of wood and lighted the fire in a great oven that
they had found, and from which it was evident that
the miller was also a baker, and supplied the villagers
round them. The two knights, with their followers,
again started on horseback, and after four hours’
riding, returned with twelve cattle, four horses, and
a score of sheep they had found grazing masterless
over the country. By this time fifty bakers were
at work, and five hundred men were sitting down round
the mill waiting to carry the loaves, when baked, to
the army. The animals were given over to the
charge of ten of these men, who were ordered to drive
them after the army until this halted. The young
knights and their men-at-arms then rode away.
CIVIL WAR
Edgar and Albert came up with the force after an hour-and-a-half’s
riding, and found it halted some four miles from Bruges.
The news that the English knights had discovered a
store of flour had passed quickly through the ranks,
and they were loudly cheered as they rode in.
“Truly you have rendered us a vast service,”
Van Artevelde said, as they joined him, “for
it will not be needful to break in this evening upon
our scanty store, and this is of vital importance,
since we must perforce wait until the earl and the
men of Bruges come out to attack us. Your men
said that it was some fifteen sacks of flour that
you had found?”
“About that, sir. There were ten full,
and under the millstones was a great bin holding,
I should say, half as much more. Moreover, we
have ridden far over the country, and have gathered
up twelve head of cattle, four horses, and a score
of sheep. These are following us, and will give
meat enough for a good meal to-day all round, and maybe
something to spare, and to-morrow I trust that we
may bring in some more.”
A murmur of satisfaction broke from the four or five
burghers with Van Artevelde.
“This is a good beginning, indeed, of our adventure,”
the latter said, “and greatly are we beholden
to these knights. They have dispelled the apprehension
I had that if the people of Bruges deferred their attack
for a couple of days they might find us so weakened
with hunger as to be unable to show any front against
them.”
Two hours later the animals arrived, and were handed
over to the company of the butchers’ guild,
who proceeded at once to cut them up. They were
then distributed among the various companies, with
orders that but half was to be eaten that night and
the rest kept for the morrow. In the meantime
men had been sent on to some of the deserted villages,
and had returned with doors, shutters, broken furniture,
and beams, and fires were speedily lighted. Before
the meat was ready half of those who had remained
at the mill arrived laden with bread, and said that
the rest would be up in two hours. For the first
time for weeks the Ghentois enjoyed a hearty meal,
and as Van Artevelde, with the young knights and burghers
with him, went round on foot among the men, they were
greeted with loud cheers and shouts of satisfaction.
