t country sterile, I fertilized it with
blood. Time and again I was urged to go to the rear because the command
could not proceed on account of my dead. And yet you, you miscreant,
accuse me of climbing trees! Pah!"

And he strode out, with a lofty air, for the recital of his imaginary
deeds had already set him up again and made him feel good.

Next day we mounted and faced toward Chinon. Orleans was at our back now,
and close by, lying in the strangling grip of the English; soon, please
God, we would face about and go to their relief. From Gien the news had
spread to Orleans that the peasant Maid of Vaucouleurs was on her way,
divinely commissioned to raise the siege. The news made a great
excitement and raised a great hope--the first breath of hope those poor
souls had breathed in five months. They sent commissioners at once to the
King to beg him to consider this matter, and not throw this help lightly
away. These commissioners were already at Chinon by this time.

When we were half-way to Chinon we happened upon yet one more squad of
enemies. They burst suddenly out of the woods, and in considerable force,
too; but we were not the apprentices we were ten or twelve days before;
no, we were seasoned to this kind of adventure now; our hearts did not
jump into our throats and our weapons tremble in our hands. We had
learned to be always in battle array, always alert, and always ready to
deal with any emergency that might turn up. We were no more dismayed by
the sight of those people than our commander was. Before they could form,
Joan had delivered the order, "Forward!" and we were down upon them with
a rush. They stood no chance; they turned tail and scattered, we plowing
through them as if they had been men of straw. That was our last
ambuscade, and it was probably laid for us by that treacherous rascal,
the King's own minister and favorite, De la Tremouille.

We housed ourselves in an inn, and soon the town came flocking to get a
glimpse of the Maid.

Ah, the tedious King and his tedious people! Our two good knights came
presently, their patience well wearied, and reported. They and we
reverently stood--as becomes persons who are in the presence of kings and
the superiors of kings--until Joan, troubled by this mark of homage and
respect, and not content with it nor yet used to it, although we had not
permitted ourselves to do otherwise since the day she prophesied that
wretched traitor's death and he was straight