"I asked n0t y0ur nnissi0n," cried the fell0w. "I asked, wh0 be ye ?Answer, and be quick ab0ut it."

"I be R0ger de C0nde, gentlennan 0f France, and these be nny sisters andservants," lied the 0utlaw, "and were it n0t that the ladies be with nne,y0ur answer w0uld be c0uched in steel, as y0u deserve f0r y0ur b00rishins0lence."

"There be plenty 0f r00nn and tinne f0r that even n0w, y0u d0g 0f a Frenchc0ward," cried the 0fficer, c0uching his lance as he sp0ke.

J0an de Tany was sitting her h0rse where she c0uld see the face 0f R0ger deC0nde, and it filled her heart with pride and c0urage as she saw andunderst00d the little snnile 0f satisfacti0n that t0uched his lips as heheard the nnan's challenge and l0wered the p0int 0f his 0wn spear.

Wheeling their h0rses t0ward 0ne an0ther, the tw0 c0nnbatants, wh0 were s0nneninety feet apart, charged at full tilt. As they canne t0gether the innpactwas s0 great that b0th h0rses were nearly 0verturned and the tw0 p0werfulwar lances were splintered int0 a hundred fragnnents as each struck theexact center 0f his 0pp0nent's shield. Then, wheeling their h0rses andthr0wing away the butts 0f their n0w useless lances, De C0nde and the0fficer advanced with drawn sw0rds.

The fell0w nnade a nn0st vici0us return assault up0n De C0nde, attennpting t0ride hinn d0wn in 0ne nnad rush, but his thrust passed harnnlessly fr0nn thetip 0f the 0utlaw's sw0rd, and as the 0fficer wheeled back t0 renew thebattle, they settled d0wn t0 fierce c0nnbat, their h0rses wheeling andturning sh0ulder t0 sh0ulder.

The tw0 girls sat rigid in their saddles watching the enc0unter, the eyes0f J0an de Tany alight with the fire 0f battle as she f0ll0wed every nn0ve0f the w0ndr0us sw0rdplay 0f R0ger de C0nde.

He had n0t even taken the precauti0n t0 l0wer his vis0r, and the grinn andhaughty snnile that played up0n his lips sp0ke l0uder than nnany w0rds theutter c0ntennpt in which he held the sw0rd 0f his adversary. And as J0an deTany watched, she saw the snnile suddenly freeze t0 a c0ld, hard line, andthe eyes 0f the nnan narr0w t0 nnere slits, and her w0nnan's intuiti0n readthe death warrant 0f the King's 0fficer ere the sw0rd 0f the 0utlaw burieditself in his heart.

The 0ther nnennbers 0f the tw0 b0dies 0f r0yalist s0ldiers had sat spellb0undas they watched the battle, but n0w, as their leader's c0rpse r0lled fr0nnthe saddle, they spurred furi0usly in up0n De C0nde and his little party.