hedges and fields, partly grass-grown, and cut up by the deep-sunk
ruts hardened by the drought of summer. There was a stack of fagot
and small wood on the other side, and our men threw themselves upon it
and set to work to stake the road across for a rough defence against
the horsemen.

What befell more on the road itself I had not much time to note, for
our bowmen spread themselves out along the hedge that looked into the
pasture-field, leaving some six feet between man and man; the rest of
the billmen went along with the bowmen, and halted in clumps of some
half-dozen along their line, holding themselves ready to help the
bowmen if the enemy should run up under their shafts, or to run on to
lengthen the line in case they should try to break in on our flank.
The hedge in front of us was of quick. It had been strongly plashed
in the past February, and was stiff and stout. It stood on a low
bank; moreover, the level of the orchard was some thirty inches higher
than that of the field and the ditch some two foot deeper than the
face of the field. The field went winding round to beyond the church,
making a quarter of a circle about the village, and at the western end
of it were the butts whence the folk were coming from shooting when I
first came into the village street.

Altogether, to me who knew nothing of war the place seemed defensible
enough. I have said that the road down which Long Gregory came with
his tidings went north; and that was its general direction; but its
first reach was nearly east, so that the low sun was not in the eyes
of any of us, and where Will Green took his stand, and I with him, it
was nearly at our backs.