repeated oh i see for the i nay dick i promise you if there come talk of any e we shall act at once till then or till the time is ripe we shall all disappear even like shadows at morning j sir daniel shall look east and west and see none enemies he shall think by the mass that he hath dreamed awhile and hath now awakened in his bed but our four eyes dick shall follow him right close and our four hands � so help us all the army of the saints � shall bring that traitor low i two days later sir daniel s garrison had grown to a strength that he ventured on a sally and at the head of some two score pushed without as far as hamlet not an arrow flew not a man stirred in the thicket the bridge was no longer guarded but open to all comers and as sir daniel crossed it he saw the villagers looking timidly from their doors presently one of them taking heart of grace came forward and with the presented a letter to the knight his face darkened as he read the contents it ran to the and cruel sir daniel these i ye were and fro the first ye have ray father s blood upon your hands let be it will not some day ye shall perish by my so much i let you to and i let you to farther that if ye seek to wed to any other the woman whom that i am bound upon a great oath to wed myself the blow will be very the first step will be thy first step to the grave � t � in my lord chapter i ths house by thb e months had passed away since richard made his escape from the hands of his guardian these months had been for england the party of which was then in the very article of death had once more raised its head the defeated and their leader on the field it seemed for a very brief season in the winter following upon the events already recorded as if the house of had finally over its foes the small town of on the till was full of the of the neighbourhood earl was there with three hundred men at arms lord with two hundred sir daniel himself high in favour and once more growing rich on lay in a house of his own on the main street with three score men the world had changed indeed it was a black bitter cold evening in the first week of january with a hard frost a high wind and every of snow before the morning � i thk black in an obscure in by street near tbe three or four men sat drinking ale and eating a hasty mess of eggs they were all likely weather beaten fellows hard of hand bold of eye and though tbey wore plain like country even a drunken soldier might have looked twice before he sought a quarrel in such company a little apart before the huge fire sat a younger man almost a boy dressed in much tbe same fashion though it was ea y to see by his looks that he was better bom and might have worn a sword had the time suited nay said one of the men at the table i like it not ill will come of it this is no place for jolly fellows a jolly fellow open country good cover and scarce foes but here we are shut in a town about with enemies and for tbe s eye of misfortune see if it snow not ere the morning tis for master there another nodding bis head towards the lad before the fire i will do much for master returned the first but to come to the gallows for any man � nay brothers not that tbe door of the inn opened and another man entered hastily and approached tbe youth before the fire master be said sir daniel forth with a pair of links and four dick for this was our young friend rose instantly to bis feet t hi l lawless he said ye will lake john s watch green she ve follow with me lead forward we will follow him this time an he go to york the next moment they were outside in the dark street and the man who had just come pointed to where two in the wind at a little distance the town was already sound asleep no one moved upon the streets and there was easier than to follow the party without observation the two went first next followed a single man whose long cloak blew about him in the wind and the rear was brought up by the with his bow upon hie arm moved at a brisk walk the intricate lanes and drawing nearer to the shore he hath gone each night in this direction asked dick in a whisper this is the third night running master returned and still at the same hour and with the same small following as though his end were secret sir daniel and his six men were now come to the outskirts of the country was an open town and though the lords who lay there kept a strong guard on the main roads it was still possible to enter or depart unseen by any of the lesser streets or across the open country the lane which sir daniel had been following h the black to an abrupt end before him there was a of rough down and the of the sea surf was audible upon one hand there were no guards in the neighbourhood nor any light in that quarter of the town dick and his two drew a little closer to the object of their chase and presently as they came forth from between the 