h success; so he waited and added
compound interest to his thirst for vengeance.

At length set in the dry and fierce winds of which we have spoken,
and he felt secure of his prey at last; so preparations were at
once made for a grand battle in the marshes.

The keen winds continued, and the scouts reported that the swamp
was drier than they had ever seen it before. At length April
arrived, and with its earliest days--days of bright sunshine--it
was decided to delay no longer, but to explore the marshes with the
whole force of the barony, strengthened by recruits from the
castles of the neighbouring Norman nobles who willingly lent their
aid, and hastened to share the sport dearest of all to the Norman
mind.

But one thing was necessary to secure success--a guide, and how to
procure one was the riddle which puzzled Hugo, both by day and
night.

No Norman could help them; but might not some Englishmen serve, not
as willing tools, but under the compulsion of force and the dread
of torture?

There were no English in the domains of the baron; all had fled
into the forest who were yet alive. There were, it is true, native
woodmen in other parts of the wilderness; but they were not vassals
of Hugo, and one and all had repeatedly disclaimed knowledge of
that part of the forest which was to be explored.

In his perplexity Hugo offered great rewards to anyone who would
discover any of the former people of Aescendune and bring them
before him.

Leaving Hugo and his friends to concert their murderous plans, we
must invite the reader to accompany us once more to freedom's home,
the Dismal Swamp.

A council was being held at this selfsame time, which materially
assisted the schemes of the baron, although not greatly to his
ultimate gratification.

It was held around the fire in the same farmhouse in which poor
Eadwin had met his death, and which had now become the headquarters
of the outlaws whom Norman tyranny had made.

Wilfred, young although he was, presided--for was he not the
representative of the ancient lords of Aescendune, and those
gathered around him the descendants of the men whom his fathers had
often led to victory?

On his right sat Haga, the oldest retainer of his house, a man who
at the beginning of the century had actually fought with Alfgar
against the Danes; on his left, Boom, the ancient forester of the
Aescendune woods--as moderns would say, "the head keeper."

And there were Sexwulf and Ulf,