n a blazing town that met Duke William's anger. I saw in the
north the great eygre rush through Lindis' bed, and swamp the peaceful
plain with doom and ruin. Not less resistless, not less vehement was the
first assault of Samson's Normans. And I knew now, as I looked, how, by
fire and spirit more than by numbers, William won the famous day of
Val-es-dunes, and I might have guessed, had I known what was to hap ere
ten years had run away, what would come to pass below Hastings in
England on the crown of Senlac.

They recked not of death or wounds--where one line fell, another took
its place. Like a river that ceaselessly flows, they swarmed into the
Castle, and closed with the Moors. So it seemed that, overcome by the
ferocity of the onslaught, the Moors soon gave up all effort to defend
the wall, but reinforced the troop that held the crest of the hill, that
contended in a mighty struggle with the invading Normans. This way and
that way the battle surged. Now it seemed they would drive them back
after all, now they themselves were carried backward. Norman and pirate
were mixed strangely together in this fierce conflict. We expected each
moment that the signal for us to join the fray would ring out, but it
came not. It seemed to us that Samson, greedy of honour for his men,
desired to claim the total glory of the victory. But we knew not his
great sagacity, nor what a strength we were to him lying there in
ambush.

But what of Le Grand Geoffroy? We saw him bear the first brunt of the
onset. He rushed then like a flame from line to line. And where he was,
the Moors seemed to rush on to victory. Once Samson and he had met, but
supported by two smart swordsmen, the Sarrasin had retired and left
Samson to them. And now we espied him not, and hoped some hand had
struck him that we saw not. Meanwhile, the Normans made great way, and
drave the enemy back step by step, killing as they went.

Le Grand Geoffroy was neither wounded nor dead! With a great shout he
came forth from the very womb of the earth with another swarm of
warriors at his heels, and we saw that this last reserve had been kept
back to surprise us in the rear. Then, as the great monster rushed in
upon the Normans, while still they poured into the Castle, rang out the
signal on the trumpet, and from our ward of trees we lusty islanders and
zealous monks sprang in to do our share. Here was Hugo, and I his
esquire, in the front rank of them all; here was poor distr