Sir John Talbot with five hundred picked bowmen stationed himself there to await the French who must perforce pass that way.

His design was to defend the road until the rear-guard had had time to join the main body, and then, keeping close to the hedges, he would fall back upon the army.
[Footnote 1284: Wavrin du Forestel, _Anciennes chroniques_, vol.i, p.
291.] [Footnote 1285: _Ibid._, pp.

291-292.] [Footnote 1286: Monstrelet, vol.iv, p.

329.] The archers, as was their wont, were making ready to plant in the ground those pointed stakes, the spikes of which they turned against the chests of the enemy's horses, when the French, led by Poton's scouts, came down upon them like a whirlwind, overthrew them, and cut them to pieces.[1287] [Footnote 1287: Wavrin du Forestel, _Anciennes chroniques_, vol.i, p.
292.

Monstrelet, vol.iii, pp.