"First, we are here to fight. Pray you tell us if it is all over!"
"It is not over; would to Heaven it were!" said Joan.
"Thank God for that!" cried Boris and Jorian, with quite remarkable unanimity of piety.
"Is that all your tidings?"
"Nay, we have brought the most part of the Palace Guard with us—five hundred good lances and all hungry-bellied for victuals and all monstrously thirsty in their throats. Besides which, Prince Hugo raises Plassenburg and the Mark, and in ten days he will be on the march for Courtland."
"God send him speed! I fear me in ten days it will be over indeed," said Joan, listening for the dull recurrent thunder down towards the Alla mouth.
"What, does the Muscovite press you so hard?"
"He has thousands to our hundreds, so that he can hem us in on every side."
"Never fear," cried Boris confidently; "we will hold him in check for you till our good Hugo comes to take him on the flank."
Then Joan bade the gates be opened, and the horsemen of Plassenburg, strong men on huge horses, trampled in. She held out a hand for the captains to kiss, and sent the burgomaster to assign them billets in the town.