Woe unto you , if ye return without him ! But if he be faithless -- or , for one instant , ye misdoubt him -- stab him from behind . '' In the meanwhile Dick hastened to secure his post . The street he had to guard was very narrow , and closely lined with houses , which projected and overhung the roadway ; but narrow and dark as it was , since it opened upon the market-place of the town , the main issue of the battle would probably fall to be decided on that spot . The market-place was full of townspeople fleeing in disorder ; but there was as yet no sign of any foeman ready to attack , and Dick judged he had some time before him to make ready his defence . The two houses at the end stood deserted , with open doors , as the inhabitants had left them in their flight , and from these he had the furniture hastily tossed forth and piled into a barrier in the entry of the lane . A hundred men were placed at his disposal , and of these he threw the more part into the houses , where they might lie in shelter and deliver their arrows from the windows . With the rest , under his own immediate eye , he lined the barricade . Meanwhile the utmost uproar and confusion had continued to prevail throughout the town ; and what with the hurried clashing of bells , the sounding of trumpets , the swift movement of bodies of horse , the cries of the commanders , and the shrieks of women , the noise was almost deafening to the ear . Presently , little by little , the tumult began to subside ; and soon after , files of men in armour and bodies of archers began to assemble and form in line of battle in the market-place . A large portion of this body were in murrey and blue , and in the mounted knight who ordered their array Dick recognised Sir Daniel Brackley . Then there befell a long pause , which was followed by the almost simultaneous sounding of four trumpets from four different quarters of the town . A fifth rang in answer from the market-place , and at the same moment the files began to move , and a shower of arrows rattled about the barricade , and sounded like blows upon the walls of the two flanking houses . The attack had begun , by a common signal , on all the five issues of the quarter . Gloucester was beleaguered upon every side ; and Dick judged , if he would make good his post , he must rely entirely on the hundred men of his command . Seven volleys of arrows followed one upon the other , and in the very thick of the discharges Dick was touched from behind upon the arm , and found a page holding out to him a leathern jack , strengthened with bright plates of mail . `` It is from my Lord of Gloucester , '' said the page . `` He hath observed , Sir Richard , that ye went unarmed . '' Dick , with a glow at his heart at being so addressed , got to his feet and , with the assistance of the page , donned the defensive coat . Even as he did so , two arrows rattled harmlessly upon the plates , and a third struck down the page , mortally wounded , at his feet .
Meantime the whole body of the enemy had been steadily drawing nearer across the market-place ; and by this time were so close at hand that XXXXX gave the order to return their shot .
Dick Gloucester Richard attack clashing fall fifth foeman leathern left