All round rose exclamations and prayers.

'Lord, save Thy people!' 'Mercy, Lord, mercy!' 'Be with us this day!' 'Receive our souls, O merciful Father!' Saxon lay across the waggon with his eyes glinting like diamonds and his petronel presented at the full length of his rigid arm.

Following his example we all took aim as steadily as possible at the first rank of the enemy.

Our only hope of safety lay in making that one discharge so deadly that our opponents should be too much shaken to continue their attack.
Would the man never fire?
They could not be more than ten paces from us.
I could see the buckles of the men's plates and the powder charges in their bandoliers.

One more stride yet, and at last our leader's pistol flashed and we poured in a close volley, supported by a shower of heavy stones from the sturdy peasants behind.