aved all the dear cows and horses, and was nearly letting
himself be killed in the defence. But, oh! all the rest of them. To
think of them treating us so after everything!"

"Most likely they were compelled," said gentle Mrs Carbonel.

"They will hear of it again," said Sir Harry. "Could you identify them,
Miss Carbonel?"

"A good many," said Sophy, "though they had their faces chalked--that
horrid Dan Hewlett for one."

"There can be no doubt of him, for he was one of the prisoners that got
away," said Captain Carbonel, in a repressive manner. "He has always
been a mischievous fellow; but the remarkable thing is that it was his
son who came to summon us this morning--John Hewlett, a very good,
steady lad. By-the-by, has any one seen him? I sent him home by the
Elchester coach. I wonder what has become of him."

CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR.

MISJUDGED.

"That weary deserts we may tread,
A dreary labyrinth may thread,
Through dark ways underground be led."
_Archbishop Trench_.

Poor Johnnie was not very happy at that moment. He had descended from
the coach at Poppleby, and set out to walk to Downhill, wondering how he
should be received at his cousin's workshop. Everything seemed
strangely quiet as he crossed the fields, where he had wandered last
night, but there were now and then far-off echoes of voices and shouts.
He avoided the village of Downhill, and made his way towards the little
street and common of Uphill, but not a creature could he see except
Todd's donkey and a few geese.

The workshop was shut up, no one was about either there or at the house.
He considered a moment whether to try to see what was doing at
Greenhow, or to go and tell his aunt how he had fared, and that he knew
the captain must be at home by this time.

He was glad he had decided on the latter, for the cottage door stood
open, and Judith was sitting up in bed, her eyes wide open, and her
breath panting with anxiety and terror.

"Oh, Johnnie, my dear! There you are! Oh, they are all gone! The
ladies, the dear ladies, and the little babies," she gasped, and fell
back almost fainting.

"The captain is there by this time, and the soldiers, never you fear,"
said John. "Here, you'd better take this," trying to drop out some of
the cordial he knew she took in her attacks.

"The soldiers! Your father--your poor father!" she gasped again, and
she was so ill that John, dreadfully frightened, could only hold her up