work on the morrow."

"If thou fearest for thyself, I give thee leave to return, old man;
for me, I will stay here till my duty is accomplished, and so will
all who value their fealty."

"It is the first time one of thy house has ever thus spoken to me,
my young lord."

"Let it be the last time then," said the proud youth; "it depends
but upon thyself; and now lead the way--our path is westward.
Examine the ground closely; we know we are in the neighbourhood of
the foe."

They obeyed, and an hour passed away without any further alarm,
when the dogs recommenced their warning growls.

The men appeared terrified: they knew what had followed those
warnings before, and their light jerkins of untanned leather were
not proof against arrows. They directed their keenest glances into
the forest.

The tall trees rose like the pillars of a cathedral, supporting the
fretwork of branches on every side; here and there some monarch of
the woods had fallen, and was now covered over with ivy; but no
other shelter seemed at hand which might conceal a foe, save some
little undergrowth here and there.

But the most serious thing was the hour; the day was fast
declining; the clouds which floated above them were fast assuming
those roseate tints which they receive from the setting sun; while
behind them vast masses, which looked black by contrast with the
glowing west, were slowly obscuring the heavens, and the winds were
heard moaning more and more loudly as each minute passed.

There was hardly a member of the band who did not share Ralph's
uneasiness, and who would not have given much to find himself safe
in the castle; but their wilful young leader was still unmoved--it
must be owned that his courage bordered on foolhardiness.

At length the darkness came, as with a rush, upon them; the black
clouds were overhead; some feathery flakes of snow blew about
them--precursors of the coming storm. Their work was still
unaccomplished, but Etienne at length heeded the murmurs of the
party, and calling them together, for they had dispersed to look
after the signs they hoped to find, said:

"I fear we must leave our work unfinished--we can see no longer,
and may as well return home."

"My lord, would it please thee to number the party? we should be
twenty."

"Count them thyself," he said.

"Fifteen."

"We left one behind us where we rested, but where are the rest?"
said Ralph.

"It is useless to search for them now--it is so