"Ma foi, c’est de l’Hôpital, et ses gaillards. Je le connais par ses armoiries. Et voila! Gabriel de Monfalzois, c’est lui, a gauche, le petit, monté sur le grand hacquené. Aha! mon rusé soudard, c’est toi qui a brulé mon chateau," said the Marechal de Rieux, pointing to a squadron of men-at-arms who had halted out of bow-shot in the valley below. Two or three arbalisters had dismounted, and one had advanced within shot, and it was his quarrel which had struck the English archer off his horse; but Ralph was delighted to see a shot from one of their own men, who had also dismounted, take effect on the Frenchman, for he threw up his hands and fell to the ground. "Who’s that?" said Lord Woodville, who had seen the shot. "What! is’t thou, David Urry? here’s a gold piece for thee for having dropped the first Frenchman to-day." "Shall we charge them, my lord," said the Captain, turning to the old baron. "Mais non, milord, ce n’est rien," replied the tough Marshal. The vanguard, however, was advanced to the brow of the hill; the cannon were also brought forward, and the enemy retired. Another hour of broiling heat ensued. The men became restive. Murmurs at this prolonged inaction could be heard on all sides; and here and there the cry so fatal to French arms, and, at the same time so useful to explain their defeats, was heard--"Nous sommes trahis." At last, about one o’clock, the gleam of lances could be seen among the trees which skirted the road below, and the cloud of dust, which rose above the foliage, told of a moving host. "They’re coming now, Dicky," said Ralph; "we shall soon begin." "Poor fools!" said Dicky, contemptuously; "I am sorry for them; but, after all, ’tis what we’ve come for. I shall keep my eye on a knave in a good suit of armour, and well mounted, too. None of your scurvy beggars for me. And, Ralph, I’ll stand you a good supper to-night, if I am not all melted away. Marry, I am hot!" "Look at the cannon they are bringing up," said Maurice. "Humph! I hope our fellows will knock them over." "They’ve brought them near enough. Why ever don’t our knaves begin? Ah! there they go," added Dicky, as a flash and cloud of smoke flew out, and a loud report followed, causing all the horses of the men-at-arms to prance and rear, and unseating several of their riders. "Well, that did do a parlous deal of harm! there’s more off on our side than there is on the other," said Dicky. "But, mercy on us, what a whizz!" he added, ducking his head; "whose head’s off, I marvel!" as a round shot came hurtling through the air, without doing any harm, however. "We’d best retire our men behind the brow of the hill," said Lord Woodville. The division was, therefore, ordered back a few yards, and moved a little to the right, so as to be out of the line of fire.