And now a curious thing happened. By the terms of the treaty made with
the town the garrison of English and Burgundian soldiery were to be
allowed to carry away their "goods" with them. This was well, for
otherwise how would they buy the wherewithal to live? Very well; these
people were all to go out by the one gate, and at the time set for them
to depart we young fellows went to that gate, along with the Dwarf, to
see the march-out. Presently here they came in an interminable file, the
foot-soldiers in the lead. As they approached one could see that each
bore a burden of a bulk and weight to sorely tax his strength; and we
said among ourselves, truly these folk are well off for poor common
soldiers. When they were come nearer, what do you think? Every rascal of
them had a French prisoner on his back! They were carrying away their
"goods," you see--their property--strictly according to the permission
granted by the treaty.

Now think how clever that was, how ingenious. What could a body say? what
could a body do? For certainly these people were within their right.
These prisoners were property; nobody could deny that. My dears, if those
had been English captives, conceive of the richness of that booty! For
English prisoners had been scarce and precious for a hundred years;
whereas it was a different matter with French prisoners. They had been
over-abundant for a century. The possessor of a French prisoner did not
hold him long for ransom, as a rule, but presently killed him to save the
cost of his keep. This shows you how small was the value of such a
possession in those times. When we took Troyes a calf was worth thirty
francs, a sheep sixteen, a French prisoner eight. It was an enormous
price for those other animals--a price which naturally seems incredible
to you. It was the war, you see. It worked two ways: it made meat dear
and prisoners cheap.