is teeth, as his well-directed
blows fell one after the other, taxing Paul's strength and agility
not a little in evading or diverting them. "Have I not enough
against you without this? Do you know that no man thwarts Devil's
Own who lives not bitterly to rue the day? I have your name down in
a certain book of mine, young man, and some day you will learn the
meaning of that word. If I kill you not now, it is but that I may
take a more terrible vengeance later. Let me pass, I say, or I may
lose patience and cleave your skull as you stand."

But Paul had no intention of letting this dangerous foe escape him.
He stood directly before the door, and barred the robber's way. It
might have gone ill with the lad in spite of his courage and
address, for he was but a stripling and the robber a man of
unwonted strength, and full of fury now at being thus balked; but
the sound of hurrying feet through the house toward the scene of
conflict told both the combatants that an end to the struggle was
approaching.

Paul shouted to them to take care the prey did not escape by way of
one of the many crooked stairways, with which doubtless he was
familiar enough; and he, seeing that all hope of escape through the
house was now at an end, and knowing that he should inevitably be
overpowered by numbers if he waited longer, suddenly sprang
backwards and rushed to the window. Although it was high above the
ground, and the stones below were both slippery and hard, he
vaulted out like a deer, landing on the prostrate body of his
companion, who received him with an execration and a groan; and as
Paul rushed after him, intensely chagrined at this unexpected
escape, he was only in time to see him dash off into the forest, or
rather to hear his steps crashing through the thicket, until the
sound of a horse's steady gallop showed that he was off and away.

The whole household was crowding into the room in various stages of
dishabille. The terrified Joan and the disappointed Paul had each
to tell their tale. But whilst the parents bent over their
daughter, soothing her terrors and calming her fears, Jack drew
toward Paul and his comrade, and said in low tones:

"Simon Dowsett is not a foe to be set at defiance. I would counsel
you to take horse with the first gleam of day, and gain another
parish or the protection of London, at least, before he has
recovered from his discomfiture. I say this not without regret, as
I would fain keep you over our f