Dick called down his whole command out of the houses, and facing them

both ways, and encouraging their valour both by word and gesture,

returned as best he could the double shower of shafts that fell about his

post.

Meanwhile house after house was opened in the street, and the

Lancastrians continued to pour out of the doors and leap down from the

windows, shouting victory, until the number of enemies upon Dick's rear

was almost equal to the number in his face. It was plain that he could

hold the post no longer; what was worse, even if he could have held it,

it had now become useless; and the whole Yorkist army lay in a posture of

helplessness upon the brink of a complete disaster.

The men behind him formed the vital flaw in the general defence; and it

was upon these that Dick turned, charging at the head of his men. So

vigorous was the attack, that the Lancastrian archers gave ground and

staggered, and, at last, breaking their ranks, began to crowd back into

the houses from which they had so recently and so vaingloriously sallied.

Meanwhile the men from the market-place had swarmed across the

undefended

barricade, and fell on hotly upon the other side; and Dick must once

again face about, and proceed to drive them back. Once again the spirit

of his men prevailed; they cleared the street in a triumphant style, but

even as they did so the others issued again out of the houses, and took

them, a third time, upon the rear.

The Black Arrow