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her seat and ran like an arrow to her lover's side.
"
Here, Dick!" she cried, as she clasped his hand in hers.
But Dick still stood irresolute; he was yet young to the more deplorable
necessities of war, and the thought of old Lady Brackley checked the
command upon his tongue. His own men became restive. Some of them
cried
on him by name; others, of their own accord, began to shoot; and at the
first discharge poor Bennet bit the dust. Then Dick awoke.
"
On!" he cried. "Shoot, boys, and keep to cover. England and York!"
But just then the dull beat of many horses on the snow suddenly arose in
the hollow ear of the night, and, with incredible swiftness, drew nearer
and swelled louder. At the same time, answering tuckets repeated and
repeated Hatch's call.
"
Rally, rally!" cried Dick. "Rally upon me! Rally for your lives!"
But his men--afoot, scattered, taken in the hour when they had counted on
an easy triumph--began instead to give ground severally, and either stood
wavering or dispersed into the thickets. And when the first of the
horsemen came charging through the open avenues and fiercely riding their
steeds into the underwood, a few stragglers were overthrown or speared
among the brush, but the bulk of Dick's command had simply melted at the
rumour of their coming.
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