She went towards the fort.

But when she reached the ditch she suddenly beheld the standard so dear to her, a thousand times dearer than her sword, in the hands of a stranger.

Thinking it was in danger, she hastened to rescue it and came up with the Basque just as he was going down into the ditch.

There she seized her standard by the part known as its tail, that is the end of the flag, and pulled at it with all her might, crying: "Ha! my standard, my standard!" [Footnote 1086: _Chronique de la Pucelle_, p.

293.] The Basque stood firm, not knowing who was pulling thus from above.
And the Maid would not let it go.