draw
an arrow; ye will but hurt friends. Take to the steel, and keep to the
steel; and if we have the uppermost, I promise every man of you a gold
noble when I come to mine estate."

Out of the odd collection of broken men, thieves, murderers, and ruined
peasantry, whom Duckworth had gathered together to serve the purposes of
his revenge, some of the boldest and the most experienced in war had
volunteered to follow Richard Shelton. The service of watching Sir
Daniel's movements in the town of Shoreby had from the first been
irksome to their temper, and they had of late begun to grumble loudly
and threaten to disperse. The prospect of a sharp encounter and possible
spoils restored them to good-humour, and they joyfully prepared for
battle.

Their long tabards thrown aside, they appeared, some in plain green
jerkins, and some in stout leathern jacks; under their hoods many wore
bonnets strengthened by iron plates; and, for offensive armour, swords,
daggers, a few stout boar-spears, and a dozen of bright bills, put them
in a posture to engage even regular feudal troops. The bows, quivers,
and tabards were concealed among the gorse, and the two bands set
resolutely forward.

Dick, when he had reached the other side of the house, posted his six
men in a line, about twenty yards from the garden wall, and took
position himself a few paces in front. Then they all shouted with one
voice, and closed upon the enemy.

These, lying widely scattered, stiff with cold, and taken at unawares,
sprang stupidly to their feet, and stood undecided. Before they had time
to get their courage about them, or even to form an idea of the number
and mettle of their assailants, a similar shout of onslaught sounded in
their ears from the far side of the enclosure. Thereupon they gave
themselves up for lost and ran.

In this way the two small troops of the men of the Black Arrow closed
upon the sea-front of the garden wall, and took a part of the strangers,
as it were, between two fires; while the whole of the remainder ran for
their lives in different directions, and were soon scattered in the
darkness.

For all that, the fight was but beginning. Dick's outlaws, although they
had the advantage of the surprise, were still considerably outnumbered
by the men they had surrounded. The tide had flowed, in the meanwhile;
the beach was narrowed to a strip; and on this wet field, between the
surf and the garden wall, there began, in the darkness, a