"'Tis yet an hour before the tide will be out, but I believe that horsemen might cross now."
The speaker was a clownish-looking man wearing the wooden shoes and coarse blouse of a French peasant. He stood at the stirrup of a knight in black armor, whose questions he was answering.
"Sir Henry of Wakeham," the prince said, "send in thy men-at-arms. Post thy archers on the bank, right and left. We shall soon see if Godemar du Fay can bar the Somme against us."
"The archers are already posted," replied Sir Henry; "Neville and his Warwickshire men hold the right. The men of Suffolk and Kent are on the left."
"Forward, in the king's name!" commanded the young general, for his royal father had given him charge of the advance.
It was a critical moment, for if the ford of Blanche Taque should not be forced, the entire English army would be hemmed in between the river Somme and the hosts of France. It was but little after sunrise, and Edward had sent orders to all his captains to move forward.
The river Somme was wider here than in its deeper channels above and below. The opposite bank was held by a force that was evidently strong, but its numbers were of less account at the outset. Only a few from either side could contend for the passage of Blanche Taque.
Therefore these were the chosen knights of all England who now rode into the water, finding it nearly up to their horse girths.
Forward from the other shore rode in the men-at-arms of Godemar du Fay to hold the ford for Philip of Valois.
"Now is our time!" shouted Richard to his archers. "Guy the Bow, let every archer draw his arrow to the head!"