us be off."

"Shall we take the horses, master?"

"No, they will be but an encumbrance; and now that poor fellow has
gone, we have one apiece. Bring his horse along with you."

Mounting, they rode quickly on, and at the top of the hill came up with
the girls; who, having seen the result of the combat, had waited for
them.

"Now we are safe and free, thanks to you both," Janet said. "Jessie
looked back, and saw the fight as we rode. How quickly it was over! But
I am grieved, indeed, that John has fallen. We saw you carrying off his
body, and covering it. Jessie had noticed him fall, and we feared 'twas
all over with him. He was an old retainer of our father's, and a
faithful one."

"I am sorry, indeed, that he has been slain, Janet; but we could hardly
expect to come out altogether scatheless."

"Are all the others killed?" Jessie asked.

"No. Two of them are but stunned; and will, ere long, be able to mount
and ride off again."

"Master Oswald has gained the most honours in the fight. I killed one,
and stunned another. He has stunned one also, but has slain two."

"I had a better arm, Roger."

"I know not that," Roger replied. "A quarterstaff, of that weight, is a
fine weapon. I say not that it is to be compared to a mace but, when on
foot, I would as lief have it as a sword."

"Now, Jessie, do you mount John's horse. We can ride quietly, for
Longtown is but some three miles ahead."

They rested there for a couple of hours, then mounted again, and
crossed the Pentlands by a horse track between Cristindury and Gele
Craigs. Coming down into Tynedale, they put up for the night at the
first place they came to. At daybreak they set off northwards, crossed
Reddesdale, and came down, in the afternoon, into the valley of the
Coquet, within two miles of Yardhope.

Great indeed was the surprise and joy of John Forster and his wife,
when they made out the two girls riding, with Oswald, towards the hold.

"What miracle is this, lad?" the former said, while his wife was
embracing her nieces. "We heard, but two days since, of the raid on the
Armstrongs, and how the girls were carried off by the Bairds."

Here Oswald put his finger to his lips, to stop him from saying aught
of Jane Armstrong's death. He had, after dismounting, whispered in his
mother's ear, before she had time to speak to the girls, that as yet
they knew nought of their mother's death, and that he had left it to
her to break it to them.

"I have b