d
oh! I am as full of needles as ever was a pin-cushion."

"Are his knees broken?"

"I daren't look. No, I believe not. Come along, and make the best of a
bad matter. The fellow is a mile ahead, and to the right, too."

"He is going for Moorwinstow, then; but where is my cousin?"

"Behind us, I dare say. We shall nab him at least."

"Cary, promise me that if we do, you will keep out of sight, and let me
manage him."

"My boy, I only want Evan Morgans and Morgan Evans. He is but the cat's
paw, and we are after the cats themselves."

And so they went on another dreary six miles, till the land trended
downwards, showing dark glens and masses of woodland far below.

"Now, then, straight to Chapel, and stop the foxes' earth? Or through
the King's Park to Stow, and get out Sir Richard's hounds, hue and cry,
and queen's warrant in proper form?"

"Let us see Sir Richard first; and whatsoever he decides about my uncle,
I will endure as a loyal subject must."

So they rode through the King's Park, while Sir Richard's colts came
whinnying and staring round the intruders, and down through a rich
woodland lane five hundred feet into the valley, till they could hear
the brawling of the little trout-stream, and beyond, the everlasting
thunder of the ocean surf.

Down through warm woods, all fragrant with dying autumn flowers, leaving
far above the keen Atlantic breeze, into one of those delicious Western
combes, and so past the mill, and the little knot of flower-clad
cottages. In the window of one of them a light was still burning. The
two young men knew well whose window that was; and both hearts beat
fast; for Rose Salterne slept, or rather seemed to wake, in that
chamber.

"Folks are late in Combe to-night," said Amyas, as carelessly as he
could.

Cary looked earnestly at the window, and then sharply enough at Amyas;
but Amyas was busy settling his stirrup; and Cary rode on, unconscious
that every fibre in his companion's huge frame was trembling like his
own.

"Muggy and close down here," said Amyas, who, in reality, was quite
faint with his own inward struggles.

"We shall be at Stow gate in five minutes," said Cary, looking back and
down longingly as his horse climbed the opposite hill; but a turn of the
zigzag road hid the cottage, and the next thought was, how to effect an
entrance into Stow at three in the morning without being eaten by the
ban-dogs, who were already howling and growling at the sound of t