le down the straight, which was a belt of land
some quarter of a mile wide and twenty long, ending above the sea on a
cliff's edge. As the squire had said, he would not be able to break off
the straight, for guards and packed mobs lined it and a naked man would
be far too conspicuous heading toward them.

Now he thought of his two comrades in ill fortune. Neither of them was a
runner of any caliber. Should he wait and help them?

Selfishness said _no_--and unselfishness said _no_, for wasn't his first
duty to the ruck, not to his friends? Didn't he owe it to humanity to
save himself? And besides, he was a lusty young buck, and didn't want to
die.

But he glanced back, slowed, waited till the two had come panting up to
him, and thrusting an arm around each waist, ran them forward with him,
ignoring their protests.

* * * * *

They came to a coppice of elms, grown thick with brambles and cluttered
with deadwood. It covered perhaps an acre. Revel ploughed into it,
cursing as the thorns stabbed his naked hide. Too late he realized he
should have skirted it. In the rare quarter-seconds when the branches
were not snapping or the brush whipping noisily aside from their
progress, he could hear the faint barking of the great hounds; even, he
thought, the whoops of the excited gentry as they started down the hill
on their fiery stallions. He pictured Nirea, her slate-hued eyes
gleaming, her creamy skin aflush as she leaned forward eagerly for the
first sight of the Mink. Damn her!

Abruptly the earth slanted off to the right, so that Revel, who was
still pushing Dawvys and Jerran, went headlong into a patch of nettles,
losing his balance at the unexpected dip and shoving both companions
down on their faces. Dawvys rolled, yelping at the pain of scratches on
fresh wounds, then vanished with a howl. Revel crouched, staring,
unbelieving. In a moment the head of the plump rucker came up out of the
earth.

"What in Orbs' names--"

"It's a pit," said Dawvys. "It was covered with trash." His eyes were
wide and frightened. "Go on, Revel. I can't run another step."

The Mink thought swiftly. Dawvys was right, he could run no longer.
Quickly Revel shoved the man's head down, threw several branches and
bushes across the mouth of the pit, began to disguise it, talking as he
worked.

"Lie down and be very still, old fellow. Jerran and I will make enough
of a trail for the hounds to follow, and only