e Welsh, though unable to hold their own in open fight, had now
betaken themselves to their bows and arrows, and from behind every
house shot fast.

The door of the house that had still resisted had been thrown open, and
eight men had come out, followed by some twenty women and children.

"Do each of you leap up behind one of us!" Sir John shouted.

"Help the women up, men, then right-about, and ride out of the village.
It is getting too hot for us, here."

The order was quickly obeyed and, placing the horses carrying a double
burden in the centre, the troop rode out in a compact body. The Welsh
poured out into the road behind them.

"Level your spears!" Alwyn shouted to his men; who had, by his orders,
fallen in in the rear of the others.

The long spears were levelled and, with a shout, the twenty men rode
down on their pursuers, bursting their way through them as if they had
been but a crowd of lay figures; then, wheeling, they returned again,
none venturing to try to hinder them, and rejoined the main body.

"Well done, indeed!" Sir John Burgon exclaimed, "and in knightly
fashion. Verily, those long border spears of yours are right good
weapons, when so stoutly used."

Once outside the village, the troop rode quietly on to the spot at
which they had first charged. Then the villagers dismounted.

"You made a stout defence, men," Sir John said. "It was well that you
had time to gain that house."

"It was agreed that all should take to it, Sir Knight," one of the men
said; "but the attack was so sudden that only we, and these women, had
time to reach it before they were on us; and, had it not been for your
arrival, they must soon have mastered us, for they were bringing up a
tree to burst in the door; and as none of us had time to catch up our
bows and arrows, we had no way of hindering them. Still, methinks many
would have fallen, before they forced their way in."

The men now fell in again. Their numbers were counted. The losses were
by far the heaviest in the front line. Five of the castle men-at-arms,
and fourteen of the levy were killed. Several others had gashes from
the long knives and light axes of the Welsh. Five of the tenants in the
second line had fallen, but none of Alwyn's band, although most of the
latter had received wounds, more or less serious, in their combat with
the Welsh.

"The loss is heavy," Sir John said, "but it is as nought to that
inflicted upon the Welsh. I did not count them,