Jack interrupted. "See, Phil," he cried, "Barbara's
waving to you at the window."

It was so. They all glanced up, and at the window Barbara's pale face
was visible.

A sudden thought came to Philip, and, leading Matthew into the open, he
pointed to the blacksmith, and threw an inquiring look to his sister.
She hesitated a second or two, and then nodded yes with cheery
emphasis, so Philip led Matthew away and supplemented the story he had
already told him with the startling announcement that all the time
there actually was a fugitive Cavalier in the house.

Matthew Hale whistled; he had no words.

"And he must reach Portallan," said Philip, "to catch the midnight
tide. Three of us are going to ride with him, and he takes Rupert's
clothes. We should have got him away finely if it hadn't been for these
soldiers."

"Then we must smash the soldiers," said Matthew simply. "How many are
they? Three, and one of them upstairs. And we are five, not counting
Master Jack. Very well. So long as they don't use gunpowder, we can
beat them."

In a few minutes the old soldier had sketched out a plan of action.

GODFREY FAIRFAX AGAIN PAUSED.

"IT'S GETTING RATHER GOOD," SAID ROBERT.

"HOW SPLENDID IF WE COULD HAVE A CIVIL WAR NOW!

"I LIKE MATTHEW HALE BEST," SAID GREGORY.

"ARE THEY REALLY GOING TO FIGHT? ARE THE BOYS REALLY GOING TO KILL
ANYONE? IT'S SO ROTTEN IN MOST STORIES, BECAUSE THEY ONLY TALK ABOUT
IT."

"WAIT," SAID THE AUTHOR.

The sentinels were stationed each at one door at the back of the house,
twenty or thirty yards apart. The principal entrance they had locked,
so that there remained to guard only the two doors into the courtyard.
Their instructions were to permit the boys to pass in and out, and to
ride off at evening unmolested, but the attacks made upon them prompted
the additional precaution to keep the aggressive four out of the house
altogether. The two men walked up and down at their posts, and
occasionally exchanged a remark together, and occasionally threw a
glance at the shrubbery. They seemed, however, to feel no apprehension.

"Can any one of you climb?" the blacksmith asked suddenly.

"I can," said Jack.

"Famous!" said the blacksmith; "then come with me." So saying, he led
the way down the shrubbery until the front of the house was in view.
"Now," he added, "you shall climb that pipe." And he pointed to a pipe
by the doorway. "The ivy will help you."

"And when I am at the top?"