Night had fallen before the trumpets had sounded, warning the soldiers of the breaking up of the camp.  All night long they had been working, and then marching to the fordable spot:  but now the tide was rolling in again; and worse than that, the English saw upon the opposite shore a compact band of twelve hundred men —­ Genoese archers and picked cavalry —­ posted there by the now vigilant Philip, ready to oppose their passage if they should chance upon the ford.

“Knights and gentlemen,” said the King, as he sat his fine charger and looked round upon the gallant muster around him, “shall we be daunted by the opposing foe?  They are but a handful, and we know the coward temper of yon Italian crossbowmen.  Who will be the first to lead the charge, and ride on to victory?”

A hundred eager voices shouted a reply.  The enthusiasm spread from rank to rank.  Foremost of those beside the water’s edge stood Oliver and Bernard de Brocas; and when at last the ebb came, and the word was given to advance, they were amongst the first who dashed into the shallow water, whilst Gaston and his brother, though unable to press into the foremost rank, were not far behind.

Thick and fast fell round them the bolts of the crossbows; but far thicker and more deadly were the long shafts of the English archers, which discomfited the foreign banners and sent them flying hither and thither.  In vain did their brave leader, Godemar de Fay, strive to rally them and dispute the passage of the main body of the army, even when the horsemen had passed across.  Edward’s splendid cavalry rode hither and thither, charging again and again into the wavering band.  Quickly the Genoese hirelings flung away their bows and ran for their lives; whilst the English army, with shouts of triumph, steadily advanced across the ford in the first quivering light of the dawning day, and looked back to see the banners of Philip of France advancing upon them, whilst a few stragglers and some horses were actually seized by the soldiers of that monarch.

“Now God and St. George be praised!” cried Edward, as he watched the approach of the foe, who had so nearly trapped him upon ground which would have given every advantage to the French and none to his own army.  “Methinks had our good brother but pressed on a day’s march faster, it would have gone hard with us to save the honour of England.  Now I stand on mine own ground.  Now will I fight at my ease.  There is bread for my soldiers.  They shall rest ere they be called upon to fight.  Let Philip do his worst!  We will be ready with an English welcome when he comes.  Let his host outnumber ours by three to one, as men say it does, shall we be afraid to meet him in fair field, and show him what English chivalry may accomplish?”

A tumultuous cheer was answer enough.  The whole of the English army now stood upon the north bank of the Somme, watching, with shouts of triumph and gestures of defiance, the futile efforts of the French to plunge over the ford.  The tide was again flowing.  The water was deep and rapid.  In a moment they knew themselves to be too late, and a few well-aimed shafts from English longbows showed them how futile was now any effort in pursuit of the foe who had eluded them.