Elmwood's harvest, in the afternoon the reaping and binding were
suddenly interrupted by the distant rattle of musketry, such as had
been heard two years ago, in the time of the first siege but it was
in quite another direction from the town. Everyone left off work,
and made what speed they could to the top of the sloping field,
whence they could see what was going on.

"There they be!" shouted Tom Gates. "I saw 'em first! Hurrah! They
be at Luck's mill."

"Hush! you good-for-nothing," shrieked Bess Hart, throwing her apron
over her head. "When we shall all be killed and murdered."

"Not just yet, dame," said Master Brown. "They be a long way off,
and they have enow to do with one another. I wonder if Sir George be
there. He writ to my lady that he hoped to see her ere long."

"And my Roger," called out a woman. "He went with Sir George."

"And our Jack," was the cry of another; while Steadfast thought of
Jephthah, but knew he must be on the opposite side. From the top of
the field, they could see a wide sweep of country dipping down less
than two miles from them where there was a bridge over a small river,
a mill, and one or two houses near. On the nearer side of the river
could be seen the flash of steel caps, and a close, dark body of men,
on the further side was another force, mostly of horsemen, with what
seemed like waggons and baggage horses in the rear. They had what by
its colours seemed to be the English banner, the others had several
undistinguishable standards. Puffs of smoke broke from the windows
of the mill.