l with the defenders.
black simon was down--dying, as he would wish to have died, like
a grim old wolf in its lair with a ring of his slain around him.
twice sir nigel had been overborne, and twice alleyne had fought
over him until he had staggered to his feet once more. burley
lay senseless, stunned by a blow from a mace, and half of the
men-at-arms lay littered upon the ground around him. sir nigel's
shield was broken, his crest shorn, his armor cut and smashed,
and the vizor torn from his helmet; yet he sprang hither and
thither with light foot and ready hand, engaging two bretons and
a spaniard at the same instant--thrusting, stooping, dashing in,
springing out--while alleyne still fought by his side, stemming
with a handful of men the fierce tide which surged up against
them. yet it would have fared ill with them had not the archers
from either side closed in upon the flanks of the attackers, and
pressed them very slowly and foot by foot down the long slope,
until they were on the plain once more, where their fellows were
already rallying for a fresh assault.
but terrible indeed was the cost at which the last had been
repelled. of the three hundred and seventy men who had held the
crest, one hundred and seventy-two were left standing, many of
whom were sorely wounded and weak from loss of blood. sir oliver
buttesthorn, sir richard causten, sir simon burley, black simon,
johnston, a hundred and fifty archers, and forty-seven men-at-
arms had fallen, while the pitiless hail of stones was already
whizzing and piping once more about their ears, threatening every
instant to further reduce their numbers.
sir nigel looked about him at his shattered ranks, and his face
flushed with a soldier's pride.
"by st. paul!" he cried, "i have fought in many a little
bickering, but never one that i would be more loth to have missed
than this. but you are wounded, alleyne?"
"it is nought," answered his squire, stanching the blood which
dripped from a sword-cut across his forehead.
"these gentlemen of spain seem to be most courteous and worthy
people. i see that they are already forming to continue this
debate with us. form up the bowmen two deep instead of four. by
my faith! some very brave men have gone from among us. aylward,
you are a trusty soldier, for all that your shoulder has never
felt accolade, nor your heels worn the gold spurs. do you take
charge of the right; i will hold the centre, and you, my lord of
angus, the left."
"ho! for sir samkin aylward!" cried a rough voice among the
archers, and a roar of laughter greeted their new leader.
"by my hilt!" said the old bowman, "i never thought to lead a
wing in a stricken field. stand close, camarades, for, by these
finger-bones! we must play the man this day."
"come hither, alleyne," said sir nigel, walking back to the edge
of the cliff which formed the rear of their position. "and you,
norbury," he continued, beckoning to the squire of sir oliver,
"do you also come here."
the two squires hurried across to him, and the three stood
looking down into the rocky ravine which lay a hundred and fifty
feet beneath them.
"the prince must hear of how things are with us," said the
knight. "another onfall we may withstand, but they are many and
we are few, so that the time must come when we can no longer form
line across the hill. yet if help were brought us we might hold
the crest until it comes. see yonder horses which stray among
the rocks beneath us?"
"i see them, my fair lord."
"and see yonder path which winds along the hill upon the further
end of the valley?"
"i see it."
"were you on those horses, and riding up yonder track, steep and
rough as it is, i think that ye might gain the valley beyond.
then on to the prince, and tell him how we fare."
"but, my fair lord, how can we hope to reach the horses?" asked
norbury.
"ye cannot go round to them, for they would be upon ye ere ye
could come to them. think ye that ye have heart enough to
clamber down this cliff?"
"had we but a rope."
"there is one here. it is but one hundred feet long, and for the
rest ye must trust to god and to your fingers. can you try it,
alleyne?"
"with all my heart, my dear lord, but how can i leave you in such
a strait?"
"nay, it is to serve me that ye go. and you, norbury?"
the silent squire said nothing, but he took up the rope, and,
having examined it, he tied one end firmly round a projecting
rock. then he cast off his breast-plate, thigh pieces, and
greaves, while alleyne followed his example.
"tell chandos, or calverley, or knolles, should the prince have
gone forward," cried sir nigel. "now may god speed ye, for ye
are brave and worthy men."
it was, indeed, a task which might make the heart of the bravest
sink within him. the thin
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