now about the
fording-places, if any there were. One of the prisoners, a countryman
named Gobin, told him that there was a place a little lower down the
river, called White Spot, where people could wade across the river
when the tide was low. The tide ebbed and flowed in the river here,
on account of its being so near the sea.

This was in the evening. King Edward was awake all night with anxiety,
expecting every moment that Philip would come suddenly upon him. He
rose at midnight, and ordered the trumpets to sound in order to arouse
the men. The officers were all on the alert, the young prince among
them. All was movement and bustle in the camp. As soon as the day
dawned they commenced their march, Gobin leading the way. He was well
guarded. They were all ready to cut him to pieces if he should fail to
lead them to the ford which he had promised. But he found the ford,
though at the time that the army reached the spot the tide was high,
so that they could not cross. Besides this, the king saw that on the
opposite bank there was a large body of French troops posted to guard
the passage. Edward was obliged to wait some hours for the tide to go
down, being in a terrible state of suspense all the time for fear that
Philip should come down upon him in the rear, in which case his
situation would have been perilous in the extreme.

At last the tide was low enough to make the river fordable, and Edward
ordered his troops to dash forward into the river. The men advanced,
but they were met in the middle of the stream by the troops that had
been posted on the bank to oppose them. There was a short and
desperate conflict in the water, but Edward at last forced his way
through, and drove the French away.

It then required some hours for all his army to cross. They had barely
time to accomplish the work before the tide came up again. Just at
this time, too, Philip's army appeared, but it was too late for them
to cross the ford, and so Edward escaped with the main body of his
army, though a portion of those in the rear, who were not able to get
across in time, fell into Philip's hands, and were either killed or
taken prisoners on the margin of the water.

The young prince was, of course, as much rejoiced as his father at
this fortunate escape. The army were all greatly encouraged, too, by
the result of the battle which they had fought on the bank of the
river in landing; and, finally, Edward resolved that he would not
retreat an