ext inn?"

"Three miles to Clifton."

"We shall sleep till daybreak to-morrow, Brown, on the settles you
have here. And now, my lad, bloodhounds or none on our trail, bring us
something to eat."

CHAPTER XXXI. ROBBIE, SPEED ON!

Upon reaching the Woodman at Kendal, Robbie found little reason to
doubt that Sim had been there and had gone. A lively young
chambermaid, who replied to his questions, told him the story of Sim's
temporary illness and subsequent departure with another man.

"What like of a man was he, lass--him as took off the little fellow?"
asked Robbie.

"A very personable sort; maybe as fine a breed as you'd see here and
there one," replied the girl.

"Six foot high haply, and square up on his legs?" asked Robbie,
throwing back his body into an upright posture as a supplementary and
explanatory gesture.

"Ey, as big as Bully Ned and as straight as Robin the Devil," said the
girl.

Robbie was in ignorance of the physical proportions of these local
worthies, but he was nevertheless in little doubt as to the identity
of his man. It was clear that Sim and Ralph had met on this spot only
a few hours ago, and had gone off together.

"What o'clock might it be when they left?" said Robbie.

"Nigh to noon--maybe eleven or so."

It was now two, and Ralph and Sim, riding good horses, must be many
miles away. Robbie's vexation was overpowering when he thought of the
hours that he had wasted at Winander and of the old gossip at the
street corner who had prompted him to the fruitless search.

"The feckless old ninny," he thought in his mute indignation; "when an
old man comes to be an old woman it's nothing but right that he should
die, and have himself done with."

Robbie was unable to hire a horse in order to set off in pursuit of
his friends; nor were his wits so far distraught by the difficulties
tormenting them that he was unable to perceive that, even if he could
afford to ride, his chance would be inconsiderable of overtaking two
men who had already three hours' start of him.

He went into the taproom to consult the driver of the Carlisle coach,
who was taking a glass before going to bed--his hours of work being in
the night and his hours of rest being in the day. That authority
recommended, with the utmost positiveness of advice, that Robbie
should take a seat in his coach when he left for the North that night.

"But you don't start till nine o'clock, they tell me?" said Robbie.

"W