foot, and he resolved to take so strong a force that he would make sure of
capturing the famous Bayard.

One Thursday morning the foragers set forth from Verona as usual, and in
their train were thirty or forty men-at-arms and archers under the command
of the captain, Pierre du Pont, a very wise and capable young man. The
party soon left the highroad to look out for the farms where they were to
receive the usual loads of hay. Meantime, the Good Knight, not suspecting
that his plan was betrayed, had taken a hundred men-at-arms and gone to a
little village called San Martino about six miles from Verona. From thence
he sent out some scouts, who were not long in returning with the news that
the enemy was in sight, about five hundred horsemen, who were marching
straight after the foragers. The Good Knight was delighted to hear it, and
at once set out to follow them with his company.

But Manfroni, who had heard of the whole manoeuvre from his spy, had
prepared an ambush in a deserted palace near, where he had about six
hundred pikemen and arquebusiers. These men were not to stir until they saw
him and his party in retreat, pretending to flee from the French pursuit;
then they were at once to follow and so completely enclose and defeat
Bayard's company.

The Good Knight had not gone two miles through the fields when he overtook
the Venetians and marched straight towards them, shouting, "Empire and
France!" They made some show of resistance, but soon began to retreat along
the lane towards their ambush, where they halted just beyond it, crying
"Marco! Marco!" and began to make a valiant defence. On hearing the
familiar cry of Venice, the foot-soldiers gave a tremendous shout and
rushed furiously upon the French, shooting with their arquebuses, a shot
from which struck Bayard's horse between the legs and killed him. Seeing