Not that I believe many of us were
killed in the last attack, for we had plainly the better of the enemy,
but our design being to get off, some shifted for themselves one way
and some another, in the best manner they could, and as their several
fortunes guided them. Four hundred more of this body, as I afterwards
understood, having broke through the enemy's body another way, kept
together, and got into Pontefract Castle, and 300 more made northward
and to Skipton, where the prince afterwards fetched them off.
These few of us that were left together, with whom I was, being now
pretty clear of pursuit, halted, and began to inquire who and who
we were, and what we should do; and on a short debate, I proposed we
should make to the first garrison of the king's that we could recover,
and that we should keep together, lest the country people should
insult us upon the roads. With this resolution we pushed on westward
for Lancashire, but our misfortunes were not yet at an end. We
travelled very hard, and got to a village upon the river Wharfe, near
Wetherby. At Wetherby there was a bridge, but we understood that a
party from Leeds had secured the town and the post, in order to stop
the flying Cavaliers, and that 'twould be very hard to get through
there, though, as we understood afterwards, there were no soldiers
there but a guard of the townsmen.
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