ost precious of their possessions, while, at the high altar,
priests in full canonicals were imploring the mercy of God. Even as Dick
entered, the loud chorus began to thunder in the vaulted roofs.

He hurried through the groups of refugees, and came to the door of the
stair that led into the steeple. And here a tall churchman stepped
before him and arrested his advance.

"Whither, my son?" he asked, severely.

"My father," answered Dick, "I am here upon an errand of expedition.
Stay me not. I command here for my Lord of Gloucester."

"For my Lord of Gloucester?" repeated the priest. "Hath, then, the
battle gone so sore?"

"The battle, father, is at an end, Lancaster clean sped, my Lord of
Risingham--Heaven rest him!--left upon the field. And now, with your
good leave, I follow mine affairs." And thrusting on one side the
priest, who seemed stupefied at the news, Dick pushed open the door and
rattled up the stairs four at a bound, and without pause or stumble,
till he stepped upon the open platform at the top.

Shoreby Church tower not only commanded the town, as in a map, but
looked far, on both sides, over sea and land. It was now near upon noon;
the day exceeding bright, the snow dazzling. And as Dick looked around
him, he could measure the consequences of the battle.

A confused, growling uproar reached him from the streets, and now and
then, but very rarely, the clash of steel. Not a ship, not so much as a
skiff remained in harbour; but the sea was dotted with sails and
row-boats laden with fugitives. On shore, too, the surface of the snowy
meadows was broken up with bands of horsemen, some cutting their way
towards the borders of the forest, others, who were doubtless of the
Yorkist side, stoutly interposing and beating them back upon the town.
Over all the open ground there lay a prodigious quantity of fallen men
and horses, clearly defined upon the snow.

To complete the picture, those of the foot soldiers as had not found
place upon a ship still kept up an archery combat on the borders of the
port, and from the cover of the shoreside taverns. In that quarter,
also, one or two houses had been fired, and the smoke towered high in
the frosty sunlight, and blew off to sea in voluminous folds.

Already close upon the margin of the woods, and somewhat in the line of
Holywood, one particular clump of fleeing horsemen riveted the attention
of the young watcher on the tower. It was fairly numerous; in no other