There is no fear that they will
disobey our lord's orders whatever they be, and will fight as he bids
them, for Orleans or Burgundy, England or France. He has never exercised
to the full his rights of seigneur; he has never called upon them for
their full quota of work; no man has even been hung on his estate for two
generations save for crime committed; no vassal's daughter has ever been
carried into the castle. I tell you there is not a man for over fifty
miles round who does not envy the vassals of Villeroy, and this would be a
happy land indeed were all lords like ours. Were we to hoist the flag on
the keep and fire a gun, every man on the estate would muster here before
sunset, and would march against the King of France himself did Sir Eustace
order them to do so."
"In that case what force could we put on the walls, Captain?"
"Two hundred men besides the garrison, and we have provisions stored away
in the keep sufficient for them and their women and children for a three
months' siege. Sir Eustace gave me orders yesterday to procure wood of the
kind used for arrows, and to lay in a great store of it; also to set the
smiths to work to make arrow-heads. I asked him how many, and he said,
'Let them go on at it until further orders. I should like a store
sufficient at least for a hundred rounds for each of these English
archers, and if we had double that it would be all the better. They can
make their own arrows if they have suitable wood.
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