The young duke ground his teeth together. By these so early signals of alarm he feared to find his enemies prepared; and if he failed to gain a footing in the town, he knew that his small party would soon be broken and exterminated4 in the open.
In the town, however, the Lancastrians were far from being in so good a posture5. It was as Dick had said. The night-guard had already doffed6 their harness; the rest were still hanging—unlatched, unbraced, all unprepared for battle—about their quarters; and in the whole of Shoreby there were not, perhaps, fifty men full armed, or fifty chargers ready to be mounted.
The beating of the bells, the terrifying summons of men who ran about the streets crying and beating upon the doors, aroused in an incredibly short space at least two score out of that half hundred. These got speedily to horse, and, the alarm still flying wild and contrary, galloped8 in different directions.
Thus it befell that, when Richard of Gloucester reached the first house of Shoreby, he was met in the mouth of the street by a mere9 handful of lances, whom he swept before his onset10 as the storm chases the bark.
A hundred paces into the town, Dick Shelton touched the duke’s arm; the duke, in answer, gathered his reins11, put the shrill13 trumpet14 to his mouth, and blowing a concerted point, turned to the right hand out of the direct advance. Swerving15 like a single rider, his whole command turned after him, and, still at the full gallop7 of the chargers, swept up the narrow bye-street. Only the last score of riders drew rein12 and faced about in the entrance; the footmen, whom they carried behind them, leapt 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 daunted16 by the firm front of the rear-guard, the few Lancastrians, after a momentary17 consultation18, turned and rode farther into town to seek for reinforcements.
The quarter of the town upon which, by the advice of Dick, Richard of Gloucester had now seized, consisted of five small streets of poor and ill-inhabited houses, occupying a very gentle eminence19, 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 poorness of the neighbourhood that none of the Lancastrian lords, and but few of their retainers, had been lodged20 therein; and the inhabitants, with one accord, deserted21 their houses and fled, squalling, along the streets or over garden walls.
In the centre, where the five ways all met, a somewhat ill-favoured alehouse displayed the sign of the Chequers; and here the Duke of Gloucester chose his headquarters 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.
“Go, Dutton, and that right speedily,” he added. “Follow that lad. If ye find him faithful, ye answer for his safety, a head for a head. Woe24 unto you, if ye return without him! But if he be faithless—or, for one instant, ye misdoubt him—stab 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 overhung the roadway; 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 decided25 on that spot.
The market-place was full of townspeople fleeing in disorder26; but there was as yet no sign of any foeman ready to attack, and Dick judged he had some time before him to make ready his defence.
The two houses at the end stood deserted, with open doors, as the inhabitants had left them in their flight, and from these he had the furniture hastily tossed forth28 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 immediate29 eye, he lined the barricade30.
Meanwhile the utmost uproar31 and confusion had continued to prevail throughout the town; and what with the hurried clashing of bells, the sounding of trumpets33, the swift movement of bodies of horse, the cries of the commanders, and the shrieks34 of women, the noise was almost deafening35 to the ear. Presently, little by little, the tumult36 began to subside37; and soon after, files of men in armour38 and bodies of archers39 began to assemble and form in line of battle in the market-place.
A large portion of this body were in murrey and blue, and in the mounted knight40 who ordered their array Dick recognised Sir Daniel Brackley.
Then there befell a long pause, which was followed by the almost simultaneous 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 files began to move, and a shower of arrows rattled41 about the barricade, and sounded like blows upon the walls of the two flanking houses.
The attack had begun, by a common signal, on all the five issues of the quarter. Gloucester was beleaguered42 upon every side; and Dick judged, if he would make good his post, he must rely entirely43 on the hundred men of his command.
Seven volleys of arrows followed one upon the other, and in the very thick of the discharges Dick was touched from behind upon the arm, and found a page holding out to him a leathern jack44, strengthened with bright plates of mail.
“It is from my Lord of Gloucester,” said the page. “He hath observed, Sir Richard, that ye went unarmed.”
Dick, with a glow at his heart at being so addressed, got to his feet and, with the assistance of the page, donned the defensive45 coat. Even as he did so, two arrows rattled harmlessly upon the plates, and a third struck down the page, mortally wounded, at his feet.
Meantime the whole body of the enemy had been steadily46 drawing nearer across the market-place; and by this time were so close at hand that Dick gave the order to return their shot. Immediately, from behind the barrier and from the windows of the houses, a counterblast of arrows sped, carrying death. But the Lancastrians, as if they had but waited for a signal, shouted loudly in answer; and began to close at a run upon the barrier, the horsemen still hanging back, with visors lowered.
Then followed an obstinate47 and deadly struggle, hand to hand. The assailants, wielding48 their falchions with one hand, strove with the other to drag down the structure of the barricade. On the other side, the parts were reversed; and the defenders49 exposed themselves like madmen to protect their rampart. So for some minutes the contest raged almost in silence, friend and foe27 falling one upon another. But it is always the easier to destroy; and when a single note upon the tucket recalled the attacking party from this desperate service, much of the barricade had been removed piecemeal50, and the whole fabric51 had sunk to half its height, and tottered52 to a general fall.
And now the footmen in the market-place fell back, at a run, on every side. The horsemen, who had been standing53 in a line two deep, wheeled suddenly, and made their flank into their front; and as swift as a striking adder22, the long, steel-clad column was launched upon the ruinous barricade.
Of the first two horsemen, one fell, rider and steed, and was ridden down by his companions. The second leaped clean upon the summit of the rampart, transpiercing an archer with his lance. Almost in the same instant he was dragged from the saddle and his horse despatched.
And then the full weight and impetus54 of the charge burst upon and scattered55 the defenders. The men-at-arms, surmounting56 their fallen comrades, and carried onward57 by the fury of their onslaught, dashed through Dick’s broken line and poured thundering up the lane beyond, as a stream bestrides and pours across a broken dam.
Yet was the fight not over. Still, in the narrow jaws58 of the entrance, Dick and a few survivors59 plied60 their bills like woodmen; and already, across the width of the passage, there had been formed a second, a higher, and a more effectual rampart of fallen men and disembowelled horses, lashing32 in the agonies of death.
Baffled by this fresh obstacle, the remainder of the cavalry61 fell back; and as, at the sight of this movement, the flight of arrows redoubled from the casements62 of the houses, their retreat had, for a moment, almost degenerated63 into flight.
Almost at the same time, those who had crossed the barricade and charged farther up the street, being met before the door of the Chequers by the formidable hunchback and the whole reserve of the Yorkists, began to come scattering64 backward, in the excess of disarray65 and terror.
Dick and his fellows faced about, fresh men poured out of the houses; a cruel blast of arrows met the fugitives66 full in the face, while Gloucester was already riding down their rear; in the inside of a minute and a half there was no living Lancastrian in the street.
Meanwhile Gloucester dismounted from his horse and came forward to inspect the post. His face was as pale as linen68; but his eyes shone in his head like some strange jewel, and his voice, when he spoke69, was hoarse70 and broken with the exultation71 of battle and success. He looked at the rampart, which neither friend nor foe could now approach without precaution, so fiercely did the horses struggle in the throes of death, and at the sight of that great carnage he smiled upon one side.
“Despatch these horses,” he said; “they keep you from your vantage. Richard Shelton,” he added, “ye have pleased me. Kneel.”
The Lancastrians had already resumed their archery, and the shafts72 fell thick in the mouth of the street; but the duke, minding them not at all, deliberately73 drew his sword and dubbed74 Richard a knight upon the spot.
“And now, Sir Richard,” he continued, “if that ye see Lord Risingham, send me an express upon the instant. Were it your last man, let me hear of it incontinently. I had rather venture the post than lose my stroke at him. For mark me, all of ye,” he added, raising his voice, “if Earl Risingham fall by another hand than mine, I shall count this victory a defeat.”
“My lord duke,” said one of his attendants, “is your grace not weary of exposing his dear life unneedfully? Why tarry we here?”
“Catesby,” returned the duke, “here is the battle, not elsewhere. The rest are but feigned75 onslaughts. Here must we vanquish76. And for the exposure—if ye were an ugly hunchback, and the children gecked at you upon the street, ye would count your body cheaper, and an hour of glory worth a life. Howbeit, if ye will, let us ride on and visit the other posts. Sir Richard here, my namesake, he shall still hold this entry, where he wadeth to the ankles in hot blood. Him can we trust. But mark it, Sir Richard, ye are not yet done. The worst is yet to ward3. Sleep not.”
He came right up to young Shelton, looking him hard in the eyes, and taking his hand in both of his, gave it so extreme a squeeze that the blood had nearly spurted77. Dick quailed78 before his eyes. The insane excitement, the courage, and the cruelty that he read therein filled him with dismay about the future. This young duke’s was indeed a gallant79 spirit, to ride foremost in the ranks of war; but after the battle, in the days of peace and in the circle of his trusted friends, that mind, it was to be dreaded80, would continue to bring forth the fruits of death.
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1
rumour
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| n.谣言，谣传，传闻 | |
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2
halfway
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| adj.中途的，不彻底的，部分的；adv.半路地，在中途，在半途 | |
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3
ward
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| n.守卫，监护，病房，行政区，由监护人或法院保护的人（尤指儿童）；vt.守护，躲开 | |
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4
exterminated
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| v.消灭，根绝( exterminate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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5
posture
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| n.姿势，姿态，心态，态度；v.作出某种姿势 | |
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6
doffed
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| v.脱去，（尤指）脱帽( doff的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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7
gallop
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| v./n.(马或骑马等)飞奔；飞速发展 | |
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8
galloped
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| （使马）飞奔，奔驰( gallop的过去式和过去分词 )； 快速做[说]某事 | |
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9
mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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onset
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| n.进攻，袭击，开始，突然开始 | |
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11
reins
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| 感情，激情； 缰( rein的名词复数 )； 控制手段； 掌管； （成人带着幼儿走路以防其走失时用的）保护带 | |
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12
rein
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| n.疆绳，统治，支配；vt.以僵绳控制，统治 | |
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13
shrill
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| adj.尖声的；刺耳的；v尖叫 | |
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14
trumpet
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| n.喇叭，喇叭声；v.吹喇叭，吹嘘 | |
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15
swerving
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| v.（使）改变方向，改变目的( swerve的现在分词 ) | |
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daunted
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| 使（某人）气馁，威吓( daunt的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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17
momentary
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| adj.片刻的，瞬息的；短暂的 | |
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18
consultation
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| n.咨询；商量；商议；会议 | |
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19
eminence
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| n.卓越，显赫；高地，高处；名家 | |
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20
lodged
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| v.存放( lodge的过去式和过去分词 )；暂住；埋入；（权利、权威等）归属 | |
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deserted
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| adj.荒芜的，荒废的，无人的，被遗弃的 | |
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adder
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| n.蝰蛇；小毒蛇 | |
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archer
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| n.射手，弓箭手 | |
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24
woe
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| n.悲哀，苦痛，不幸，困难；int.用来表达悲伤或惊慌 | |
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25
decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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26
disorder
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| n.紊乱，混乱；骚动，骚乱；疾病，失调 | |
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27
foe
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| n.敌人，仇敌 | |
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28
forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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29
immediate
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| adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的 | |
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30
barricade
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| n.路障，栅栏，障碍；vt.设路障挡住 | |
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31
uproar
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| n.骚动，喧嚣，鼎沸 | |
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32
lashing
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| n.鞭打；痛斥；大量；许多v.鞭打( lash的现在分词 )；煽动；紧系；怒斥 | |
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33
trumpets
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| 喇叭( trumpet的名词复数 )； 小号； 喇叭形物； （尤指）绽开的水仙花 | |
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34
shrieks
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| n.尖叫声( shriek的名词复数 )v.尖叫( shriek的第三人称单数 ) | |
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35
deafening
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| adj. 振耳欲聋的, 极喧闹的 动词deafen的现在分词形式 | |
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36
tumult
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| n.喧哗；激动，混乱；吵闹 | |
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37
subside
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| vi.平静，平息；下沉，塌陷，沉降 | |
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38
armour
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| （=armor）n.盔甲；装甲部队 | |
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39
archers
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| n.弓箭手，射箭运动员( archer的名词复数 ) | |
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40
knight
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| n.骑士，武士；爵士 | |
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41
rattled
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| 慌乱的，恼火的 | |
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42
beleaguered
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| adj.受到围困[围攻]的；包围的v.围攻( beleaguer的过去式和过去分词)；困扰；骚扰 | |
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43
entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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44
jack
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| n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克 | |
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45
defensive
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| adj.防御的；防卫的；防守的 | |
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46
steadily
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| adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地 | |
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47
obstinate
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| adj.顽固的，倔强的，不易屈服的，较难治愈的 | |
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48
wielding
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| 手持着使用（武器、工具等）( wield的现在分词 )； 具有； 运用（权力）； 施加（影响） | |
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49
defenders
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| n.防御者( defender的名词复数 )；守卫者；保护者；辩护者 | |
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50
piecemeal
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| adj.零碎的；n.片，块；adv.逐渐地；v.弄成碎块 | |
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51
fabric
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| n.织物，织品，布；构造，结构，组织 | |
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52
tottered
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| v.走得或动得不稳( totter的过去式和过去分词 )；踉跄；蹒跚；摇摇欲坠 | |
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53
standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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54
impetus
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| n.推动，促进，刺激；推动力 | |
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55
scattered
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| adj.分散的，稀疏的；散步的；疏疏落落的 | |
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56
surmounting
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| 战胜( surmount的现在分词 )； 克服（困难）； 居于…之上； 在…顶上 | |
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57
onward
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| adj.向前的，前进的；adv.向前，前进，在先 | |
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58
jaws
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| n.口部；嘴 | |
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59
survivors
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| 幸存者，残存者，生还者( survivor的名词复数 ) | |
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60
plied
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| v.使用（工具）( ply的过去式和过去分词 )；经常供应（食物、饮料）；固定往来；经营生意 | |
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61
cavalry
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| n.骑兵；轻装甲部队 | |
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62
casements
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| n.窗扉( casement的名词复数 ) | |
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63
degenerated
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| 衰退，堕落，退化( degenerate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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64
scattering
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| n.[物]散射；散乱，分散；在媒介质中的散播adj.散乱的；分散在不同范围的；广泛扩散的；（选票）数量分散的v.散射(scatter的ing形式)；散布；驱散 | |
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65
disarray
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| n.混乱，紊乱，凌乱 | |
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66
fugitives
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| n.亡命者，逃命者( fugitive的名词复数 ) | |
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67
reeking
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| v.发出浓烈的臭气( reek的现在分词 )；散发臭气；发出难闻的气味 (of sth)；明显带有（令人不快或生疑的跡象） | |
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68
linen
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| n.亚麻布，亚麻线，亚麻制品；adj.亚麻布制的，亚麻的 | |
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69
spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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70
hoarse
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| adj.嘶哑的，沙哑的 | |
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71
exultation
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| n.狂喜，得意 | |
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72
shafts
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| n.轴( shaft的名词复数 )；（箭、高尔夫球棒等的）杆；通风井；一阵（疼痛、害怕等） | |
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73
deliberately
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| adv.审慎地；蓄意地；故意地 | |
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74
dubbed
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| v.给…起绰号( dub的过去式和过去分词 )；把…称为；配音；复制 | |
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75
feigned
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| a.假装的，不真诚的 | |
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76
vanquish
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| v.征服，战胜；克服；抑制 | |
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spurted
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| （液体，火焰等）喷出，（使）涌出( spurt的过去式和过去分词 )； （短暂地）加速前进，冲刺 | |
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78
quailed
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| 害怕，发抖，畏缩( quail的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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gallant
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| adj.英勇的，豪侠的；(向女人)献殷勤的 | |
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dreaded
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| adj.令人畏惧的；害怕的v.害怕，恐惧，担心( dread的过去式和过去分词) | |
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