Evening star., 1905-11-07
THE WHITE COMPANY
BY A. CONAN DOYLE.
CHAPTER XXX.
How Five Men Held the Keep Of Vii
lefranche.

How Five Men Held the Keep of Viii
lefranche.
Under the guidance of the French squire
the party passed down two narrow corri-
doris The first was empty but at the head
of the second stood peasant sentry, who
started off at the sight of them, yelling
loudly to his comrades.
stop him, or we are undoner' cried Du
Guesciin and had started to run. when
Aylward's great war bow twanged like
harp string, and the man fell forward upon
his face. with twitching limbs and clutch
ing fingers. Within Ave PAGES Of where ne
lay a narrow and little used door led out
into the bailey From beyond it came such
a babel of lrootfng and screaming, horrible
oaths and yet more horrible laughter, that
the stoutest heart might have shrunk from
casting down the frail barrier which faced
them.
Make straight for the keep! said Du
Guesclin, in a sharp. stern whisper Inc
two archers in 'front.' the lady In the. cen
ter a squire on either side, while we three
knights shall bide behind and beat pack
those who press upon us. So. NOW open
the door, and God have us In his holy
keeping!,
For few moments 1t seemed that tnelr
object would be attained without danger,
so swift and SO silent had been their
movements. They were half way across
the bailey ere the frantic. bowling peasants
made movement to stop them. Inc LIE"
who threw themselves in their way were
overpowered brushed aside. wh1e the
pursuers were beaten back by the ready
weapons of the three cavaliers Unscatheo
they fought their way to the door OF the
mob, while the squire thrust the great key
into the lock.
my Godr' he cried, at is the wrong
key"
THE wrong key
tDolt fool that am! This is the key Oh
the castle gate; the other opens the keep
l must back for H!'
He turned, with some wild intention OF
retracing his steps, but at the instant
great Jagged rock hurled by braWny
peasant, struck him full upon the ear, ana
he dropped senseless to the ground
This is key enough for mel quoth tHor-
die John. picking up the huge stone and
hurting it against the door with all the
strength of his enormous body The lock
shiyered the wood smashed, the stone new
into five pieces, but the iron clamps StlIl
held the door in its position. Bending down.
he thrust his great fingers under II, ana
with a heave raised the whole mass OF
wood and iron from it's hinges. For mo-
ment II tottered and swayed, and then.
falling outward, buried him in its ruin.
while his comrades rushed into the dark
archway which led to safety.
up the steps. Tiphaine! cried Du cues
clin. Now round, friends, and beat them
back"
The mob of peasants had surged in upon
their heels. but the two trustiest blades In
Europe cleaned upon that narrow stair,
and four of their number dropped upon the
| bra n back and gath
cred in a half circle round the open door.
gnashing their teeth and shaking their
clenched hands at the defenders The body
of. the French squire had been dragged out
by them and hacked to pieces. Three or
four others had pulled John from under
the door, when he suddenly bounded to his
feet, and clutching one in either hand,
dashed them together with such force that
they fell senseless across each other upon
the ground. With a kick and a blow he
freed himself from two others who chung
to him, and in a moment he was WITHIN the
portal with his comrades.
Yet their position was desperate one.
The peasants from far and near had been
assembled for this deed of vengeance, and
not less than six thousand were within or
around the walls of the Chateau or Vile
franche Ill armed and half starved, they
were still desperate men, to whom danger
had lost all fears: for what was death that
they should shun 1t to cling to such Me
as theirs? The castle was theirs. and the
roaring flames were squirting through the
windows and fickering high above the tur-
rets on two sides of the quadrangle. From
either side they were sweeping down from
room to room and from bastion to bastion
In the direction Of the keep. Faced by an
army and girt in by fire were six men and
one woman; but some of them were men so
trained to danger and so wise In war that
even now the combat was less unequal than
1t seemed. Courage and resource were PEN
ned in by desperation and numbers, while
the great yellow sheets of flame threw their
lurid glare over the scene Of death.
There is but space for two upon step
to give free play to our sword-arms,' said
Du Guesclin. do you stand with me. Nj
gel, upon the lowest. France and England
pray you to stand behind us with this
young squire. The archers may go higher
yet and shoot over our heads. / would that
we had our harness. Nigel!'
"Often have I heard my dear Sir John
Chandos say that knight should never,
even when a guest be parted from 1t. Yet
1t will be more honor to us If We come well
out of 1t. We have a vantage since We see
them against the light, and they scarce
see u.s. 1t seems to me that they muster
for an onslaught"
eff We can but keep them in play" said
the Bohemian ''it is likely that these flames
may bring us succor If there be any true
men in the country"
''Bethink YOU my fair lord" said Alleyne
to Sir Nigel, that we have never injured
these men, nor have We cause of quarrel
for the lady's sake, to speak them fair and
see If we may not come to honorable terms
with them?'
mot so, by st. PAUL" cried Sir Nigel
'It does not accord with mine honor nor
shall it ever be said that /, knight of Eng
| land. was ready to hold parley with men
| who have slain a fair lady and a holy
priest"
''As well hold parley with pack of raw
| ening wolves. said the French captain.
| 'Ha! Notre Dame du Guesclin! st. Ives!
! ST. Ives!''
| AS he Numbered forth his war-cry, the
| Jacks who had been gathering before the
| black arch of the gateway rushed in madly
| in desperate effort to carry the staircase
| Their leaders were small man. dark in the
| face, with his beard done up in two plaits,
and another larger man, very bowed in the
| shoulders. with a huge club studded with
| sharp nails in his hand. The first had not
| taken three steps ere an arrow from Ayl-
wards bow struck him full In the chest
and he fell coughing and spluttering across
| the threshold The other rushed onward
| and breaking between Du Guescln and Sir
Nigel. he dashed out the brains of the
Bohemian with single blow Of his clumsy
weapon With three swords through him
| he still struggled ON. and had almost won
! his way through them ere he fell dead upon
| the stair. Close at his heels came a hun
~