"Ho! soldiers and men-at-arms--good people of Belsaye--call ye for Gui in sooth? hunger ye for sight of Bloody Gui of Allerdale in faith? Why then--behold!" and from under his be-dabbled smock he drew forth a head, pale as to cheek and hair, whose wide eyes stared blindly as it dangled in his hairy hand; and now, staring up at this awful, sightless thing--that brow at whose frown a city had trembled, those pallid lips that had smiled, and smiling, doomed men and women to torment and death--a hush fell on Belsaye and no man spoke or stirred.
Then, while all folk stood thus, rigid and at gaze, a wild cry was heard, shivering the stillness and smiting all hearts with sudden dread:-"Fire! Fire!"
"Aye, fire!" roared the miller, "see yonder!" and he pointed where a column of thick smoke mounted slowly upon the windless air. But with the cry came tumult--a hurry of feet, shouts and yells and hoarse commands; armour clashed and pike-heads glittered, down-sweeping for the charge. Then Walkyn laughed, and hurling the pale head down at the nearest soldiery, drew from his smock his mighty axe and swung it, but lo! 'twixt him and the pike-men was a surging, ravening mob that closed, front and rear, upon knight and squire, upon pike-man and man-at-arms, men who leapt to grip mailed throats in naked hands, women who screamed and tore. And one by one, knight and squire, and man-at-arms, smiting, shrieking, groaning, were dragged down with merciless hands, to be wrenched at, torn, and trampled 'neath merciless feet, while high and clear above this fierce and dreadful clamour rose the shrill summons of a horn.
And lo! a shout--a roar--drowning the shrieks of dying men, the screams of vengeful women, "Arise--arise--Pentavalon!" Came a rush of feet, a shock, and thereafter a confused din that rose and fell and, gradually ceasing, was lost in a sudden clamour of bells, fierce-pealing in wild and joyous riot.
"Aha! 'tis done--'tis done!" panted Roger, stooping to cleanse his blade, "spite of all our lack of method, Giles--'tis done! Hark ye to those joy-bells! So doth fair Belsaye shout to all men she is free at last and clean of Gui and all his roguish garrison--"
"Clean?" quoth Giles. "Clean, forsooth? Roger--O Roger man, I have seen men die in many and diver ungentle ways ere now, but these men-- these men of Gui's, look--look yonder! O sweet heaven keep me ever from the tearing hands of vengeful mothers and women wronged!" And turning his back on the littered market square, Giles shivered and leaned him upon his sword as one that is sick.