Shoulder to shoulder, fearless and dauntless, stood the little band of
gallant knights and gentlemen who formed the bodyguard of the Prince.
Again and again had the horsemen charged them; but the soldiers threw
themselves beneath the horses of the foe and stabbed them through the
body, so that hundreds of gallant French knights were overthrown and
slain ere they well knew what had befallen them. But in the press and
the heat of battle it was hard to say how the tide would turn. The
commanders of the left wing of the English, the Earls of Northampton and
Arundel, were forcing their way inch by inch to reach the Prince's side
and divert from his immediate neighbourhood the whole stress of the
opposing force now concentred there. They could see that the Prince was
still unharmed, fighting with the gallantry of his soldier race. But the
odds for the moment were heavily against him; and they despatched a
messenger to the King, who remained with the reserves, begging him to go
to the assistance of the Prince. Ere the messenger returned, they had
fought their own way into the melee, and had joined issue with the
gallant youth, who, fearless and full of spirit, was encouraging his men
alike by the boldness of his demeanour and by his shouts of
encouragement and praise, though his breath was coming thick and fast,
and the drops of exhaustion stood upon his brow.

"Fear not, sweet Prince," cried Arundel, raising his voice so that all
who were near could hear: "we have sent word to your Royal Sire of the
stress of the battle round you, and he will soon be here himself with
the help that shall enable us to rout this rebel host;" and he turned
his eyes somewhat anxiously towards the height where the King and his
company still remained motionless.

But a messenger was spurring back through the open ground which lay