rror and
weariness, and each time prayed me not to leave her; nor indeed did I
wish to do so. The end of it was that William Bull and I between us
half carried her with much toil to the cave of which I had spoken to my
mother. The task was heavy and slow, since always we must scramble over
sheer ground. What is more, a party of the French, seeing our plight,
followed us. Perhaps some of them guessed who the lady was, for there
were many spies in Hastings who might have told them, and desired to
capture and hold her to ransom.

At the least they came on after us and a few others, women all of them,
who had joined our company, being unable to travel further, or trusting
to William Bull and myself to protect them.

We reached the cave, and thrusting the women along it, William and I
stood in the mouth and waited. He had no bow and all my arrows were gone
save three, but of these I, who was noted for my archery, determined
to make the best use I could. So I drew them out, and having strung
the bow, sat down to get my breath. On came the French, shouting and
jabbering at us to the effect that they would cut our throats and carry
off _la belle dame_ to be their sport.

"She shall be mine!" yelled a big fellow with a flattened nose and a
wide mouth who was ahead of the others, and not more than fifty yards
away.

I rose, and praying my patron, good St. Hubert after whom I was named
because I first saw light upon his day, the 23rd of November, to give
me skill, I drew the great bow to my ear, aimed, and loosed. Nor did
St. Hubert, a lover of fine shooting, fail me in my need, for that arrow
rushed out and found its home in the big mouth of the Frenchman, through
which it passed, pinning his foul tongue to his neck bone.

Down he went, and cheered by the sight I refitted and loosed at the
next. Him, too, the arrow caught, so that he fell almost on the other.

I set the third and last arrow on the string and waited a space. Behind
these two was a squat, broad man, a knight I suppose, for he wore
armour, and had a shield with a cock painted on it. This man, frightened
by the fate of his companions, yet not minded to give up the venture
for those in rear of him urged him on, bent himself almost double, and
holding the shield over his helm which was closed, so as to protect his
head and body, came on at a good pace.

I waited till he was within five-and-twenty yards or so, hoping that
the roughness of the ground would cause