The moat was perhaps twelve feet wide , crossed by a single drawbridge . It was supplied with water by a trench , leading to a forest pool and commanded , through its whole length , from the battlements of the two southern towers . Except that one or two tall and thick trees had been suffered to remain within half a bowshot of the walls , the house was in a good posture for defence . In the court , Dick found a part of the garrison , busy with preparations for defence , and gloomily discussing the chances of a siege . Some were making arrows , some sharpening swords that had long been disused ; but even as they worked , they shook their heads . Twelve of Sir Daniel 's party had escaped the battle , run the gauntlet through the wood , and come alive to the Moat House . But out of this dozen , three had been gravely wounded : two at Risingham in the disorder of the rout , one by John Amend-All 's marksmen as he crossed the forest . This raised the force of the garrison , counting Hatch , Sir Daniel , and young Shelton , to twenty-two effective men . And more might be continually expected to arrive . The danger lay not therefore in the lack of men . It was the terror of the Black Arrow that oppressed the spirits of the garrison . For their open foes of the party of York , in these most changing times , they felt but a far-away concern . `` The world , '' as people said in those days , `` might change again '' before harm came . But for their neighbours in the wood , they trembled . It was not Sir Daniel alone who was a mark for hatred . His men , conscious of impunity , had carried themselves cruelly through all the country . Harsh commands had been harshly executed ; and of the little band that now sat talking in the court , there was not one but had been guilty of some act of oppression or barbarity . And now , by the fortune of war , Sir Daniel had become powerless to protect his instruments ; now , by the issue of some hours of battle , at which many of them had not been present , they had all become punishable traitors to the State , outside the buckler of the law , a shrunken company in a poor fortress that was hardly tenable , and exposed upon all sides to the just resentment of their victims . Nor had there been lacking grisly advertisements of what they might expect . At different periods of the evening and the night , no fewer than seven riderless horses had come neighing in terror to the gate .
Two were from Selden 's troop ; five belonged to men who had ridden with Sir XXXXX to the field .
Amend-All Daniel Dick Risingham barbarity evening marksmen moat rout war