rance from us. These and the few that swam, and the few that escaped
in boats, and some that hid themselves in cave or brake, and afterwards
escaped, were the scanty sum of that bodyguard of Le Grand Geoffroy that
got to their ships.
The rest lay on the road, or in the water-way, or here where the shore
met the white roll of the surf, in great heaps that the waves played
with, as they rolled up and ran back dyed with blood. So we islanders of
Guernsey and Brethren of the Vale dealt with one-half of the pirates'
force, while good Samson d'Anville did likewise with the other half as
they fled to the Grand Havre.
It was when we at last rested from this sad work of slaughter that I
looked up to the clear sky, since earth and sea seemed all defiled with
blood, and lo! there on the spur of land that divideth the Bay of Moulin
Huet from the Bay of All Saints, high up on the top, with his form
outlined against the sky, sat Le Grand Sarrasin on his Arabian steed. I
showed him in a moment to Hugo.
"Fools that we be," cried he, "that stain our hands in this foul work
upon these paltry runaways, while he, the chief cause of these men's
offending, still goes free!"
"See," I said, "the monster gazes down on the downfall of his lieges,
and sees them die without a care!"
"Ay, for he knows," said Hugo, "there is plenty of evil men in the world
for him still to lead."
With that Hugo picked out some twenty of his most trusted men and bade
us follow him.
So we started up the cliff side by a little path that wound upward amid
the gorse. And still all the time as we toiled with foot and hand at
climbing, upon the summit sat the Sarrasin, as though with a proud air
deriding our attack.
"Whom seek you, good gentlemen?" he cried to us as we climbed below.
"A vile knave and caitiff!" Hugo cried back.
"He hath not passed this way," shouted the Sarrasin, "so lose not your
labour, good sirs, at this boys' play of climbing."
"It is not boys' play down yonder!" returned Hugo. "Oh, villain, cursed
villain, we will mete you the same measure!"
"Then you must rival my Pearl of Seville!" he cried, just galloping
lightly away as we landed on the summit.
So he had got away to some secret place, of which there were so many on
the coast, had he not met full-tilt a strong band of the Normans that
were even now on the road, being sent down by Samson to see that we were
not worsted.
These he met tramping to Moulin Huet Bay, and, w
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