and which opened
its gates at sight of their banners. Here an interesting ceremony took
place. Du Guesclin and the other leaders of the Free Companies, with as
much assurance as if they had already conquered Castile, offered Henry the
throne.

"Take the crown," said the burly leader. "You owe this honor to the many
noble knights who have elected you their leader in this campaign. Don
Pedro, your enemy, has refused to meet you in the battle-field, and thus
acknowledges that the throne of Castile is vacant."

Henry held back. He felt that these foreigners had not the crown of
Castile in their gift. But when the Castilians present joined in the
demand he yielded, and permitted them to place the crown upon his head.
His chief captain at once unfurled the royal standard, and passed through
the camp, crying, "Castile for King Henry! Long live King Henry!" Then,
amid loud acclamations, he planted the banner on the crest of a hill on
the road to Burgos.

We need not delay on the events of this campaign. Everywhere the people of
Castile fell away from their cruel king, and Henry's advance was almost
unopposed. Soon he was in Burgos, and Don Pedro had become a fugitive
without an army and almost without a friend. Henry was now again crowned
king, many of the Castilian nobles taking part in the imposing ceremony.

The first acts of the new king were to recompense the men who had raised
him to that high office. The money which he found in the treasury served
as a rich reward to the followers of Du Guesclin. He gave titles of
nobility and grants of land with a free hand to the chiefs of the Free
Companies and his other companions in arms. On Du Guesclin he conferred
his own countship of Trastamara, and added to it the lordship of Molino,
with the domains appertaining to both. Calverley was made Count of
Carrion, and received the domains which had formerly been held by the
sons-in-law of the Cid. Lesser rewards were given to lesser chiefs, and
none had reason to accuse Henry of Castile of want of generosity.

But the Free Companions soon became a sword in the side of the new king.
As there was no more fighting to be done, they resumed their old
occupation of pillaging, and from every side complaints rained in upon the
throne. Henry felt it necessary to get rid of his unruly friends with all
despatch. Retaining Du Guesclin and Calverley in his service, with fifteen
hundred lances, mainly French and Breton, he dismissed the remaind