Meanwhile the benevolent old man had laid the chevalier on the ground, upon the housing of his horse and his own garment, which he had taken off; he supported his head with one hand, and with the other lightly rubbed his breast, to revive the beating of his heart.

At last the servant brought water.  Gottfried bathed and cooled with it the face and head of the chevalier, who, after a few moments, sighed, and half-opened his eyes.

“Almighty God,” exclaimed Gottfried, “thou hast revived him!  O, may it be for thy glory!” “Amen!” said his servants.

FOOTNOTES: 

[Footnote 1:  Both were burned alive at Constance, by order of the council held in that city:  the first on the 6th of July, 1415; the second on the 30th of May, 1416.]

CHAPTER II.

TRAPPINGS OF THE HORSE—­MIDNIGHT ARRIVAL—­CHARACTER OF THE WOUNDED MAN DISCOVERED—­HIS NARRATIVE—­FAMILY WORSHIP.

The dear and sensible Erard was delighted.  He laughed, he wept, he looked at the chevalier, whose cheeks had recovered some color, and asked him, softly, whether he lived, and whether he heard and saw them.

“Where am I?” asked the chevalier, faintly, turning his eyes towards one of the torches.

“With God and with your brethren!” replied Gottfried, taking one of his hands.  “But say no more now, and may God aid us!”

It was necessary to transport the warrior to the dwelling of Gottfried, and the passage was long and difficult.

Gottfried first spread upon the litter some light pine-branches, over which he placed the housing of the horse and his own outer garments, those of his servants, and even that of Erard, who begged him to take this also; then, after the old man had bound up the bruised limb between strong splinters of pine, which he had cut with the blade of the chevalier’s sword, and which he tied with his scarf, he laid the warrior on the branches, while two robust servants carefully raised and bore the litter towards the summit of the hill.

“And the poor horse!” said Erard, at the moment when his grandpapa, who bore the flambeaux and the sword of the Chevalier, began his march.

“You will return to-morrow morning,” said Gottfried to his servants, “and take off the trappings.  As to the body, the eagles and the crows must devour it.  Come, and may God guard and strengthen us!”

The chevalier had recovered his senses.  He saw himself in the hands of friends, and doubted not that the old man was a supporter of the cause he had himself defended.

It was not until midnight that the convoy reached the house of Gottfried.  The journey was made slowly, and more than once the master had desired his servants to rest.

The bed of the old man himself received the wounded knight, on whom Gottfried, who was no stranger to the art of healing wounds and fractures, bestowed the most judicious cares, and beside whom this devoted Christian passed the remainder of the night.