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 Yorkists began to be scattered ; several times Dick found himself alone among his foes and plying his bright sword for life ; several times he was conscious of a hurt . And meanwhile the fight swayed to and fro in the street without determinate result . Suddenly Dick was aware of a great trumpeting about the outskirts of the town . The war-cry of York began to be rolled up to heaven , as by many and triumphant voices . And at the same time the men in front of him began to give ground rapidly , streaming out of the street and back upon the market-place . Some one gave the word to fly . Trumpets were blown distractedly , some for a rally , some to charge . It was plain that a great blow had been struck , and the Lancastrians were thrown , at least for the moment , into full disorder , and some degree of panic . And then , like a theatre trick , there followed the last act of Shoreby Battle . The men in front of Richard turned tail , like a dog that has been whistled home , and fled like the wind . At the same moment there came through the market-place a storm of horsemen , fleeing and pursuing , the Lancastrians turning back to strike with the sword , the Yorkists riding them down at the point of the lance . Conspicuous in the mellay , Dick beheld the Crookback . He was already giving a foretaste of that furious valour and skill to cut his way across the ranks of war , which , years afterwards upon the field of Bosworth , and when he was stained with crimes , almost sufficed to change the fortunes of the day and the destiny of the English throne . Evading , striking , riding down , he so forced and so manoeuvred his strong horse , so aptly defended himself , and so liberally scattered death to his opponents , that he was now far ahead of the foremost of his knights , hewing his way , with the truncheon of a bloody sword , to where Lord Risingham was rallying the bravest . A moment more and they had met ; the tall , splendid , and famous warrior against the deformed and sickly boy .
Yet Shelton had never a doubt of the result ; and when the fight next opened for a moment , the figure of the earl had disappeared ; but still , in the first of the danger , Crookback Dick was launching his big horse and plying the XXXXX of his sword .
Bosworth Shoreby York Yorkists archers disaster mellay storm truncheon valour