第48章 OF THE FIGHTING AT LES AUGUSTINS AND THE PROPHECY

Now,the manner of the boulevard was this:first,there was a strong palisade,and many men mustered within it;then came a wide,deep,dry fosse;then a strong wall of earth,bound in with withes and palisaded,and within it the gate of the boulevard.When that was won,and the boulevard taken,men defending it might flee across a drawbridge,over a stream,narrow and deep and swift,into Les Tourelles itself.Here they were safe from them on the side of Orleans,by reason of the broken arch of the bridge.So strong was this tower,that Monseigneur the Duc d'Alencon,visiting it later,said he could have staked his duchy on his skill to hold it for a week at least,with but few men,against all the forces in France.

The captain of the English was that Glasdale who had reviled the Maid,and concerning whom she had prophesied that he should die without stroke of sword.There was no fiercer squire in England,and his men were like himself,being picked and chosen for that post;moreover their backs were at the wall,for the French and Scots once within the boulevard,it was in nowise easy for Talbot to bring the English a rescue,as was seen.

The battle began with shooting of couleuvrines at the palisade,to weaken it,and it was marvel to see how the Maid herself laid the guns,as cunningly as her own countryman,the famed Lorrainer.Now,when there was a breach in the palisade,Xaintrailles led on his company,splendid in armour,for he was a very brave young knight.

We saw the pales fall with a crash,and the men go in,and heard the cry of battle;but slowly,one by one,they staggered back,some falling,some reeling wounded,and rolling their bodies out of arrow-shot.And there,in the breach,shone the back-plate of Xaintrailles,his axe falling and rising,and not one foot he budged,till the men of La Hire,with a cry,broke in to back him,and after a little space,swords fell and rose no more,but we saw the banners waving of Xaintrailles and La Hire.Soon the side of the palisade towards us was all down,as if one had swept it flat with his hand,but there stood the earthen wall of the boulevard,beyond the fosse.Then,all orderly,marched forth a band of men in the colours of Florent d'Illiers,bearing scaling-ladders,and so began the escalade,their friends backing them by shooting of arbalests from behind the remnant of the palisade.A ladder would be set against the wall,and we could see men with shields,or doors,or squares of wood on their heads to fend off stones,swarm up it,and axes flashing on the crest of the wall,and arrows flying,and smoke of guns:but the smoke cleared,and lo!the ladder was gone,and the three libbards grinned on the flag of England.So went the war,company after company staggering thinned from the fosse,and re-forming behind the cover of the vineyards;company after company marching forth,fresh and glorious,to fare as their friends had fared.And ever,with each company,went the Maid at their head,and D'Aulon,she crying that the place was theirs and now was the hour!But the day went by,till the sun turned in heaven towards evening,and no more was done.The English,in sooth,showed no fear nor faint heart;with axe,and sword,and mace,and with their very hands they smote and grappled with the climbers,and I saw a tall man,his sword being broken,strike down a French knight with his mailed fist,and drag another from a ladder and take him captive.Boldly they showed themselves on the crest,running all risk of our arrows,as our men did of theirs.

Now came the Scots,under Kennedy.A gallant sight it was to see them advance,shoulder to shoulder--Scots of the Marches and the Lennox,Fife,Argyll,and the Isles,all gentlemen born.

"Come on!"cried Randal Rutherford."Come on,men of the Marches,Scots of the Forest,Elliots,Rutherfords,Armstrongs,and deem that,wheresoever a Southron slinks behind a stone,there is Carlisle wall!"The Rough Clan roared "Bellenden!"the Buchanans cried "Clare Innis,"a rag of a hairy Highlander from the Lennox blew a wild skirl on the war-pipes,and hearing the Border slogan shouted in a strange country,nom Dieu!my blood burned,as that of any Scotsman would.Contrary to the Maid's desire,for she had noted that I was wan and weary,and had commanded me to bide in cover,I cried "ALeslie!a Leslie!"and went forward with my own folk,sword in hand and buckler lifted.

Beside good Randal Rutherford I ran,and we both leaped together into the ditch.There was a forest of ladders set against the wall,and I had my foot on a rung,when the Maid ran up and cried,"Nom Dieu!what make you here?Let me lead my Scots";and so,pennon and axe in her left hand,she lightly leaped on the ladder,and arrows ringing on her mail,and a great stone glancing harmless from her salade,she so climbed that my lady's face on the pennon above her looked down into the English keep.

But,even then,I saw a face at an archere,an ill face and fell,the wolf's eyes of Brother Thomas glancing along the stock of an arbalest.

"Gardez-vous,Pucelle,gardez-vous!"I cried in her ear,for I was next her on the ladder;but a bolt whistled and smote her full,and reeling,she fell into my arms.

I turned my back to guard her,and felt a bolt strike my back-piece;then we were in the fosse,and all the Scots that might be were between her and harm.Swiftly they bore her out of the fray,into a little green vineyard,where was a soft grassy ditch.But the English so cried their hurrah,that it was marvel,and our men gave back in fear;and had not the Bastard come up with a fresh company,verify we might well have been swept into the Loire.