ed.

Such was the poorness of the neighbourhood that none of the Lancastrian
lords, and but few of their retainers, had been lodged therein; and the
inhabitants, with one accord, deserted their houses and fled, squalling,
along the streets or over garden walls.

In the centre, where the five ways all met, a somewhat ill-favoured
alehouse displayed the sign of the Chequers; and here the Duke of
Gloucester chose his headquarters for the day.

To Dick he assigned the guard of one of the five streets.

"Go," he said, "win your spurs. Win glory for me: one Richard for
another. I tell you, if I rise, ye shall rise by the same ladder. Go,"
he added, shaking him by the hand.

But, as soon as Dick was gone, he turned to a little shabby archer at
his elbow.

"Go, Dutton, and that right speedily," he added. "Follow that lad. If ye
find him faithful, ye answer for his safety, a head for a head. Woe unto
you, if ye return without him! But if he be faithless--or, for one
instant, ye misdoubt him--stab him from behind."

In the meanwhile Dick hastened to secure his post. The street he had to
guard was very narrow, and closely lined with houses, which projected
and overhung the roadway; but narrow and dark as it was, since it opened
upon the market-place of the town, the main issue of the battle would
probably fall to be decided on that spot.

The market-place was full of townspeople fleeing in disorder; but there
was as yet no sign of any foeman ready to attack, and Dick judged he had
some time before him to make ready his defence.

The two houses at the end stood deserted, with open doors, as the
inhabitants had left them in their flight, and from these he had the
furniture hastily tossed forth and piled into a barrier in the entry of
the lane. A hundred men were placed at his disposal, and of these he
threw the more part into the houses, where they might lie in shelter and
deliver their arrows from the windows. With the rest, under his own
immediate eye, he lined the barricade.

Meanwhile the utmost uproar and confusion had continued to prevail
throughout the town; and what with the hurried clashing of bells, the
sounding of trumpets, the swift movement of bodies of horse, the cries
of the commanders, and the shrieks of women, the noise was almost
deafening to the ear. Presently, little by little, the tumult began to
subside; and soon after, files of men in armour and bodies of archers
began to assemble and form in line