a lesson to her; she saw to it that the game was not played a second
time.

Why was Joan's idea insane, from the generals' point of view, but not
from hers? Because her plan was to raise the siege immediately, by
fighting, while theirs was to besiege the besiegers and starve them out
by closing their communications--a plan which would require months in the
consummation.

The English had built a fence of strong fortresses called bastilles
around Orleans--fortresses which closed all the gates of the city but
one. To the French generals the idea of trying to fight their way past
those fortresses and lead the army into Orleans was preposterous; they
believed that the result would be the army's destruction. One may not
doubt that their opinion was militarily sound--no, would have been, but
for one circumstance which they overlooked. That was this: the English
soldiers were in a demoralized condition of superstitious terror; they
had become satisfied that the Maid was in league with Satan. By reason
of this a good deal of their courage had oozed out and vanished. On the
other hand, the Maid's soldiers were full of courage, enthusiasm, and
zeal.

Joan could have marched by the English forts. However, it was not to be.
She had been cheated out of her first chance to strike a heavy blow for
her country.

In camp that night she slept in her armor on the ground. It was a cold
night, and she was nearly as stiff as her armor itself when we resumed
the march in the morning, for iron is not good material for a blanket.
However, her joy in being now so far on her way to the theater of her
mission was fire enough to warm her, and it soon did it.

Her enthusiasm and impatience rose higher and higher with every mile
of progress; but at last we reached Olivet, and down it went, and
indignation took its place. For she saw the trick that had been played
upon her--the river lay between us and Orleans.

She was for attacking one of the three bastilles that were on our
side of the river and forcing access to the bridge which it guarded (a
project which, if successful, would raise the siege instantly), but
the long-ingrained fear of the English came upon her generals and they
implored her not to make the attempt. The soldiers wanted to attack,
but had to suffer disappointment. So we moved on and came to a halt at a
point opposite Checy, six miles above Orleans.

Dunois, Bastard of Orleans, with a body of knights and citizens, came
up fr