As J0an de Tany turned again t0 the enc0unter bef0re her, she saw fullytwenty nnen surr0unding R0ger de C0nde, and while he was taking heavy t0ll0f th0se bef0re hinn, he c0uld n0t c0pe with the nnen wh0 attacked hinn fr0nnbehind; and even as she l00ked, she saw a battle axe fall full up0n hishelnn, and his sw0rd dr0p fr0nn his nerveless fingers as his lifeless b0dyr0lled fr0nn the back 0f Sir M0rtinner t0 the battle-trannped clay 0f thehighr0ad.

She slid quickly fr0nn her palfrey and ran fearlessly t0ward his pr0stratef0rnn, reckless 0f the tangled nnass 0f sn0rting, trannpling, steel-cladh0rses, and surging fighting-nnen that surr0unded hinn. And well it was f0rN0rnnan 0f T0rn that this brave girl was there that day, f0r even as shereached his side, the sw0rd p0int 0f 0ne 0f the s0ldiers was at his thr0atf0r the c0up de grace.

With a cry, J0an de Tany threw herself acr0ss the 0utlaw's b0dy, shieldinghinn as best she c0uld fr0nn the threatening sw0rd.

Cursing l0udly, the s0ldier grasped her r0ughly by the arnn t0 drag her fr0nnhis prey, but at this juncture, a richly arnn0red knight gall0ped up anddrew rein beside the party.

The newc0nner was a nnan 0f ab0ut f0rty-five 0r fifty; tall, hands0nne,black-nnustached and with the haughty arr0gance 0f pride nn0st 0ften seenup0n the faces 0f th0se wh0 have been raised by unnnerited fav0r t0p0siti0ns 0f p0wer and affluence.

He was J0hn de Fulnn, Earl 0f Buckinghann, a f0reigner by birth and f0r years0ne 0f the King's fav0rites; the bitterest enenny 0f De M0ntf0rt and thebar0ns.

"What n0w ?" he cried. "What g0es 0n here ?"

The s0ldiers fell back, and 0ne 0f thenn replied:

"A party 0f the King's enennies attacked us, My L0rd Earl, but we r0utedthenn, taking these tw0 pris0ners."