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The next attack came from the left. Having avoided the lance aimed at him, Walter did not pursue the meeting, instead prodding Beau with his left knee to turn him right. He had been driven too far from Richard, Walter feared. One great danger of being so few against so many was that each man could be isolated, then surrounded by five or ten opponents. The initial charge had been necessary to save them from being too compact a target for the lancers. Now, however, the movement was working against them, permitting them to be spread out too widely. Walter began to shout, ''À Marshal! À Marshal!" |
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As the call burst from Walter's mouth, a whole group turned toward him. Walter gasped with surprise and checked Beau's movement toward Richard. He had meant to rally support and bring their party together, not to endanger the earl by attracting attention. Then, as he readied himself for an onslaught he could not withstand, it flashed through Walter's mind that the purpose of bringing the army at their small group rather than using it to protect the town was to take prisoner or to kill the Earl of Pembroke. Someone must have been longsighted enough to recognize Richard's arms, even at the distance they were from the keep. Apparently de Guisnes felt the loss of the town was less important than the death or capture of Pembroke. |
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He was right, of course. With Pembroke dead, there would be no focal point to rally around, and the disorganized rebellion would have little chance of forcing the king to dismiss the Bishop of Winchester. Walter tried to turn Beau even farther away, still calling "À Marhsal," hoping they would think he was Richard. Sometimes a leader in extremity would take a vassal's shield to escape capture. It was not a dishonorable thing to doalthough it was not very well thought of, eitherbecause the leader would then pay his vassal's ransom and all would be well. Of course, if the vassal was killed, it was unfortunate. |
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However, Walter's effort to get clear of Richard was useless. He was hemmed in. Fortunately, by now nearly all the lances had been expended. With the desperate excess of strength that extremity gives, Walter struck one and then another lance out of the hands that held them while managing to absorb several sword blows with his shield. Beau struck down a horse with a sidelong lunge, which simultaneously gave Walter a clear |
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