up an active search, Roger. 'Tis well that we went no
farther. They will scarce suspect us of lying close to the valley we
left. I expect the main body has gone much farther. I have no doubt the
Bairds have a couple of hundred men and boys out. They would call out
every man and boy from their holdings, and most likely get a couple of
score of men from their village, and perhaps twice as many from Parton.
No doubt they will think that, if we came in this direction, we should,
last night, have found our way to one of the tracks across the hills,
and it is near these that their search will be the keenest.
Fortunately, they cannot know that I am here, nor guess that it is to
Yardhope that we intend to take them, and not to Hiniltie. Still, they
may expect that we shall try to cross the border, and I fancy we shall
scarcely get through without a fight."

"All the better," Roger grumbled. "My fingers tingle to bring down this
staff on the head of some of the Bairds, after all the trouble they
have given us."

They remained watching until it became dusk, except that, twice during
the day, they crawled back and partook of a meal with the girls. The
last time they joined them, Oswald said:

"Now, in half an hour it will be quite dark, and then we can safely get
up and walk about for a bit. I am sure you must feel stiff, lying still
so long."

"I have never kept quiet for so long a time, since I can remember,"
Jessie said, laughing.

"That shows that you have had no illnesses, Jessie. However, I shall be
glad to get up and stretch my limbs, myself. Half an hour will be
enough, and then we will have a good, long night. Another day of it,
and I think it will be safe to start."

The next afternoon they saw a number of parties searching the hills, in
all directions.

"I expect they have become convinced that we have not tried to get
straight through, Roger, and are hunting back for us. It is as well
that it will be dark in another half hour, and they will then have to
give up their search, for the night. If there were a couple of hours
more light, I should feel very uneasy."

"So should I, master. You and I would have little chance of mercy, if
we fell into their hands. It might well be that, in their anger, they
might slay the ladies, also."

"That would be like enough, Roger. However, there can be no chance of
their coming here, before it is dark."

At nine o'clock they started, and made their way down, with some
dif