Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1888-06-10


to ride foremost In the ranks OF war; bu
after the battle, in the days Of pesce an
in 'he circle Of his trusted friends, tbs
miad, it was to be dreaded, would con
tinus to bring forth the fruits of death.
CHAPTER III.
THE BATTLE OF sHoRRBY (CoBcluGed)
DICE, ouce more left to his cwn ccuu
sells, began to look about him. Til
AFRO T-shot hsd somewhat slGckeaed
On ell sides the enemy were falling back
and the greater part Of the msrket-plac
was now left empty, the snow her
trEnpled into orange mud, there splashet
with gore, scattered all over with deeC
msn and horses and bristling thick Wisi
f4athered arrows.
Oa his own side the loss had beer
cruel. The jaws Of the little street and
the ruins of the bsrric,de were heapet
with the dead and dying; and out of lha
hundred men with whom he had begun
the battle, there were not seventy Left
who could still stand to arms.
A. the same tue, the day was passing
Inc first achievements might be looked
Tor to arrive at any moment; and the
Lancastrians, already shaken by the re-
suit OF their desperate but unsuccessful
onslaught, were In an Ill temper to sup.
press fresh Invader.
There was dial In the wall Of one OF
the two thinking houses; and this, in the
frosty, Wintry sunshine, indicated ten of
the forenoon.
DICK turned to the man who was st his
elbow, little, Insignificant archer, bind
Ing cut on his arm.
at was well fought" he said, "and, by
my sooth, they will not charge US twice"
"S!r," said the little archer, "ye have
fought right we'll for York, snd better for
yourself. Never nath man in SO brief
space prevailed SO greatly on the Dukes
Elections. Inst he should have entrusted
snch post to one he knew not, is mar
vel or miracle. But look to your head.
Sir Richard! II ye be vsnquished-ay, If
ye give way one foot's oreadth-sxe or
cord shall punish it; and il ye do aught
doubtful, will tell you honestly l am set
acre to STAB you from behind"
Dick looked at the little man In amaze.
"You!' he cried. "And from behIndln
at Is right So" returned the archer;
land because like no. the affair l tell 1t
You. Ye must mSks the post good, SIR
Richard. at your peril. Oh, cur Crook
back is bold blade and good wsrrior;
but whether in cold blood or IL hot, he |
will have ell timing done exact to HE |
commandment. If any fail or hinder, |
they Shall die the death"
snow, By the ssintsi' cried Richard, |
''is this scr And will men follow such a |
leader"
NAY, they follow him gleefully," re.
piled the other; "for II he be exact to |
punish, he is most open handed to re.
ward. And ii he spare not The blood and |
sweat Of others, he is ever liberal Of his |
owI-still in The first front Of battle,
still the last to sleep. He will go far,
vii Crookback Dick o. Gloucester"
The young knight, II he had before
been brave aud vigilant, was now all the
more inclined to wstcbfulness and cour-
,ge. His sudCen favor, he began to pei
,eiye, had brought perils in Its train.
And he turned from the archer, and once
more scanned anxiously the market place.
It lay empty as before.
81 like not this auietude," he said.
DOUBTLESS they prepare Us some sur
Prise"
And, as il in answer to his remark, the
lrchers began once more TO advance
against the bsrricade, and the arrows to
|
Eating in the attack. They came not or
ou2cly, but seemed rather to aYoIt a
urther signal.
Dick lock. uleasily about him, spy
pg for hidden danger. And sure
about half wsY up the little
treet, door was suddenly opened from
Within, and the house continued for
ome seconds, and both by door and win
low, to disgorge q torrent OF L:Hcsstrlsu
rchers. These, IS they leaped dowG,
IurI1adly stood to their ranks, bent their
lows, and proceeded to pour upon Dicks /
ear d ght of arrows.
At the same time, the assai!ants In the
narket place redoubled their shot, and s
egan to close in stoutly upon the bs--
icade. i.
Dick called down his whole command
ut OF The houses, and facing them both T
7ays, and encouraging their valour both
y word and gesture, returned as best be I
ould the double shower OF shafts taat
Eli about bis post. c
NASHVILLE house after house was
peEed in the street, and the Larcas- :
tlaDs continued to pour out CT the doors '
nd leap down from the windows, shout I
ng victory. until the number Of enemies I
pom DICKS rear was almost equal to the 1
lumber in his fsce. It was piain that ne i
ould hold the post Io longer; Whist Was I
Totse, even il he could hav3 held il, IL C
sd now become useless; and the whole i
orklst army lay in posture Of helpless
es3 upon the brink Of a complete dis :
ster. =
The men behind him formed the vital |
sw in the general defense; ana 1t WAS
pen these that Dick turned, charging a.
lie bead OF his men. So vigorous was Il
re attack, thai the L.ucastrian erche1s
sve ground and staggered, and, st last,
re'klng their ranks, began to crowd II
lck into the houses from which they had d
} recently and 80 vsingloriously sailed
Meanwhile the men from the ms.ke.
ace had swsrmed ACROSS the undefeuded h
and fell on hotly upon the
her side; and Dick must once sgaia S
&c aoou. and proceed to drive them
,ck. Once again the spirit of his men "
they cleared the street In q D.
iumphant style, but even as they did SO
10 Others issued again out of the houses, q
i'd took them, third time, upon the II
ar. n
Tie Ysrkists began to be scattered; :.
veral times Dick found himself alone d,
nong mis- foes and plying his bright s,
Tord for life; several times he was con-
ious OF 3 hurt. And meanwhile the ii
hit swsyed to and fro in the street with, Al