ess, and with a rush a single horseman looking like a
dark shadow dashed down upon the group, scattering, so to speak, with
wondrous rapidity a perfect shower of thrusts, making those who pinioned
King and courtier fall back, some in surprise and dread, others in agony
or in death, leaving their prisoners at liberty to assume the offensive
once again and aid their new supporter in his gallant efforts upon their
behalf.

"Right!" he shouted, in a strange shrill voice. "About at once! Now,
all together, charge!" And, taking advantage of the temporary
astonishment of the enemy, the new-comer ranged himself by the King's
side, and all setting spurs to their horses, the brave beasts shook
themselves free from those who grasped their reins, and together broke
into a gallop, trampling down and driving to the right and left those
who, half-hearted now, held fast and strove to stop their way.

The attempt was vain, and away the little party went along the dim,
shadowy road for about a hundred yards, when the stranger's voice rose
above the trampling hoofs in the order to halt and turn, followed by a
louder command to charge back once more.

They needed no urging on the part of the riders, for the horses, excited
now to the fullest extent, recognised the orders, and broke into a
gallop once again, dashing back over the ground they had just traversed
towards where men were gathering together in obedience to excited voices
and preparing to once more stop their way. For the danger was not yet
over; the first charge had driven the horsemen, who had so far not been
seen but heard, into a headlong flight; but at the halt they had rallied
again, and as the gallant little band of four had turned for their
second charge were coming on in full pursuit.

"Gallop!" yelled their new ally, and even in the wild excitement of
those few moments, while he seemed borne here and there like the
prisoner of his friends, the only help given being by the weight of his
horse, Denis fell to wondering who the gallant Englishman could be that
had come so opportunely to their aid; for there was a something not
familiar in the tones which, trumpet-like, gave forth their orders, but
somehow strange in the way in which they seemed to raise echoes in his
brain.

"Gallop!" he yelled again. "France! France!" And like a flash the
question darted through the boy's brain, why should he use the
battle-cry of France?

Momentary all this as, before reachin