e the arm from her body.

The squire in the blue breeches toppled over, howling, and fell on the
path. Revel yanked the Lady Nirea to one side as the mass of them swept
by, and saw with satisfaction a stallion, trying not to step on the
fallen squire, take a nasty tumble itself, flinging its rider ten feet
ahead, where he was trampled by a couple of less cautious nags.

Other horses fell over the first one, and the gentry milled about,
roaring bloody hell and death on everybody. The two hounds smelled blood
and attacked the fallen squires, and Blue Breeches raced off into the
woods, one of the ravening dogs at his heels.

Revel made for the other side, the brambles where Jerran had
disappeared. He was hauling the girl behind him. A beef-faced squire on
a pirouetting horse loosed off his gun at Revel, who snatched a handgun
from his belt and fired back. Both of them missed. A gentryman in tan
and gold long-skirted coat leaped in front of the miner, the flared
muzzle of his gun coming up toward Revel's breast.

Revel shot by instinct, without aiming. The man's face turned into a
mess that looked like squashed raspberries. Revel stepped over his body
and tried to plunge into the brambles, but he had lost the exact spot,
and thorns barred the way.

Then, four feet down the road, Jerran's yellow face popped into view.
"Here, lad!"

* * * * *

At that instant Lady Nirea gave a wrench and freed herself from Revel's
grip. He whirled and leaped and snatched down, catching the collar of
the silver gown. Her momentum carried her forward, but the dress stayed
in his hand ripped completely off. He went after her--she was falling
now--and caught her, though the atmosphere seemed to be composed equally
of gentry and rearing stallions.

Then he turned, carrying her slung over one arm, and managing to reach
Jerran's anxious-looking head by knocking down one squire and kicking
another in the groin, he dived into the bushes. The Lady Nirea squalled
shrilly as the thorns gashed at her soft skin. But Revel blundered on
into the bramble patch.

Jerran led him through what seemed impenetrable thickets, following a
route that must have been marked, though Revel could not see how. Behind
them, the gentry howled and loosed off their guns, but the brambles
defeated them, for Revel caught no sounds of pursuit. A scream that
thrilled up and choked off must have been the unfortunate Blue Breeches.

Revel lo