They had not long to wait. Wellnigh breathless, with his arms pressed closely to his sides, a lightly-clad archer ran towards the village, taking advantage of every depression in the ground that might serve to hide him from the foe. Close behind him ran another, and, a bow-shot in the rear, a third. All bore the same tidings. A body of mounted men, estimated at nearly two hundred, and led by Sir Yves in person, was even now within a league of the village.
"Sir Yves, himself!" ejaculated Gripwell. "Certes, if we cannot bring him to earth, may I never see Warblington again. Pass the word, Florestan," he continued, addressing an archer, "that one cross-bowman in each house reserve his quarrel especially for the Tyrant of Malevereux. A crown for the man who brings him down."
As the archer ran to communicate the order the man-at-arms turned to Geoffrey: "Tis time that we took cover, young sir. Be of good heart, for I'll warrant that these wolves will turn tail and make off faster than they came. My place is by the side of my master's son. But above all things take heed that not a bow be loosed nor a stone thrown till the tucket sounds."
Barely had the defenders retired to their rude defences ere the followers of Sir Yves appeared; for, deeming the village an easy prey, they had ridden furiously upon it to plunder and kill.
Fortunately for Gripwell's plan the cottages standing more remote from the castle were meaner than those in the middle of the village. This fact was evidently known to the men of Malevereux, for, without waiting to despoil the poorer houses, they passed on towards that part of the hamlet where most plunder was likely to be obtained.
In the van, composed of mounted men-at-arms, clad in quilted coats, breastplates and iron caps, rode a person of quality, for he was armed cap-à-pied in steel, and bore a shield with the device the red axe. Previous to entering the village he had closed his visor, so that his features were not visible.
"Is yon knight the Tyrant Sir Yves?"
"Without a doubt," replied Gripwell in an undertone. "But 'tis ill that such a gap divides two companies; the van will have reached the barricade ere the rear-guard rides fairly into the trap."
"Who, then, is this?" continued the lad, as a short, broad-shouldered man passed at the head of the rear-guard.
The leader of the second company was clad in a complete suit of chain armour, similar to that in vogue two centuries before, but with the addition of a steel breastplate, gorget, tassets, and sollerets. His hands were encased with brazen gauntlets, the backs of which were composed of thin overlapping plates studded with knots of steel. On his head he wore a steel bascinet with a beaklike visor, but the latter had been thrown back, disclosing a dark, cruel-looking face, partially hidden by a heavy beard and moustache.