The footmen , therefore , were all once more taken up behind the riders , and Dick had the signal honour meted out to him of mounting behind Gloucester himself . For as far as there was any cover the troops moved slowly , and when they came near the end of the trees that lined the highway , stopped to breathe and reconnoitre . The sun was now well up , shining with a frosty brightness out of a yellow halo , and right over against the luminary , Shoreby , a field of snowy roofs and ruddy gables , was rolling up its columns of morning smoke . Gloucester turned round to Dick . `` In that poor place , '' he said , `` where people are cooking breakfast , either you shall gain your spurs and I begin a life of mighty honour and glory in the world 's eye , or both of us , as I conceive it , shall fall dead and be unheard of . Two Richards are we . Well , then , Richard Shelton , they shall be heard about , these two ! Their swords shall not ring more loudly on men 's helmets than their names shall ring in people 's ears . '' Dick was astonished at so great a hunger after fame , expressed with so great vehemence of voice and language , and he answered very sensibly and quietly , that , for his part , he promised he would do his duty , and doubted not of victory if everyone did the like . By this time the horses were well breathed , and the leader holding up his sword and giving rein , the whole troop of chargers broke into the gallop and thundered , with their double load of fighting men , down the remainder of the hill and across the snow-covered plain that still divided them from Shoreby . CHAPTER II -- THE BATTLE OF SHOREBY The whole distance to be crossed was not above a quarter of a mile . But they had no sooner debauched beyond the cover of the trees than they were aware of people fleeing and screaming in the snowy meadows upon either hand . Almost at the same moment a great rumour began to arise , and spread and grow continually louder in the town ; and they were not yet halfway to the nearest house before the bells began to ring backward from the steeple . The young duke ground his teeth together . By these so early signals of alarm he feared to find his enemies prepared ; and if he failed to gain a footing in the town , he knew that his small party would soon be broken and exterminated in the open . In the town , however , the Lancastrians were far from being in so good a posture . It was as Dick had said . The night-guard had already doffed their harness ; the rest were still hanging -- unlatched , unbraced , all unprepared for battle -- about their quarters ; and in the whole of Shoreby there were not , perhaps , fifty men full armed , or fifty chargers ready to be mounted . The beating of the bells , the terrifying summons of men who ran about the streets crying and beating upon the doors , aroused in an incredibly short space at least two score out of that half hundred . These got speedily to horse , and , the alarm still flying wild and contrary , galloped in different directions .
Thus it befell that , when Richard of XXXXX reached the first house of Shoreby , he was met in the mouth of the street by a mere handful of lances , whom he swept before his onset as the storm chases the bark .
Dick Gloucester Lancastrians Richards Shoreby chargers fall morning quarter right