“Are you of the party of the Black Prince?” I interrupted.
“We are,” he said. “He sent us out to scour the countryside. We have fallen in with a few stragglers of the King and beaten them. The country is as tame as you could wish.”
I uttered a gasp. I was on the verge of telling him all the preparation I saw while I passed down the valley of the Loire. But on second thought I was reminded that it were wisest not to take strangers too soon into your confidence.
“Where is the Black Prince now?” I asked with some caution.
“He’s to the northwest,” was the reply. “He has sacked and burned the castles and strongholds that lie over towards the sea. He’s going to march to the south in a few days—to Bordeaux to pass the winter.”
“Oh!” I exclaimed. I was about to prod him more when a streak shot between us. It was an arrow from someone hiding in the woods.
CHAPTER XXIV
BESIEGED
We had no time for thought.
“Back!” cried the archer. And we dropped behind the open door as quickly as we could.