Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-04-08

marked the downfall of the gallant French
three hundred.
Whilst these two waves of the attack had
broken in front of the English position, leav-
ing this blood-stained wreckage behind them,
the main divisions had halted and made their
last preparations for their own assault. They
had not yet begun their advance, and the near
est was still half a mile distant, when the few
survivors from the forlorn hope, their mad
dened horses bristling with arrows, flew past
them on either flank.
At the same moment the English archers
and men-at-arns dashed through the hedge,
and dragged all who were living out of that
tangled heap of shattered horses and men.
1t was mad wild rush, for in few minutes
the fight must be renewed and yet there was
a rich harvest of wealth for the lucky man who
could pick wealthy prisoner from amidst the
crowd. The nobler spirits disdained to think
of ransoms whilst the fight was still unsettled;
but a swarm of needy soldiers, Gascons and
English, dragged the wounded out by the leg
or the arm, and with daggers at their Threats
demanded their names, titles, and means. He
who had made good prize hurried him to the
rear where his own servants could guard him,
while he who disappointed too often drove
the dagger home and then rushed once more
into the tangle in the hope of better luck.
Clermont, with arrow through the sky
blue Virgin on his Surcoat, lay dead within ten
PAGES of the hedge, d Andreghen was dragged
by penniless squire from under horse. and
became his prisoner. The Earls of Salzburg
and of Nassau were both found helpless on
the ground and taken to the rear. Awkward
cast his thick arms round Count Otto Won
Langenback, and laid him, helpless from a
broken leg, behind his bush. Black Simon
had made prize of Bernard, Count of Venta-
dour, and hurried him through the hedge.
Everywhere there was rushing and shouting,
brawling and buffeting whilst amidst it all a
swarm of archers were seeking their shafts,
plucking them from the dead, and sometimes
even from the wounded. Then there was a
sudden cry of warning. In a moment every
man was back in his place once more, and the
line of the hedge was clear.
1t was high time; for already the first
division of the French was close upon them
If the charge of the horsemen had been terrible
from its rush and its fire, this steady advance
OF huge phalanx of armored footmen was
even more fearsome to the spectator They
moved very slowly, on account of the weight
of their armor, but their progress was the more
regular and memorable. With elbows touch
ing, their shields slung in front, their short
hve-fOot spears carried in their right hands,
and their maces or swords ready at their belts,
the deep column of men-at-arrns moved on
ward. Again the storm of arrows beat upon
them clinking and thudding on the ar1nor.
They crouched double behind their shields as
they met it. Many fell but still the slow tide
Tapped onward. Yelling, they surged up to
Cling hard to pierce it.
For five minutes the long straining ranks
faced each other with fierce stab of spear on
one side and heavy beat of ak or mace upon
the other. In many parts the hedge was
pierced or leveled to the ground and the
French men-at-arms were raging amongst the
archers, hacking and hewing among the lightly
armored men. For moment it seemed as if
the battle was the turn.
But John de We're, Earl of Oxford, cool wise
and crafty in war, saw and seized his chance
On the right flank a marshy meadow skrted
the river. So soft was it that a heavily armed
man would sink to his knees. At his order
spray of light bowmen was thrown out from
the battle-line, and forming upon the flank of
the French poured their arrows into them. At
the same moment Chandos with Audley Nj
gel, Bartholomew Burghersh, the Capital de
Buch, and a score of other knights sprang upon
their horses, and charging down the narrow
lane rode over the French line in front of them
Once through it, they spurred to left and right,
tramphng down the dismounted men-at-arms.
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