The next time Will Green nocked his arrow he drew with a great shout,which all our fellows took up;for the arbalestiers instead of turning about in their places covered by their great shields and winding up their cross-bows for a second shot,as is the custom of such soldiers,ran huddling together toward their men-at-arms,our arrows driving thump-thump into their shields as they ran:I saw four lying on the field dead or sore wounded.
But our archers shouted again,and kept on each plucking the arrows from the ground,and nocking and loosing swiftly but deliberately at the line before them;indeed now was the time for these terrible bowmen,for as Will Green told me afterwards they always reckoned to kill through cloth or leather at five hundred yards,and they had let the cross-bow men come nearly within three hundred,and these were now all mingled and muddled up with the men-at-arms at scant five hundred yards'distance;and belike,too,the latter were not treating them too well,but seemed to be belabouring them with their spear-staves in their anger at the poorness of the play;so that as Will Green said it was like shooting at hay-ricks.
All this you must understand lasted but a few minutes,and when our men had been shooting quite coolly,like good workmen at peaceful work,for a few minutes more,the enemy's line seemed to clear somewhat;the pennon with the three red kine showed in front and three men armed from head to foot in gleaming steel,except for their short coats bright with heraldry,were with it.
One of them (and he bore the three kine on his coat)turned round and gave some word of command,and an angry shout went up from them,and they came on steadily towards us,the man with the red kine on his coat leading them,a great naked sword in his hand:you must note that they were all on foot;but as they drew nearer I saw their horses led by grooms and pages coming on slowly behind them.
Sooth said Will Green that the men-at-arms run not fast either to or fro the fray;they came on no faster than a hasty walk,their arms clashing about them and the twang of the bows and whistle of the arrows never failing all the while,but going on like the push of the westerly gale,as from time to time the men-at-arms shouted,"Ha!ha!out!out!Kentish thieves!"But when they began to fall on,Jack Straw shouted out,"Bills to the field!bills to the field!"Then all our billmen ran up and leapt over the hedge into the meadow and stood stoutly along the ditch under our bows,Jack Straw in the forefront handling his great axe.Then he cast it into his left hand,caught up his horn and winded it loudly.The men-at-arms drew near steadily,some fell under the arrow-storm,but not a many;for though the target was big,it was hard,since not even the cloth-yard shaft could pierce well-wrought armour of plate,and there was much armour among them.Withal the arbalestiers were shooting again,but high and at a venture,so they did us no hurt.
