, and a broken back. It is a sad business for us all;
bad for you, when head quarters come to hear of it, and bad for me, in
not being sharper. But it might have been worse," he added; "why, the
fugitive might have been the Prince himself, instead of this
twopenny-halfpenny spy!" Barbara smiled.

* * * * *

In conclusion it may be said that, as it turned out, no more was heard
of the matter by Colonel Myddelton. The Roundhead Captain felt that the
day's work did not sufficiently redound to his credit, and he shrank
from the chaff that would follow when it was known that a girl and some
schoolboys had outwitted him. He therefore kept silence.

Some years had to pass before Barbara and Philip received their reward;
but one of the first acts of the Merry Monarch on ascending the throne
was to make Philip a knight and to send Barbara a pair of very
beautiful horses and a carriage.

THERE WAS A SILENCE AFTER GODFREY FAIRFAX HAD FINISHED.

THEN, "IS IT TRUE?" GREGORY ASKED.

"IS IT A GOOD STORY?" THE AUTHOR INQUIRED, BY WAY OF REPLY.

"OH, YES," SAID GREGORY. "RIPPING!"

"THEN LET'S CONSIDER IT TRUE," SAID MISS REDSTONE.

"OF COURSE IT'S TRUE," SAID HESTER.

"DO YOU LIKE IT AS WELL AS 'FOR THE GOOD CAUSE?" MISS REDSTONE ASKED
HORACE.

"NOT QUITE," HE SAID, "BUT VERY NEARLY."

"AND YOU?" SHE INQUIRED OF JACK.

"IT'S JOLLY INTERESTING," HE SAID, "ANYWAY."

"WELL, I'M VERY MUCH OBLIGED TO YOU FOR LISTENING TO ME SO LONG," MISS
REDSTONE SAID. "YOU'VE BEEN VERY KIND, AND YOU'VE CHEERED ME UP
EXTREMELY. GOOD-BYE. I SHALL NEVER FORGET YOUR KINDNESS, AND I SHALL
SEND YOU THE STORY WHEN IT IS PRINTED."

AND AFTER GIVING HER THEIR ADDRESS, THEY RESUMED THEIR JOURNEY, AND
DISCUSSED THE ROMANCE AT INTERVALS ALL THE WAY TO BREDON HILL.

CHAPTER 15

THE ADVENTURE OF THE RUNAWAY PONIES

The distance from Evesham to Elmley Castle, a little village under
Bredon Hill, is only five or six miles, and the Slowcoaches were
comfortably encamped in a field there by six o'clock, for at Evesham
they did no more than walk through the churchyard to the beautiful
square Bell Tower with its little company of spires on the roof. Mary
bought a guide at a shop at the corner of the market-place and read the
story.

This Bell Tower, with a gateway and a wall or so, is all that remains
of a Benedictine abbey which was built by the Bishop of Worcester in
the reign of Ethelred. The Bishop, it seems, had a swineherd named
Eoves,