waved his sword high above his head, and cried out: "A Christopher! A
Christopher! Forward, banner of the Realm!" And forth he went, steady
and strong, and a great shout arose behind him, and none shrank or
lagged, but spears and bills, and axes and swords, all came on like a
wall of steel, so that to the foemen the earth seemed alive with death,
and they made no show of abiding the onset, but all turned and ran, save
Walter the White and a score of his knights, who forsooth were borne
down in a trice, and were taken to mercy, those of them who were not
slain at the first crash of weapons.

There then ye might have seen great clumps of men making no defence, but
casting down their weapons and crying mercy; and forsooth so great was
the throng, that no great many were slain; but on the other hand, but
few gat away across the water, and on them presently fell the Brimside
riders, and hewed down and slew and took few to mercy. And some few
besides the first laggards of the bowmen, it might be three hundreds in
all, escaped, and gat to Woodwall, but when they of the town saw them,
they made up their minds speedily, and shut their gates, and the poor
fleers found but the points of shafts and the heads of quarrels before
them.

But on the field of deed those captives were somewhat fearful as to what
should be done with them, and they spake one to the other about it, that
they would be willing to serve the new King, since he was so mighty.
And amidst of their talk came the captains of King Christopher, and they
drew into a ring around them, and the lords bade them look to it whether
they would be the foemen of the King, the son of that King Christopher
the Old. "If so ye be," said they, "ye may escape this time; but ye see
how valiant a man he is, and how lucky withal, and happy shall they be
whom he calleth friends. Now what say ye, will ye take up your weapons
again, and be under the best of kings and a true one, or will ye depart
and take the chance of his wrath in the coming days? We say, how many of
you will serve King Christopher."

Then arose from them a mighty shout: "All! All! One and All!" Albeit
some there were who slunk away and said nought; and none heeded them.

So then all the sergeants and the common folk swore allegiance to King
Christopher; but of the knights who were left alive, some said Yea, and
some Nay; and these last were suffered to depart, but must needs ride
unarmed.

Now by the time all was don