"By St. Paul! Thou hast entered their camp?" exclaimed the knight. "This is almost beyond belief. But as it is we now know that we can occupy the woods on the Frenchmen's flanks without let or hindrance. I'll now to the King, but, rest assured, thou wilt have full credit for thine enterprise. Ay, and thy man-at-arms also," added Sir Thomas, as his squire began to remind him that Arnold had shared the perils of the desperate errand.
Thoroughly tired out, Geoffrey laid himself down by one of the fires, and, heedless of the steady rain, he was soon fast asleep.
Meanwhile, Sir Thomas Carberry had hastened to make his report to the King. Henry had taken little repose, for having completed his inspection of the lines in the guise of an ordinary officer, he retired to his tent to don all his armour save his gold-encircled bascinet. This done he had mass celebrated in his quarters, followed by a general council, at which all the commanders of divisions were ordered to attend.
"Most excellent service," exclaimed the King when Sir Thomas had delivered his report. "See to it, Uncle Exeter; send at least four hundred lances to the wood on the enemy's left flank. Half that number of archers are to take up their position on the opposite side of the valley. Impress upon them the utmost importance of concealment till the word is borne them."
Silently the troops intended for the ambush moved towards the stations allotted them, and ere the council was broken up, the Duke of Exeter returned with the news that the manœuvre had been successfully executed.
"Now, my lords, the day breaks," exclaimed Henry. "Let us to our stations and do our duty as becomes Englishmen. To-day, fair lords, is the Feast of the blessed saints Crispin and Crispian. From this day till all times will our names be linked with them, if we acquit ourselves nobly. Therefore let us be of good courage, remembering that our souls and bodies are in God's holy keeping."
With the dawn the rain ceased, and across the sodden valley the trumpets of the little English army rang out loud and clear as the sun rose in a cloudless sky. Eagerly the chilled and shivering men-at-arms and archers flocked to take up their positions, glad that the dreary period of inaction was over.
In the centre, under the Duke of Kent, stood the dismounted men-at-arms, resting stolidly on their spears and axes, while as an afterthought a sprinkling of archers took their stand in front of the heavy troops. On either flank were hundreds of bowmen under Lords Beaumont and Willoughby. In addition to their deadly longbow and their swords and axes, each archer bore an iron-shod stake.
Barely twenty paces in the rear of the front rank were marshalled the reserves, composed chiefly of spearmen, under the command of the Earl of Exeter.
The army being drawn up in line of battle, Henry, mounted on a white palfrey, rode slowly between the ranks. He had now donned his surcoat emblazoned with the lions of England and the lilies of France, while on his head he wore a polished steel bascinet which was encircled by a very rich crown of gold, rendering its wearer a conspicuous object in the field.