On his own side the loss had been cruel. The jaws5 of the little street and the ruins of the barricade6 were heaped with the dead and dying; and out of the hundred men with whom he had begun the battle, there were not seventy left who could still stand to arms.
At the same time, the day was passing. The first reinforcements might be looked for to arrive at any moment; and the Lancastrians, already shaken by the result of their desperate but unsuccessful onslaught, were in an ill temper to support a fresh invader7.
There was a dial in the wall of one of the two flanking houses; and this, in the frosty winter sunshine, indicated ten of the forenoon.
Dick turned to the man who was at his elbow, a little insignificant8 archer9, binding10 a cut in his arm.
“It was well fought,” he said, “and, by my sooth, they will not charge us twice.”
“Sir,” said the little archer, “ye have fought right well for York, and better for yourself. Never hath man in so brief space prevailed so greatly on the duke’s affections. That he should have entrusted11 such a post to one he knew not is a marvel12. But look to your head, Sir Richard! If ye be vanquished—ay, if ye give way one foot’s breadth—axe or cord shall punish it; and I am set if ye do aught doubtful, I will tell you honestly, here to stab you from behind.”
Dick looked at the little man in amaze.
“You!” he cried. “And from behind!”
“It is right so,” returned the archer; “and because I like not the affair I tell it you. Ye must make the post good, Sir Richard, at your peril13. O, our Crookback is a bold blade and a good warrior14; but, whether in cold blood or in hot, he will have all things done exact to his commandment. If any fail or hinder, they shall die the death.”
“Now, by the saints!” cried Richard, “is this so? And will men follow such a leader?”
“Nay, they follow him gleefully,” replied the other; “for if he be exact to punish, he is most open-handed to reward. And if he spare not the blood and sweat of others, he is ever liberal of his own, still in the first front of battle, still the last to sleep. He will go far, will Crookback Dick o’ Gloucester!”
The young knight15, if he had before been brave and vigilant16, was now all the more inclined to watchfulness17 and courage. His sudden favour, he began to perceive, had brought perils18 in its train. And he turned from the archer, and once more scanned anxiously the market-place. It lay empty as before.
“I like not this quietude,” he said. “Doubtless they prepare us some surprise.”
And, as if in answer to his remark, the archers19 began once more to advance against the barricade, and the arrows to fall thick. But there was something hesitating in the attack. They came not on roundly, but seemed rather to await a further signal.
Dick looked uneasily about him, spying for a hidden danger. And sure enough, about half way up the little street, a door was suddenly opened from within, and the house continued, for some seconds, and both by door and window, to disgorge a torrent20 of Lancastrian archers. These, as they leaped down, hurriedly stood to their ranks, bent21 their bows, and proceeded to pour upon Dick’s rear a flight of arrows.
At the same time, the assailants in the market-place redoubled their shot, and began to close in stoutly22 upon the barricade.
Dick called down his whole command out of the houses, and facing them both ways, and encouraging their valour both by word and gesture, returned as best he could the double shower of shafts23 that fell about his post.
Meanwhile house after house was opened in the street, and the Lancastrians continued to pour out of the doors and leap down from the windows, shouting victory, until the number of enemies upon Dick’s rear was almost equal to the number in his face. It was plain that he could hold the post no longer; what was worse, even if he could have held it, it had now become useless; and the whole Yorkist army lay in a posture24 of helplessness upon the brink25 of a complete disaster.
The men behind him formed the vital flaw in the general defence; and it was upon these that Dick turned, charging at the head of his men. So vigorous was the attack, that the Lancastrian archers gave ground and staggered, and, at last, breaking their ranks, began to crowd back into the houses from which they had so recently and so vaingloriously sallied.
Meanwhile the men from the market-place had swarmed26 across the undefended barricade, and fell on hotly upon the other side; and Dick must once again face about, and proceed to drive them back. Once again the spirit of his men prevailed; they cleared the street in a triumphant27 style, but even as they did so the others issued again out of the houses, and took them, a third time, upon the rear.
The Yorkists began to be scattered; several times Dick found himself alone among his foes28 and plying29 his bright sword for life; several times he was conscious of a hurt. And meanwhile the fight swayed to and fro in the street without determinate result.
Suddenly Dick was aware of a great trumpeting30 about the outskirts31 of the town. The war-cry of York began to be rolled up to heaven, as by many and triumphant voices. And at the same time the men in front of him began to give ground rapidly, streaming out of the street and back upon the market-place. Some one gave the word to fly. Trumpets32 were blown distractedly, some for a rally, some to charge. It was plain that a great blow had been struck, and the Lancastrians were thrown, at least for the moment, into full disorder33, and some degree of panic.
And then, like a theatre trick, there followed the last act of Shoreby Battle. The men in front of Richard turned tail, like a dog that has been whistled home, and fled like the wind. At the same moment there came through the market-place a storm of horsemen, fleeing and pursuing, the Lancastrians turning back to strike with the sword, the Yorkists riding them down at the point of the lance.
Conspicuous34 in the mellay, Dick beheld35 the Crookback. He was already giving a foretaste of that furious valour and skill to cut his way across the ranks of war, which, years afterwards upon the field of Bosworth, and when he was stained with crimes, almost sufficed to change the fortunes of the day and the destiny of the English throne. Evading36, striking, riding down, he so forced and so manoeuvred his strong horse, so aptly defended himself, and so liberally scattered death to his opponents, that he was now far ahead of the foremost of his knights37, hewing38 his way, with the truncheon of a bloody39 sword, to where Lord Risingham was rallying the bravest. A moment more and they had met; the tall, splendid, and famous warrior against the deformed40 and sickly boy.
Yet Shelton had never a doubt of the result; and when the fight next opened for a moment, the figure of the earl had disappeared; but still, in the first of the danger, Crookback Dick was launching his big horse and plying the truncheon of his sword.
Thus, by Shelton’s courage in holding the mouth of the street against the first attack, and by the opportune41 arrival of his seven hundred reinforcements, the lad, who was afterwards to be handed down to the execration42 of posterity43 under the name of Richard III., had won his first considerable fight.
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1
trampled
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| 踩( trample的过去式和过去分词 )； 践踏； 无视； 侵犯 | |
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2
gore
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| n.凝血，血污；v.（动物）用角撞伤，用牙刺破；缝以补裆；顶 | |
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3
scattered
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| adj.分散的，稀疏的；散步的；疏疏落落的 | |
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bristling
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| a.竖立的 | |
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jaws
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| n.口部；嘴 | |
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barricade
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| n.路障，栅栏，障碍；vt.设路障挡住 | |
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7
invader
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| n.侵略者，侵犯者，入侵者 | |
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8
insignificant
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| adj.无关紧要的，可忽略的，无意义的 | |
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archer
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| n.射手，弓箭手 | |
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binding
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| 有约束力的，有效的，应遵守的 | |
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entrusted
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| v.委托，托付( entrust的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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12
marvel
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| vi.(at)惊叹vt.感到惊异；n.令人惊异的事 | |
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13
peril
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| n.(严重的)危险；危险的事物 | |
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warrior
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| n.勇士，武士，斗士 | |
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knight
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| n.骑士，武士；爵士 | |
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vigilant
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| adj.警觉的，警戒的，警惕的 | |
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watchfulness
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| 警惕，留心； 警觉（性） | |
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perils
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| 极大危险( peril的名词复数 )； 危险的事（或环境） | |
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19
archers
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| n.弓箭手，射箭运动员( archer的名词复数 ) | |
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20
torrent
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| n.激流，洪流；爆发，(话语等的)连发 | |
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21
bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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22
stoutly
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| adv.牢固地，粗壮的 | |
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23
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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24
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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brink
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| n.(悬崖、河流等的)边缘，边沿 | |
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26
swarmed
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| 密集( swarm的过去式和过去分词 )； 云集； 成群地移动； 蜜蜂或其他飞行昆虫成群地飞来飞去 | |
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27
triumphant
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| adj.胜利的，成功的；狂欢的，喜悦的 | |
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foes
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| 敌人，仇敌( foe的名词复数 ) | |
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29
plying
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| v.使用（工具）( ply的现在分词 )；经常供应（食物、饮料）；固定往来；经营生意 | |
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30
trumpeting
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| 大声说出或宣告（trumpet的现在分词形式） | |
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31
outskirts
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| n.郊外，郊区 | |
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32
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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33
disorder
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| n.紊乱，混乱；骚动，骚乱；疾病，失调 | |
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conspicuous
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| adj.明眼的，惹人注目的；炫耀的，摆阔气的 | |
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35
beheld
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| v.看，注视( behold的过去式和过去分词 )；瞧；看呀；（叙述中用于引出某人意外的出现）哎哟 | |
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36
evading
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| 逃避( evade的现在分词 )； 避开； 回避； 想不出 | |
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37
knights
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| 骑士； （中古时代的）武士( knight的名词复数 )； 骑士； 爵士； （国际象棋中）马 | |
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38
hewing
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| v.（用斧、刀等）砍、劈( hew的现在分词 )；砍成；劈出；开辟 | |
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39
bloody
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| adj.非常的的；流血的；残忍的；adv.很；vt.血染 | |
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40
deformed
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| adj.畸形的；变形的；丑的，破相了的 | |
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41
opportune
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| adj.合适的，适当的 | |
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42
execration
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| n.诅咒，念咒，憎恶 | |
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43
posterity
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| n.后裔，子孙，后代 | |
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