Great Britain -- History -- House of York, 1461-1485 -- Fiction
Sir Frederick was nowhere to be seen; so I quickly secured a sword from
a poor knight, who had still the head and part of the shaft of a lance
sticking in his side, and then did I plunge into the fight once more.
I forced my way through a struggling crowd of the enemies' foot
soldiers, cutting them down as I went; when suddenly I espied a knight
on foot, surrounded by a score or more of these rascals.
"To the rescue!" cried I, and dashed into the circle. The knight was
standing beside his horse, which was dead, and making great strokes
with his sword, in all directions. Thus he had kept a circle clear
around him. Several corpses in that deadly circle told why the rest
stood back. But, just as I came up, one of the knaves did venture to
make a dash forward, when the brave champion's head was turned. I was
upon him in an instant. "Ha! thou coward ruffian, take that!" I cried,
as, with a straight downward stroke, I cleft his head from top to chin.
Just then some of our men-at-arms came up, and the few Scots which
escaped us did so by their fleetness of foot, and their knowledge of
the country's many hiding-places.
"Thou art not too soon," said Harleston, for it was he, as he opened
his visor and wiped his brow. "Indeed I was hard pressed by that pack
of hyenas."
I quickly secured a horse for my friend, and again we plunged into the
thick of the fight. We soon became engaged with three knights which
were like to have done for us, had not,--when we were sorely
pressed--an arrow struck one of their horses, causing it to fall. The
rider fell with his leg underneath, and so was unable to take any
further part in the fight. I pressed my opponent from the first, and
soon had him at my mercy. I gave him an opportunity to surrender, but
as he refused to do so, I waited until his arm was raised for a blow,
when, with my shield held over my head, I drove my sword straight under
his arm, where the armour divides. I heard my point strike his harness
on the other side, as it went through his body, so great was the force
of the blow.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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