Seeing that their adversaries were disposed to hold their hands until the couple engaged had finished their encounter, Sir Robert's two companions stood waiting for their turn till the unequal match was finished; for unequal it was, Denis being pressed hard in the fierce onslaught made by the strong-armed bully, who kept on thrusting and driving the boy sideways as, lithe and agile, he avoided or parried every thrust. At last his fate seemed sealed, for his arm was growing weak and his defence being beaten down, when with a quick movement and just in the nick of time Leoni made a sudden dart forward and turned aside a very awkward thrust. "Ah! Coward!" roared the English officer. "Two to one! Here, boys, come on!" The command was unnecessary, for Leoni's action was imitated at once by Sir Robert's followers, who sprang forward, to have their blades engaged at once by Saint Simon and the King. Then in a general _melee_ the swords gritted and twined and seemed like flashing serpents in deadly fray, while those who grasped them came in contact with and were hindered by the furniture of the by no means extensive room. The floor was made slippery by the wine which bedewed the boards, but before the encounter had lasted a minute there were other drops which added to the peril; for Denis's thin blade had passed along the fleshiest part of the English captain's ribs, and raging now with passion and pain as he felt the sting, he fought furiously, forcing Leoni to do more than guard the boy, whose strength was utterly failing; and interposing now, he literally took the Englishman's blade to his own, beat upon it heavily, and the next moment sent it flying through the open window, out of which he was to have been made to jump. Uttering a yell of fury, Sir Robert snatched the dagger from his waist, and regardless of the danger, sprang with a yell at Denis, when the door was suddenly flung open and an officer of halberdiers stepped in, backed up by about a dozen followers, whose approach had been unheard, while about a score more could be seen forming up through the window, their great steal spears with their battle-axe blades glittering in the ruddy evening sun. As if moved by one impulse, everyone within the room lowered his blade, while the King, taking in his position at a glance, and placing his own interpretation thereon, ejaculated angrily the one word: "Trapped!" CHAPTER TWENTY TWO. WHAT DENIS THOUGHT. "Sir Robert! Gentlemen!" cried the officer in command of the halberdiers. "What does this mean?" "Can't you see?" growled Sir Robert angrily. "Fighting. Chastising a pack of insolent musicians, dancing masters, or whatever they are, who insulted us." "It is not true!" cried Denis angrily; and as he spoke Carrbroke, who had received warning from one of the inn servants of the fight that was going on, shouldered his way in through the halberdiers. "These men, whoever they are--they cannot be gentlemen--"