towed on in a leash, as his
leader exclaimed, "Away with your hoofs and hides and painted iron!--No
one, save he who slew the Boar, can show the tusks!"

So saying, he flung on the floor the bloody head, easily known as
that of De la Marck by the singular conformation of the