"The prince's foot soldiers will arrive soon," said the young leader to Guy the Bow. Ben o' Coventry was peering over the ridge of the hill, and he came back hastily.
"Men from the castle, my Captain!" he exclaimed. "A knight, I should say by his crest, and four esquires, with, mounted serving men a half dozen. The knight, I noted, rideth with visor up."
"Thinking not of any foe," Richard answered. "We will hide under the trees and let them go by. Then will we close behind them."
"We could smite them as they come," said Guy.
"Nay," replied Richard, "lest even so much as one on horseback escape to warn the town."
Word was sent to the prince, and soon he was there, having posted his troops in the glen, and with him came Sir Henry of Wakeham. It was no moment for speech, for the French cavalcade came gayly over the hill.
Silent and motionless, the English in their ambush almost held their breath until the party from Bruyerre was a bowshot past them. Then out into the road they poured as silently, and the trap was set.
"They will meet our foot right soon," said Sir Henry, "but they will not risk a charge upon five hundred men. They will come back."
"Sir Thomas Gifford will render a good account of them, if they do not," replied the prince.