As soon as it was known that the enemy were approaching Harry had given orders that all the inhabitants should evacuate their houses and cross the river, taking with them such valuables as they could carry.  There were several horses and carts in the village, and these were at once put in requisition, and the people crossing and recrossing the river rapidly carried most of their linen and other valuables over in safety, the men continuing to labor for the preservation of their goods, even after the fight commenced.

The Roundheads halted about four hundred yards from the village.  Just as they did so there was a trampling of horses, and Sir Ralph Willoughby, with his troop, now reduced to thirty strong, rode into the village.  He drew up his horse before Harry.

“Master Furness,” he said, “Prince Rupert has forbidden me to test your courage in the way gentlemen usually do so.  But there is now a means open.  Let us see which will ride furthest—­you or I—­into the ranks of yonder horsemen.”

Harry hesitated a moment; then he said gravely: 

“My life is not my own to throw away, Sir Ralph.  My orders are to hold this place.  That I can best do on foot, for even if our troops united were to rout the enemy’s cavalry, their footmen would still remain, and would carry the village.  No, sir, my duty is to fight here.”

“I always thought you a coward!” Sir Ralph exclaimed; “now I know it,” and, with a taunting laugh, he ordered his men to follow him, issued from the village, and prepared, with his little band, to charge the Roundhead horse, about a hundred and fifty strong.

Just as they formed line, however, the enemy’s’ guns opened, and a shot struck Sir Ralph full in the chest, hurling him, a shattered corpse, to the ground.

His men, dismayed at the fall of their leader, drew rein.

“Fall back, men,” Harry shouted from behind, “fall back, and make a stand here.  You must be cut to pieces if you advance.”

The troop, who had no other officer with them, at once obeyed Harry’s orders.  They had heard the conversation between him and their leader, and although prepared to follow Sir Ralph, who was the landlord of most of them, they saw that Harry was right, and that to attack so numerous a body of horse and foot was but to invite destruction.

CHAPTER IX.

A stubborn defense.

A half-dozen or so of Sir Ralph Willoughby’s troopers declared that now their lord was dead they would fight no further, and straightway rode off through the village and across the ford.  The rest, however, seeing that a brave fight against odds was about to commence, declared their willingness to put themselves under Harry’s orders.  They were at once dismounted and scattered along the line of defenses.  After the Roundhead cannon had fired a few shots their cavalry charged, thinking to ride into the village.  But the moment Sir Ralph’s troopers had re-entered it Harry had heaped up across the road a quantity of young trees and bushes which he had cut in readiness.  Not a shot was fired until the horsemen reached this obstacle, and then so heavy a fire was poured upon them, as they dismounted and tried to pull it asunder, that, with a loss of many men, they were forced to retreat.