But as these soldiers made wise by the French war were now drawing near,and our bowmen were casting down their bows and drawing their short swords,or handling their axes,as did Will Green,muttering,"Now must Hob Wright's gear end this play"--while this was a-doing,lo,on a sudden a flight of arrows from our right on the flank of the sergeants'array,which stayed them somewhat;not because it slew many men,but because they began to bethink them that their foes were many and all around them;then the road-hedge on the right seemed alive with armed men,for whatever could hold sword or staff amongst us was there;every bowman also leapt our orchard-hedge sword or axe in hand,and with a great shout,billmen,archers,and all,ran in on them;half-armed,yea,and half-naked some of them;strong and stout and lithe and light withal,the wrath of battle and the hope of better times lifting up their hearts till nothing could withstand them.So was all mingled together,and for a minute or two was a confused clamour over which rose a clatter like the riveting of iron plates,or the noise of the street of coppersmiths at Florence;then the throng burst open and the steel-clad sergeants and squires and knights ran huddling and shuffling towards their horses;but some cast down their weapons and threw up their hands and cried for peace and ransom;and some stood and fought desperately,and slew some till they were hammered down by many strokes,and of these were the bailiffs and tipstaves,and the lawyers and their men,who could not run and hoped for no mercy.
I looked as on a picture and wondered,and my mind was at strain to remember something forgotten,which yet had left its mark on it.I heard the noise of the horse-hoofs of the fleeing men-at-arms (the archers and arbalestiers had scattered before the last minutes of the play),I heard the confused sound of laughter and rejoicing down in the meadow,and close by me the evening wind lifting the lighter twigs of the trees,and far away the many noises of the quiet country,till light and sound both began to fade from me and I saw and heard nothing.
I leapt up to my feet presently and there was Will Green before me as I had first seen him in the street with coat and hood and the gear at his girdle and his unstrung bow in his hand;his face smiling and kind again,but maybe a thought sad.
"Well,"quoth I,"what is the tale for the ballad-maker?""As Jack Straw said it would be,"said he,"`the end of the day and the end of the fray;'"and he pointed to the brave show of the sky over the sunken sun;"the knights fled and the sheriff dead:two of the lawyer kind slain afield,and one hanged:and cruel was he to make them cruel:and three bailiffs knocked on the head--stout men,and so witless,that none found their brains in their skulls;and five arbalestiers and one archer slain,and a score and a half of others,mostly men come back from the French wars,men of the Companions there,knowing no other craft than fighting for gold;and this is the end they are paid for.
Well,brother,saving the lawyers who belike had no souls,but only parchment deeds and libels of the same,God rest their souls!"He fell a-musing;but I said,"And of our Fellowship were any slain?""Two good men of the township,"he said,"Hob Horner and Antony Webber,were slain outright,Hob with a shaft and Antony in the hand-play,and John Pargetter hurt very sore on the shoulder with a glaive;and five more men of the Fellowship slain in the hand-play,and some few hurt,but not sorely.And as to those slain,if God give their souls rest it is well;for little rest they had on the earth belike;but for me,I desire rest no more."I looked at him and our eyes met with no little love;and Iwondered to see how wrath and grief within him were contending with the kindness of the man,and how clear the tokens of it were in his face.
"Come now,old lad,"said he,"for I deem that John Ball and Jack Straw have a word to say to us at the cross yet,since these men broke off the telling of the tale;there shall we know what we are to take in hand to-morrow.And afterwards thou shalt eat and drink in my house this once,if never again "So we went through the orchard closes again;and others were about and anigh us,all turned towards the cross as we went over the dewy grass,whereon the moon was just beginning to throw shadows.
