shut in the
village of Arlingham from the river. The boatman watched him curiously
and fearfully; and when he was no longer visible he shivered, for a
cold chill was running down his spine. "Seems as though I'd carried
the Evil One," he muttered; "he may halloo till he's as hoarse as his
black children the crows ere I trust myself on the waters with him
again." He waded to his boat and rowed rapidly across stream once more.

The man in black gave neither thought nor look to the ferryman, but
strode along the woodland paths like one who had not a moment to spare.
The broad Roman way stretched in a bee-line from the eastern shore to
the village, but the wayfarer never once set foot upon it. Swiftness
and secrecy marked every movement. The sun had been above the horizon
scarce an hour when the mysterious stranger knocked at the door of a
farmhouse that lay about a mile from the village and northwards towards
the river. It was opened on the instant by the farmer himself, and
barred and chained again.

In the kitchen were four men, two of whom wore black doublet and hosen,
black caps with a black feather, and were sallow-looking counterparts
of the last arrival. They stood up, bowed gravely, and sat down again
without speaking.

"You have kept good tryst, my sons; did any man see you?"

"Not even the eye of the sun lighted upon us; we walked by the stars,"
was the reply.

"Good! Now, your tidings.--Thine first, Basil."

The younger of the two men clad in black looked up. Hitherto he had
maintained a strict silence, his eyes fixed on the floor. The face
that was lifted to the morning light was not a pleasant one. It was
pasty, colourless, and shrunken as though from long fasting, but the
eyes glittered in their dull sockets like a pair of black diamonds.
"Fanatic" was written large all over him. He was a monk released from
his vows for the performance of special duties. His tidings were given
slowly in short, terse sentences.

"Admiral Drake is at Gatcombe."

The leader nodded. "I know it; I saw him yesterday," he said.

"He hath wind of our plot and a description of your person. Sir Walter
Raleigh comes up from Bristol on this morning's tide. 'Tis given out
that he is visiting the Throckmortons, from which family he took his
wife. The truth is, that he comes to assist the admiral against us."

"Doth he bring troops?"

"No, but the admiral hath a royal warrant empowering him to call the
free for