town he knew that his small party would soon be broken and in the open in the town however the were far from being in so good a posture it was as dick had said the night guard had already their harness the rest were still hanging � all unprepared for battle � about their quarters and in the whole of there were not perhaps fifty men full armed or fifty ready to be mounted the beating of the bells the summons of men who ran about the streets crying and beating upon the doors aroused in an short space at least two score out of that half hundred these got speedily to horse and the alarm still flying wild and contrary galloped in different directions thus it that when richard of reached the first house of he was met in the mouth of the street by a mere handful of whom he swept before his as the storm the bark a hundred paces into the town dick touched the duke s arm the duke in answer gathered his reins i i i the battle of put the shrill trumpet to his mouth and blowing a point turned to the right hand out of the direct advance like a single rider his whole command turned after him and still at the full gallop of the swept up the narrow bye street only the last score of drew rein and faced about in the entrance the whom they carried behind them at the same instant to the earth and began some to bend their bows and others to break into and secure the houses upon either hand surprised at this sudden change of direction and by the firm front of the rear guard the few after a momentary consultation turned and rode farther into town to seek for the quarter of the town upon which by the advice of dick richard of had now seized consisted of five small streets of poor and ill inhabited houses occupying a very gentle eminence and lying open towards the back the five streets being each secured by a good guard the reserve would thus occupy the centre out of shot and yet ready to carry aid wherever it was needed such was the of the neighbourhood that none of the lords and but few of their had been lodged therein and the inhabitants with one accord deserted their houses and fled along the streets or over garden walls in the centre where the five ways all met a somewhat ill favoured displayed the sign of the g the black and here the duke of chose his for the day to dick he assigned the guard of one of the five streets go he said win your spurs win glory for me one richard for another i tell you if i rise ye shall rise by the same ladder go he added shaking him by the hand but as soon as dick was gone he turned to a little shabby at his elbow go and that right speedily he added follow that lad if ye find him faithful ye answer for his safety a head for a head woe unto you if ye return without him but if he be � or for one instant ye him � him from behind in the meanwhile dick hastened to secure his post the street he had to guard was very narrow and closely lined with houses which projected and the but narrow and dark as it was since it opened upon the market place of the town the main issue of the battle would probably fall to be decided on that spot the market place was full of in disorder but there was as yet no sign of any f ready to attack and dick judged he had some time before him to make ready his defence the two houses m the end stood deserted with open doors as the inhabitants had left them in their flight the battle op and from these he had the furniture hastily tossed forth and piled into a barrier in the entry of the lane a hundred men were placed at his disposal and of these he threw the more part into the houses where they might lie in shelter and deliver their arrows from the windows with the rest under his own immediate eye he lined the meanwhile the utmost uproar and confusion had continued to prevail throughout the town and what with the hurried of bells the sounding of trumpets the swift movement of bodies of horse the cries of the and the shrieks of women the noise was almost to the ear presently little by little the tumult began to and soon after of men in and bodies of began to and form in line of battle in the a large tion of this body were in and blue and in the mounted knight who ordered their array dick recognised sir daniel then there a long pause which was followed by the almost sounding of four trumpets from four different quarters of the town a fifth rang in answer from the market place and at the same moment the began to move and a shower of arrows rattled about the and sounded like blows upon the walls of the two houses the attack had begun by a common signal on all the five issues of the quarter was tub black arrow upon every side and dick judged if ho would make good his post he must rely entirely on the hundred men of his command seven of arrows followed one upon the other and in the very thick of the dick was touched from behind upon the arm and found a page holding out to him a jack strengthened with bright plates of mail it is from my lord of said the page he hath observed sir richard that ye went dick with a glow at his heart 