nd show the
furious foe that when it is a matter of fighting for hearth and home
nobody is too weak.'"

Banfy called out to his squire in a hoarse voice to bring him his
shield, lance and helmet, and motioned to the panting messenger to go
on with his story.

"At these words, there was a cry of rage among the people. The women
ran for arms like so many furies and by the side of their husbands who
were changed into heroes by the decision of their wives, they mounted
the walls. Everybody took what he could find, scythes, shovels or
flails. Madame Vizaknai was everywhere at once; gave orders,
encouraged the fighters, had the church barricaded, oil and brimstone
boiled and the bridges torn down, so that when I rode out of the town
it was already in a state of defence. I swam the Koeroes, to avoid that
long way, and came through the forests and bypaths."

By the end of this story, Banfy seemed to be beside himself. He did
not wait for armor or helmet, shouted for a horse and as he mounted,
called back to Veer;--"Follow me to Banfy-Hunyad. Let the foot
soldiers ascend Mount Gyalu by a detour; the horsemen may follow me to
Klausenburg. When you are near, light fires on the mountains that I
may make an attack on the enemy at once with the van of the cavalry."

"Would it not be better for your Excellency to stay with the main
army?" said Veer, anxiously.

"Do as I bid you," said Banfy, and giving spur to his horse he bounded
off. Ten to twenty horsemen joined him.

"What does he mean," said Veer, "that he neither waits for us, nor
tells his wife nor the Princess, who is a guest here?"

"When I informed him that Madame Vizaknai was defending Banfy-Hunyad
he was dismayed," said Burkoe, by way of explanation. "She is a
youthful love of his whom he forgot in later life, but now that he
hears of her bravery the old love seems to have sprung up again."

George Veer was quite content with this explanation, ordered his
troops to mount at once and rode off, first giving orders to inform
Madame Banfy of a trifling engagement with the troops at Klausenburg.
The command of the infantry he intrusted to Captain Michael Angyal,
who did not set out until evening, for the way to the snow mountains
was a shorter one.

* * * * *

When George Veer reached Klausenburg he did not find Banfy there; the
general had gone on an hour before with two hundred horse. Veer
ordered his troops not to halt long and fol