When they felt revitalised they put their bassinets back on and resumed fighting. I do not believe that there has ever been a finer encounter, or clash, or battle conducted so admirably, since the Combat of the Thirty in Brittany, as was this one at Mascaras in Bigorre. So they fought on hand-to-hand, and Arnauton de Sainte-Coulombe, a rather fine squire, tall, strong and an outstanding man-at-arms, was on the verge of defeat at the hands of a squire from this country called Guillonnet de Salles. He had brought him to the point of total exhaustion, when something happened which I will tell you about.' 'Arnauton de Sainte-Coulombe had a young varlet who was watching the battle. He was not involved at all in the fighting, nor was he expected to be. When he saw his master facing a crushing defeat, he became enraged and went to him, wresting his battle axe from him with both hands and saying as he took it, "Arnauton, go and sit down and take a rest; you are beyond knowing how to fight." Once he had the axe, he came up to the squire, giving him such a blow on his bassinet that he completely stunned him, causing him to stagger and almost totter to the ground. When Guillonnet felt himself struck in this fashion, he was greatly displeased and made to rush at the varlet, thinking to strike him on the head with his own axe, but the lad ducked to miss the blow and escaped harm. Then he grabbed the squire round the waist, finding him exhausted after such a long fight, spinning him round and pinioning him beneath him like a wrestler, saying, "I shall kill you unless you surrender to my master." "And who is your master?" said he. "Arnauton de Sainte-Coulombe, against whom you have fought so long today." The squire, realising that he did not have the advantage, and that he found himself pinned beneath a lad brandishing a dagger to kill him if he did not surrender, agreed to give himself up in person within the fortnight as a prisoner at Lourdes, whether he was rescued or not. This is the service the young varlet rendered to his master.' 'I must say, my dear Jehan, that there was a great abundance of feats of arms performed there, and many companions sworn under oath to surrender themselves, some at Tharbes and the others at Lourdes. That day Arnaut de Bissette and the Mongat de Sainte-Bazeille fought hand to hand without sparing themselves, performing many valiant deeds. No man was left unoccupied in the fray. They fought so hard that they became exhausted to the point that they could no longer defend themselves. The two captains, Arnaut de Bissette and the Mongat de Lourdes, were slain on the spot. At this point the battle ceased by mutual consent, for they were so worn out that they could no longer wield their axes. Some disarmed in order to refresh themselves, leaving their armour there.' 'The Lourdes garrison carried away with them the corpse of the Mongat, and the French took Arnaut de Bissette to Tarbes. To ensure that the battle be remembered, a stone cross was placed at the spot where these two squires fought and died. Look over there, I am pointing it out.' With that we headed straight for the cross and each said a pater noster for the souls of the dead. SHF 3-12 sync Third Book, Chapter 10 [1388-(1373)] How the Bourc d'Espagne retrieved the booty from the companions of the castle of Lourdes, and how they were defeated. 'By my faith, my lord,' I exclaimed to the knight. 'It has been a pleasure to listen to you. pb 214 v