can join in
the comedy.'

"So we found ourselves within the gates with the swords of the guards in
our hands.

"'Remove your habits and stand forth as men.'

"And so we did and, giving the defenseless, surprised and chagrined
corporal a shove, I threw him into the moat and my men forced the others
to follow him, where, standing in water and mud to their arm pits and
facing an unscalable wall, they yelled an alarm and hoarsely bawled for
help.

"In the meantime, the castle and the neighboring wood were in commotion.
The watchmen on the walls had been shot down by the archers as had also
several soldiers who rushed to see what had caused the uproar. I had a
glimpse across the draw of Captain Hawkwood and his soldiers within a
hundred yards of the gate, when turning, I saw more than a hundred of
the castle guard running towards and within a few feet of our archway.

"They took us for the gate guards and yelled to draw the bridge and
close the gate, but instead, sword in hand, we stood at the entrance
waiting for them. Then, seeing they faced foes, they came on, but too
closely placed for free sword play.

"So the five of us held the gate; then four, then three, then but two,
and then I stood alone and as I pitched forward wounded and bleeding in
many places, you stepped over me, followed by your men and the battle
raged in the court of the castle.

"(The above account was given me by the friar when he recovered. I have
told it in his own words.)

"In a few minutes we were masters of the wall and court and our foes
masters of the castle proper.

"I had reason to be thankful for our bowmen, who, ranged around and
protected by the coping of the wall, made death certain for anyone
daring to approach a window or port hole of the castle, else our
quarters might have been most uncomfortable.

"Of our five masqueraders three were dead and the other two were sorely
wounded in many places. I staunched and dressed the wounds of the
ex-friar. In about an hour he opened his eyes and looking at me smiled
then sank into semi-conciousness.

"Placing the bowmen on the walls so as to command every aperture of the
castle I determined upon an assault of the main portal. The corporal and
gate guards having been lifted from the moat were placed in the front
line to shield us and we advanced against the great doors of the castle,
using a heavy bridge timber as a ram, and in a few minutes effected an
entrance, but found each foot