up on the battlements, and
dashed down the ladders till he was shot by a famous marksman of
Lorraine.

Suffolk and his brother were taken prisoners. According to one account,
written at the time, Suffolk surrendered to the Maid, as 'the most
valiant woman in the world.' And thus the Maid stormed Jargeau.

HOW THE MAID DEFEATED THE ENGLISH AT PATHAY, AND OF THE STRANGE GUIDE

The French slew some of their prisoners at Jargeau. Once Joan saw a
man-at-arms strike down a prisoner. She leaped from her horse, and laid
the wounded Englishman's head on her breast, consoling him, and bade a
priest come and hear his confession. Cruel and cowardly deeds are done
in all wars, but when was there ever such a general as the Maid, to
comfort the dying?

From Jargeau the Maid rode back to Orleans, where the people could not
look on her enough, and made great festival. Many men came in to fight
under her flag, among them Richemont, who had been on bad terms with
Charles, the uncrowned king. Then Joan took the bridge-fort at Meun,
which the English held; next she drove the English at Beaugency into the
citadel, and out of the town.

[Illustration: One Englishman at least died well]

As to what happened next, we have the story of Wavrin, who was fighting
on the English side under Fastolf.[19] The garrison of the English in
Beaugency, he says, did not know whether to hold out or to yield. Talbot
reported all this to Bedford, at Paris, and large forces were sent to
relieve Beaugency. Wavrin rode with his captain, Fastolf, to Senville,
where Talbot joined them, and a council was held. Fastolf said that the
English had lost heart, and that Beaugency should be left to its fate,
while the rest held out in strong places and waited for reinforcements.
But Talbot cried that, if he had only his own people, he would fight
the French, with the help of God and St. George. Next morning Fastolf
repeated what he had said, and declared that they would lose all King
Henry had won, But Talbot was for fighting. So they marched to a place
between Meun and Beaugency, and drew up in order of battle. The French
saw them, and occupied a strong position on a little hill. The English
then got ready, and invited the French to come down and fight on the
plain. But Joan was not so chivalrous as James IV. at Flodden.

[Illustration: THE ENGLISH ARCHERS BETRAYED BY THE STAG]

'Go you to bed to-night, for it is late; to-morrow, so please God and
Our Lady, we w