Seizing the portable fire with his gauntleted hands, the man-at-arms bore it into the other room, where, awaiting his opportunity, he dashed its contents into the visored face of the Norman knight.
Some of the particles of the red-hot charcoal passed through the narrow slits in Sir Denis' bascinet. Nearly blinded by the pain the knight relinquished his hold on the mace and involuntarily attempted to raise his arms to protect his face. The sudden release of the object of their contentions caused the archer to reel backwards, till the strain on the chain pulled the knight's arm towards the doorway.
With a shout of triumph, Gripwell also seized the mace, and archer and man-at-arms united their efforts to pin their formidable antagonist to the woodwork by the strain upon the chain.
"Yield thee, Sir Knight," thundered Arnold. "Methinks thou art a good bond for the safety of my master, Sir Oliver."
As he spoke Sir Denis gave a powerful heave, the chain snapped asunder, and the two Englishmen fell heavily on the floor. The Frenchman reeled backwards a good five paces ere he, too, came to earth.
Unable to rise, by reason of the weight of his armour, he lay helpless, groaning with the effect of the red-hot embers.
"We'll have him anon," cried the man-at-arms, struggling to his feet. "Look to yon window."
The warning came barely in time. During the struggle at the doorway a score of men from Malevereux had assailed the window, which Geoffrey, sword in hand, was defending by the aid of two archers of the garrison of Taillemartel and three peasants.
Already one of the latter was down, slain by a quarrel shot at close range, while one of the archers was severely wounded by a blow from a "morning star."
The arrival of Gripwell and the two English archers soon turned the scale. While the man-at-arms dealt irresistible blows with his heavy axe, the archers shot fast and true, and in a short space the band of assailants seemed to melt away.