k a band of his men
to bring on their horses and armour. Thuswise first came Osberne to
the City of the Sundering Flood.

Chapter XLVII. The Battle in the Square

On the morrow's morn, the leaders of the town met Osberne and his
captains in council, and their rede was that they should do warily and
not throw the helve after the hatchet. This they deemed best, that
they should now, while they might, make strong with mound and wall
their quarter of the town, since, until Sir Godrick was come to them,
they might even now look to it to have much might against them. This
reded the Red Lad nowise gainsaid, knowing well how valiant and stout
these men would be behind walls; but he said: "Yet, my masters, the
more leisure you have for this spade and mattock work, the better it
shall be for you and the work. Wherefore my rede is that some of your
chosen men go with the best of mine, and that we issue out of our
quarter and fall upon the others, and make a good space clear of foes
of the streets and carfaxes that march unto your quarter, which
forsooth shall serve you as an outwork to your castle until Sir
Godrick comes with a great host and fills up all that and more. And,
sooth to say, now at once is the best time to do this, while the foe
is all astonied at what befel last night."

That seemed good to one and all; so when they had eaten and were duly
arrayed they issued forth into the streets, and at first indeed wended
those that were truly of their quarter, only on the day before they
deemed them not big enough to hold all that; but now it was their mind
to bring it within their defences. So the Red Lad and his rode on
warily, taking heed that they should not be cut off by any at their
backs. So at last they came unto a great carfax with a wide square
round about it. There they drew up their folk in a long line with a
wide face to the foe, well furnished of bows and other shot-weapons;
for the townsmen were archers exceeding good.

There was nought in the square or on the carfax at first but
themselves; but after a little there entered by the east way and the
west a rout of archers, and fell to shooting at Osberne's, and they
back again. The archers of the Porte did not dare to show much face to
the Red Lad, but were gathered together in plumps at each incoming
into the square. Said the Red Lad to himself: Let us make an end of
this folly. And he bade his men leave shooting, and then gave the
word, and they rode at