rible scourge, and civil war the most terrible of all.

But while many of those who pursued did so in a blind thirst after
plunder and blood, there were others more determined in their going,
whose object was rather to capture than to slay, who passed without
heeding the common fugitives, and gave chase only to such parties as
seemed to be covering the flight of persons of distinction from the
scene of their disaster. Of such parties one was known to contain the
King of England, nobles, and officers, whom the victors desired to make
captive and get into their power; while it was also rumoured that the
Queen herself, with her youthful son, was among the fugitives. The
soldiers of the Duke of York would indeed have been elated, had they
succeeded in getting into their power the king and his son, whose throne
they had seized for their own leader, and so they followed hard after
the flying host in all directions.

That same evening, as the sun was sinking, and the distant sounds of
battle were growing faint in the air, a tall, stately woman, leading by
the hand a boy of scarcely six years, walked hastily in the direction of
a wood which skirted the banks of the River Tyne. It was evident from
her dress and the jewels she wore that she was a lady of no ordinary
importance, and a certain imperious look in her worn face seemed to
suggest that she was one of those more used to ruling than obeying, to
receiving honour rather than rendering it. The boy who accompanied her
was also richly dressed, and reflected in his handsome face the proud
nature of his mother, as this lady seemed to be. Just at present,
however, his expression was one of terror. He clung eagerly to the hand
of his protectress, and once and again cast a frightened look behind, as
if expecting to get sight of the pursuers, from whose clutches they were
even now seeking shelter.

"Mother," said the lad, as they entered the wood, and for the first time
abated somewhat of their hurried progress, "I am weary and hungry. May
we not rest here awhile and eat something?"

"My child," said the lady, "there is naught here to eat, and we must go
farther ere we are safe from our cruel foes."

So they went on, deep into the gloomy shade of the wood, till they were
far beyond the sight of the outer world, and where the rays of the
setting sun scarce gave the feeblest light.

"Mother," said the boy presently, "this is an awful place; we shall die
here."

"Fear no