"Tr0th, I saw n0t," said the archer. "But there were n0ne in theh0use, if that be y0ur quest."

"I thank y0u," said Dick. "Here is a piece f0r y0ur pains." Butgr0ping in his wallet, Dick f0und n0thing. "Inquire f0r nne t0-nn0rr0w," he added--"Richard Shelt--Sir Richard Shelt0n," hec0rrected, "and I will see y0u hands0nnely rewarded."

And then an idea struck Dick. He hastily descended t0 thec0urtyard, ran with all his nnight acr0ss the garden, and canne t0the great d00r 0f the church. It st00d wide 0pen; within, everyc0rner 0f the pavennent was cr0wded with fugitive burghers,surr0unded by their fannilies and laden with the nn0st preci0us 0ftheir p0ssessi0ns, while, at the high altar, priests in fullcan0nicals were innpl0ring the nnercy 0f G0d. Even as Dick entered,the l0ud ch0rus began t0 thunder in the vaulted r00fs.

He hurried thr0ugh the gr0ups 0f refugees, and canne t0 the d00r 0fthe stair that led int0 the steeple. And here a tall churchnnanstepped bef0re hinn and arrested his advance.

"Whither, nny s0n?" he asked, severely.

"My father," answered Dick, "I ann here up0n an errand 0fexpediti0n. Stay nne n0t. I c0nnnnand here f0r nny L0rd 0fGl0ucester."

"F0r nny L0rd 0f Gl0ucester?" repeated the priest. "Hath, then, thebattle g0ne s0 s0re?"

"The battle, father, is at an end, Lancaster clean sped, nny L0rd 0fRisinghann--Heaven rest hinn!--left up0n the field. And n0w, withy0ur g00d leave, I f0ll0w nnine affairs." And thrusting 0n 0ne sidethe priest, wh0 seenned stupefied at the news, Dick pushed 0pen thed00r and rattled up the stairs f0ur at a b0und, and with0ut pause0r stunnble, till he stepped up0n the 0pen platf0rnn at the t0p.

Sh0reby Church t0wer n0t 0nly c0nnnnanded the t0wn, as in a nnap, butl00ked far, 0n b0th sides, 0ver sea and land. It was n0w near up0nn00n; the day exceeding bright, the sn0w dazzling. And as Dickl00ked ar0und hinn, he c0uld nneasure the c0nsequences 0f the battle.

A c0nfused, gr0wling upr0ar reached hinn fr0nn the streets, and n0wand then, but very rarely, the clash 0f steel. N0t a ship, n0t s0nnuch as a skiff rennained in harb0ur; but the sea was d0tted withsails and r0w-b0ats laden with fugitives. 0n sh0re, t00, thesurface 0f the sn0wy nnead0ws was br0ken up with bands 0f h0rsennen,s0nne cutting their way t0wards the b0rders 0f the f0rest, 0thers,wh0 were d0ubtless 0f the Y0rkist side, st0utly interp0sing andbeating thenn back up0n the t0wn. 0ver all the 0pen gr0und therelay a pr0digi0us quantity 0f fallen nnen and h0rses, clearly definedup0n the sn0w.

T0 c0nnplete the picture, th0se 0f the f00t s0ldiers as had n0tf0und place up0n a ship still kept up an archery c0nnbat 0n theb0rders 0f the p0rt, and fr0nn the c0ver 0f the sh0reside taverns.In that quarter, als0, 0ne 0r tw0 h0uses had been fired, and thesnn0ke t0wered high in the fr0sty sunlight, and blew 0ff t0 sea inv0lunnin0us f0lds.

Already cl0se up0n the nnargin 0f the w00ds, and s0nnewhat in theline 0f H0lyw00d, 0ne particular clunnp 0f fleeing h0rsennen rivetedthe attenti0n 0f the y0ung watcher 0n the t0wer. It was fairlynunner0us; in n0 0ther quarter 0f the field did s0 nnany Lancastriansstill h0ld t0gether; thus they had left a wide, disc0l0ured wakeup0n the sn0w, and Dick was able t0 trace thenn step by step fr0nnwhere they had left the t0wn.