, ▁but ▁the ▁Bern ese ▁force ▁held ▁its ▁position . ▁When ▁the ▁Fre ib urg ▁inf antry ▁formed ▁up , ▁the ▁caval ry ▁launched ▁an ▁assault ▁which ▁brought ▁them ▁into ▁contact ▁with ▁the ▁Forest ▁C anton ▁cont ing ent , ▁who ▁rapidly ▁formed ▁an ▁all - round ▁def ensive ▁formation ▁known ▁as ▁a ▁h edge h og ▁( I gel ). ▁A way ▁from ▁this ▁fl ank ▁action , ▁the ▁Fre ib urger ▁inf antry ▁advanced ▁up ▁the ▁hill . ▁The ▁Bern ese ▁threw ▁forward ▁a ▁screen ▁of ▁cross bow men ▁and ▁stone - throw ers ▁to ▁har ass ▁this ▁advance ▁but ▁these ▁quickly ▁fell ▁back ▁as ▁the ▁Fre ib urg ers ▁closed . ▁This ▁seems ▁to ▁have ▁caused ▁a ▁pan ic ▁in ▁the ▁rear ▁ranks ▁of ▁the ▁Bern ese ▁army ▁and ▁a ▁large ▁number ▁( up ▁to ▁ 2 , 0 0 0 ) ▁men ▁fled ▁into ▁the ▁forest ▁behind ▁the ▁Br am berg . ▁Rem ark ably , ▁the ▁rest ▁of ▁the ▁army ▁held ▁firm . ▁The ▁two ▁inf antry ▁lines ▁then ▁cl ashed . ▁Despite ▁their ▁numerical ▁advantage , ▁the ▁Fre ib urg ers ▁were ▁quickly ▁broken ▁and ▁fled ▁away ▁towards ▁Lau pen , ▁the ▁flight ▁being ▁led ▁by ▁the ▁fe ud al ▁cont ing ent ▁from ▁Va ud . ▁The ▁cont ing ent ▁from ▁Fre ib urg ▁suffered ▁particularly ▁heavily , ▁losing ▁their ▁Burg ome ister ▁and ▁the ▁City ▁standard ▁bear er . ▁Show ing ▁great ▁control , ▁a ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁Bern ese ▁army ▁re ordered ▁itself ▁and