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the name in taking the manor. This would round out the morning perfectly. |
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However, Walter and his companions were not to have the pleasure of a brisk passage at arms. As soon as the oncoming party became visible, Bassett roared an order to charge, and the whole troop spurred their horses forward, the three knights well to the fore. They were at a slight disadvantage because their opponents had worked up a greater velocity, and Walter gave a single anguished thought to his weakened collarbone and what Sybelle would say to him if he broke it a third time. |
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Then, in unison with his comrades, Walter loosed an unbelieving roar. The oncoming troop had suddenly fallen into utter confusion. The knight who led it had screamed something at his men and turned his horse suddenly to the side when he saw Bassett's group charging toward him. His desperate move fouled the path of the men-at-arms who followed him, so that the most forward of them collided with each other in trying to avoid him, and those behind came to skidding halts to keep out of the tangle ahead. Those even farther back were also turning aside. , |
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Walter, Bassett, and Siward instinctively headed their horses in the same direction, but it was not, as they suspected, an inept attempt to flank their line or to spread out the better to combat them. Leader and men continued to turn until their backs were toward Bassett's group and they fled incontinently in the direction from which they had come. For a little while Bassett pursued, but it was clear they could not overtake quickly, and Sir Gilbert was too experienced in war to allow himself and his men to be spread out as they would be by a long pursuit and, perhaps, drawn into a trap. He drew up, calling to Walter and Siward to do the same, and shouted orders to regroup. |
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"It must be a trap," he said. "I suppose they wished to draw us into a larger force on unfavorable ground." |
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"Should we go now?" Siward asked. |
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"No, let me ride forward and see whether they have stopped, now that we are no longer pursuing," Walter suggested. |
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He did so, but from the rise of land where the guard had been stationed he saw only the stragglers of the group riding away as hard as they could. And although he waited for some time, expecting to see a much larger force coming to attack them, there was no indication of any further opposition. |
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