m of his
antagonist, and, holding it a moment, struck through the man's body
with his own weapon, which he shortened in his grasp. A second later
the fellow was writhing on the ground beneath the feet of the various
steeds, and helping to crimson the snow, as the others had done who
had fallen previously.

"_Pasquedieu!_" the comrades heard the leader mutter through the bars
of his helmet, "we fail." Then, as he and St. Georges wheeled around
on their horses, while still their weapons clashed and writhed
together, he shouted to the man who had taken no part in the affray,
"Hound! cur! come and render assistance!"

"Ay," exclaimed Boussac, "come and render him assistance. The chances
are even without you. We shall defeat him ere long if you assist not!"
and with a mocking laugh he again attacked his own particular
adversary, taking heed at the same time to insure that no thrust nor
blow of his should strike the precious burden under St. Georges's arm.

In truth, the fellow skulking on the horse seemed to think that
matters tended in the direction indicated, for, instead of responding
to the leader's orders, he shook up the reins of his own horse, and in
a moment had vanished into the night, leaving the four combatants
equally matched--except that on the side of St. Georges and Boussac
there was the child to be protected.

And now those four set grimly to work--though had there been an
onlooker of the fray in that deserted churchyard he would have said
that the defenders, and not the attackers, had most stomach for the
fight! St. Georges, his blood at boiling point at the assaults made on
his little child--now screaming lustily at the noise and clash of
steel, and perhaps at the unwonted tossing about to which it had been
subjected--fought determinately, his teeth clinched, his eyes gleaming
fire. He had sworn to kill this assassin, who had led his band
against him. He meant to kill him!

Yet it was hard to do--the other was himself a swordsman of skill.
But, skilful as he was, one good thing had now happened: neither he
nor his follower could any more threaten harm to the little Dorine!
They had sufficient to do to protect themselves from the two
soldiers--to protect themselves from the blows and thrusts that came
at them; so that, at last, they were forced to retreat down the slope
to the road--driven back by the irresistible fury of St. Georges and
his follower. And, eventually, seeing that he had got the worst o