e King?" they asked quickly. "When will he be with us?"

"He asked," replied the messenger, "whether the Prince were killed or
wounded; and when I told him nay, but in a hard passage of arms wherein
he needed his Sire's help, the King folded his arms and turned away,
saying, 'Let the boy win his spurs; for I will that the glory of this
day be his, and not mine.'"

As those words were spoken it seemed as if new life were infused into
the young Prince himself and all those who surrounded him. A ringing
cheer rose from all their throats. They formed once again under their
young leader, and charged the enemy with a fury that nothing was able to
resist. The horsemen were forced hack the way they had come. The Counts
who had led them boldly and well were unhorsed and slain. Dismay and
terror fell upon the breaking ranks of the French, and they turned and
fled; whilst the excited and triumphant young Prince pursued them with
shouts of exultation and triumph, till he found himself with his few
most faithful followers in the midst of the flying but hostile ranks
some little distance away from the English army.

"Sweet Prince, beware! have a care how you adventure your life thus in
the enemy's ranks," whispered Raymond in his ear, he alone keeping a
cool head in the midst of so much that was exciting. "See, here come
some score of horsemen who know thee and would fain cut off thy retreat.
Let us here make a stand and receive the charge, else shall we all be
overthrown together."

This cautious counsel came only just in time. Young Edward looked round
to see that his reckless bravery had placed him for the moment in
imminent peril; but he had all the courage of his race, and his heart
quailed not for an instant. Giving the word to his comrades to form a
compact square, he placed himself where the onset was like to be the
fiercest; nor was there time for his companions to interfere to place
him in a position of greater safety.

With a great shout of rage and triumph the band of horsemen, who had
recognized the person of the Prince, now rushed upon him, resolved
either to carry him off a prisoner or leave him lying dead upon the
field, so that the English might have little joy in their victory. So
fierce was the attack that the Prince was borne to the ground; and the
Battle of Crecy might have been a dark instead of a bright page in
England's history, but for the gallantry of a little band of Welshmen
headed by Richard de Beaum