it was an enormous price for those other animals � a price which naturally seems incredible to you it was the war you see it worked two ways it made meat dear and prisoners cheap well here were these poor being carried off what could we do very little of a permanent sort but we did what we could we sent a messenger flying to and we and the french guards halted the procession for a � to gain time you see a big lost his temper and swore a great oath that none should stop him he would go and would take his prisoner with him but we blocked him off and he saw that he was mistaken about going � he couldn t do it he by of arc exploded into the and then and his prisoner from his back stood him up all bound and helpless then drew his knife and said to us with a light of sarcastic triumph in his eye i may not carry him away you say � yet he is mine none will dispute it since i may not convey him hence this property of mine there is another way yes i can kill him not even the among you will question that right ah you had not thought of that � that poor starved fellow begged us with his piteous eyes to save him then spoke and said he had a wife and little children at home think how it wrung our but what could we do the was within his right we could only beg and plead for the prisoner which we did and the enjoyed it he stayed his hand to hear more of it and laugh at it that stung then the dwarf said young let me him for when a matter requiring persuasion is to the fore i have indeed a gift in that sort as any will tell you that know me well you smile and that is punishment for my vanity and fairly earned i grant it you still if i may toy a little just a little � saying which he stepped to the and began a fair soft speech all of goodly and gentle tenor and in the midst he mentioned the maid and was going on to say how she out of her good by of arc heart would prize and praise this compassionate deed which he was about to � it was as far as he got the burst into his smooth with an insult at of arc we sprang forward but the dwarf his face all livid brushed us aside and said in a most grave and earnest way � � i your patience am not i her guard of honor this is my affair and saying this he suddenly shot his right hand out and the great by the throat and so held him upright on his feet you have insulted the maid he said � and the maid is france the tongue that does that a long one heard the muffled of bones the s eyes began to from their and stare with a leaden at the color deepened in his face and became an purple his hands hung down limp his body with a shiver every muscle relaxed its and ceased from its function the dwarf took away his hand and the column of sank to the ground we struck the bonds from the prisoner and told him he was free his crawling changed to frantic joy in a moment and his ghastly fear to a childish rage he flew at that dead corpse and kicked it in its face danced upon it crammed mud into its mouth laughing cursing and by of arc forth and like a drunken it was a thing to be expected makes few saints many of the laughed others were indifferent none was surprised but presently in his mad the freed man within reach of the waiting file and another promptly slipped a knife through his neck and down he went with a his brilliant blood ten feet as straight and bright as a ray of light there was a great burst of jolly laughter all around from friend and foe alike and thus closed one of the incidents of my military life and now came and deeply troubled she considered the claim of the garrison then said you have right upon your side it is plain it was a careless word to put in the treaty and covers too much but ye may not take these poor men away they are french and i will not have it the king shall them every one wait till i send you word from him and hurt no hair of their heads for i tell you i who speak that that would cost you very dear that settled it the prisoners were safe for one while anyway then she rode back eagerly and required that thing of the king and listen to no and no excuses so the king told her to have her way and she rode straight back and bought the free in his name and let them go by chapter it was here that we saw again the grand master of the king s household in whose castle was guest when she at in those first days of her coming out of her own country she made him of now by the king s permission and now we marched again surrendered to us and there by in a talk being asked if she had no fears for the future said yes one � treachery who could believe it who could dream it and yet in a sense it was prophecy truly man is a pitiful animal we marched marched kept on marching and at last on the i th of july we came in sight of our goal and saw the great cathedral towers of rise out of the distance after 