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 Causton,
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.