rn by the brook side. You will
meet me at the priory."

"No," answered the highwayman, boldly; "if you go, I go too. It shall
never be said that Dick Turpin was afraid to follow where another would
lead. Proceed."

Luke gave his horse the bridle, and the animal slowly and steadily
commenced the descent, fixing his fore legs upon the steps, and drawing
his hinder limbs carefully after him. Here it was that the lightness and
steadiness of Turpin's mare was completely shown. No Alpine mule could
have borne its rider with more apparent ease and safety. Turpin
encouraged her by hand and word; but she needed it not. The sexton saw
them, and, tracking their giddy descent, he became more interested than
he anticipated. His attention was suddenly drawn towards Luke.

"He is gone," cried Peter. "He falls--he sinks--my plans are all
defeated--the last link is snapped. No," added he, recovering his wonted
composure, "his end is not so fated."

Rook had missed his footing. He rolled stumbling down the precipice a
few yards. Luke's fate seemed inevitable. His feet were entangled in the
stirrup, he could not free himself. A birch tree, growing in a chink of
the precipice, arrested his further fall. But for this timely aid all
had been over. Here Luke was enabled to extricate himself from the
stirrup and to regain his feet; seizing the bridle, he dragged his
faulty steed back again to the road.

"You have had a narrow escape, by Jove," said Turpin, who had been
thunderstruck with the whole proceeding. "Those big cattle are always
clumsy; devilish lucky it's no worse."

It was now comparatively smooth travelling; but they had not as yet
reached the valley, and it seemed to be Luke's object to take a
circuitous path. This was so evident that Turpin could not help
commenting upon it.

Luke evaded the question. "The crag is steep there," said he; "besides,
to tell you the truth, I want to surprise them."

"Ho, ho!" laughed Dick. "Surprise them, eh? What a pity the birch tree
was in the way; you would have done it properly then. Egad, here's
another surprise."

Dick's last exclamation was caused by his having suddenly come upon a
wide gully in the rock, through which dashed a headlong torrent, crossed
by a single plank.

"You must be mad to have taken this road," cried Turpin, gazing down
into the roaring depths in which the waterfall raged, and measuring the
distance of the pass with his eye. "So, so, Bess!--Ay, look at it,
w