, caused their ships to be fitted at Sluys with
large wooden towers, which furnished a commanding position to their
crossbow-men. The wind was direct in their favour, and they could have
easily avoided the contest, but, confiding in their enormously superior
force, they sailed boldly forward to the attack.

The king himself led the English line, and directing his vessel towards
a large Spanish ship, endeavoured to run her down. The shock was
tremendous, but the enemy's vessel was stronger as well as larger than
that of the king; and as the two ships recoiled from each other it was
found that the water was rushing into the English vessel, and that she
was rapidly sinking. The Spanish passed on in the confusion, but the
king ordered his ship to be instantly laid alongside another which was
following her, and to be firmly lashed to her. Then with his knights he
sprang on board the Spaniard, and after a short but desperate fight cut
down or drove the crew overboard. The royal standard was hoisted on the
prize, the sinking English vessel was cast adrift, and the king sailed
on to attack another adversary.

The battle now raged on all sides. The English strove to grapple with
and board the enemy, while the Spaniards poured upon them a shower of
bolts and quarrels from their cross-bows, hurled immense masses of stone
from their military engines, and, as they drew alongside, cast into them
heavy bars of iron, which pierced holes in the bottom of the ship.

Walter was on board the ship commanded by the Black Prince. This had
been steered towards one of the largest and most important of the
Spanish vessels. As they approached, the engines poured their missiles
into them. Several great holes were torn in the sides of the ship, which
was already sinking as she came alongside her foe.

"We must do our best, Sir Walter," the prince exclaimed, "for if we do
not capture her speedily our ship will assuredly sink beneath our feet."

The Spaniard stood far higher above the water than the English ship, and
the Black Prince and his knights in vain attempted to climb her sides,
while the seamen strove with pumps and buckets to keep the vessel
afloat. Every effort was in vain. The Spaniard's men-at-arms lined the
bulwarks, and repulsed every effort made by the English to climb up
them, while those on the towers rained down showers of bolts and arrows
and masses of iron and stone. The situation was desperate when the Earl
of Lancaster,