oken by so trivial an interruption, and continued to be so till he
approached a corner where a high ragged fence turned off on the edge of
a footpath.

Only a sudden scuffle, a muttered oath, and the grasp of two powerful
arms that pinioned his elbows to his side awakened him.

Three men had leaped out from the projecting corner of the fence, where
a light cart was drawn up, and were upon him before he could raise a
hand; but he was quick and active, so that by a sudden turn and trip he
bore to the ground the fellow who held him, and fell upon him heavily.

"Give it him, and quick there with the sack!" cried this worthy, as they
rolled on the path together. Another ruffian seized Antoine by the
throat. A weapon gleamed before his eyes; but in that moment a quick
patter of feet sounded in the roadway, followed by two reports like the
sudden breaking of a cocoa-nut. Crack! crack! and the ruffian's body
fell heavily against the fence, as two shadows--the two shadows that had
been following Antoine so long--danced in the footway, whence they had
just struck a second of the ruffians through a jagged hole in the fence,
and left him sticking there till he recovered his senses. In a moment
the young man felt his arms released, and struggled to his feet, his
late antagonist escaping by a plunge through the fence and a desperate
run across the fields, where he was followed by a flash and the report
of a pistol, which failed to stop him.

"Who fired?" said one of the shadows, now visible--a light active
fellow, armed with a knotted cudgel.

"I did, Mat," replied a voice that Antoine knew, as a thin spare old man
came from the open space beyond.

"Are you hurt, my boy?" he asked tenderly, approaching Antoine, who
stared from one to another in amazement.

"Pierre--Pierre Dobree!" exclaimed the young man; "you here--and
these--how is all this?"

"I will tell you presently," said the old pensioner, for it was he
indeed. "I expected a trap, and had you followed by two lads that I
could trust.--Gave him a body-guard of a couple of weaver-lads, eh?" he
said, turning to the rescuers. "You've done your work well, boys."

"Why, we haven't been three years at sea and learnt the knack of the
press-gang for nothing, daddy," replied one of them grinning; "but we
must be off; we ain't constables, you know, and there may be trouble
about."

"Antoine, you sha'n't be disappointed of your ride in the cart," said
Peter; "we must hasten, o