e watch upon the group. "She
will soon tire herself out, and then we can carry her away
peacefully. Don't hurt her. Let her have her fling--it won't last
long--and she will be all the tamer afterward."

The traveller, who was but a stripling himself, set his teeth hard
as he heard these words spoken. Something in the cool arrogance of
the man, who appeared to be a leader of the rest, stirred his blood
and made his hands tingle to be at his throat.

But it would not do to act rashly in an encounter with four
stalwart men, all armed to the teeth, and plainly well used to the
practice of arms. The youth saw that he must husband his strength
and use his opportunity with every care. His best chance lay in
taking the party by surprise.

He examined his weapons with a keen eye. He too possessed one of
the handguns of the period, and was a good marksman to boot. He
had, too--and glad enough was he of it at that moment--the deadly
guisarme, that old-fashioned weapon that combined a spear and
scythe, and was used with horrible effect in the charges of the
day. Then there was the short battle-axe, slung across his
saddlebow, which at close quarters would be a formidable weapon,
and the poniard in his belt had in its time done deadly work before
this.

But although he had plenty of weapons for offence, he had not much
defensive armour upon him. Only a cloth cap protected his head, and
although his jerkin was of the tough leather which often defied the
thrust of a dagger almost as successfully as mail, it might not
prove a defence against the combined attack of a number of enemies;
and his legs were unprotected save by the long leather riding boots
laced up the front, and ornamented with silken tassels, now much
faded and stained.

Altogether, he appeared hardly equipped for so desperate an
encounter as the one that lay before him; but it was plain that he
did not on that account shrink from it. His appearance upon the
scene had not been observed by any of the robbers--for such they
plainly were--and he was thus able to take his time and weigh his
chances carefully.

The girl was suffering no injury from her captors; but what her
fate might be if rescue did not come was what no one could say. It
was plain that it was the desire of the leader of the band to
possess her as a captive. It was he who was the leading spirit in
the attack. He was just as determined to carry her off as he was
wishful to accomplish the capture with