At the same time arrived the party from Le Peuch.
"Here are others! See! Another red cross! Burn—hang—brain them both! Here are other two! Kill them all—all!"
The peasants seethed and swirled round Heliot, whose hands were bound, and about Amanieu and Roger.
"My friends," said Jean del' Peyra, "you are mistaken. This is my prisoner. The others are my very good friends."
"You would not let us kill them before, and now this fellow tried to murder your father. He struck at him from behind like a coward."
"If he has done that," said Jean, "his life is forfeit. Who says he did that?"
"I do," answered the collier. "I saw him. He has been looking out for an opportunity all morning. I saved the Seigneur."
"Very well," said Jean. "Then I speak no word in his behalf. Let him be taken to the next tree and hanged."
"Hang him! hang him! who has a rope? That which fastens the old wolf will do! No—it is too short, make a band of hazel."
Then a voice shouted: "There is before you Le Gros Guillem's daughter. Why should we kill the wolf's cubs and let run Guillem's whelps?"