At the sight of their leader's fall the terrified Mamelukes scattered in all directions, trampling one another down in their panic-flight. At the same time the defenders of the church threw down their barricades and made a sortie, Dame Vizaknai at their head with a drawn sword, and close behind her the priests as standard-bearers with the church's banners. The great besieging host, thus caught between two fires, was cut in two, leaving a free space on one side for the scythes of the peasants, and on the other for the csakanys of the hussars. The csakany, by the way, is a mighty weapon in the hands of those who know how to use it. Its strokes are almost unavoidable. Its long, pointed beak smites down with such force as to crush shield and helmet to pieces, and a sword is no defence against it. Step by step the besieged and the relief party drew nearer to each other, driving before them the Janissaries, who contested every inch of ground, and even when lying on the ground half-dead, aimed with their daggers at the feet of the horses which trampled them down. Dame Vizaknai sprang towards Denis Banfi and seized his horse by the bridle. "The danger is great, my lord! The Turk is twenty to one. Come behind the churchyard wall." "I'll not budge a single step," replied Banfi coolly; "but that is no reason why you should not save yourself behind your barricades." "Not another step do I budge either," rejoined Dame Vizaknai. "I can defend myself!" cried Banfi vehemently. "And I too!" replied the lady proudly. The next instant fresh squadrons came streaming up from every quarter, as if they had fallen from the clouds or sprung from the earth--infantry and cavalry with long muskets, bows and arrows, and ribboned darts. "Ali! Ali! Allah akbar!" The Hungarian forces ranged themselves in battle array, with their backs to the churchyard wall, and awaited the attack. From the end of the street a glittering array of horsemen was seen approaching; it consisted of a picked corps of Spahis[39] on stately Arabs, whose emerald-set saddles sparkled in the firelight. In their midst rode Ali on a slender, snow-white Barbary steed, in his hand flashed a diamond-hilted scimitar; on his head he wore a turbaned helmet; his long black beard fell down over his silver breastplate. On coming within gunshot of Banfi's host, he halted and marshalled his squadrons. [Footnote 39: _Spahis._ Light Turkish cavalry.] Hitherto Banfi had not touched his pistols, the wonderfully-carved ivory handles of which peeped forth from his holsters. But now he drew them forth and handed them to Dame Vizaknai. "Take them!" said he; "you must have wherewith to defend yourself." Meanwhile Ali Pasha had sent forward a herald, who, drawing near to the Hungarians, delivered the following message to them--