n following upon it.

The Duke was now thoroughly aroused. Doubtless the monks within the
passage had at that moment arrived at its mouth, there to make known
to their comrades the robbery of the chest's contents. They were in
pursuit; he could hear the bushes crackling beneath horses' feet.
Never before had the wily Duke felt so hard pressed. He could afford
to be taken himself, for he was sure of a release sooner or later;
but his whole being revolted at the idea of losing the riches of his
burden and above all--the secret, the secret that would make his
fortunes thribble, the secret that would make him more powerful than
heretofore. The King's favour would be boundless. And George Villiers
turned abruptly and--fell into a swollen ravine that was throbbing
with its over-filled sides. He straightened himself to his full height
and thanked God for the stream, for truly 'twas life-giving water.

He waded in and found it hardly came to his waist in the deepest part.
After crossing to its farthest bank, he kept the watery path for
nearly a league, thereby throwing his pursuers effectually off the
trail. But where his course trended, 'twas impossible to tell, as
there was no moon, and the stars were veiled by thick cloud that
vomited forth rain in gusts.

The leather bags were very near rain-soaked and had become so heavy
'twas impossible for anything less than a beast of burden to carry
them further, so leaving the friendly stream, he walked some little
distance from it, gaining to his surprise an open road. This was not
what he wished, and was turning from it when he stumbled and fell
prone. Being hot with anger and fatigue, he reached for the obstacle
that had so unmanned him to damn it. 'Twas a large, round knot. It
struck his memory, as he held it, with a thought of the morning
before.

"_Eureka_!" he cried, as he felt the very presence of the tall tree by
the public highway that led from Crandlemar, London way. He arose and
reached for the aperture.

"Egad, 'tis there!"

Fortunately the royal tree was not far from the unused cabin that had
afforded him accommodation some hours before. He immediately sat down
upon the bags and rested.

There passed him several horsemen and a chaise; whether they were his
whilom companions of the thicket or not he did not care. It was
sure they were in haste to leave the village as far behind them as
possible.

When the sound of the horses' hoofs had died away, he again donne