The horses heard it first and pricked
their ears. Next minute the riders heard it, too. It was the tramp,
tramp of horses' feet upon the road, coming on at a leisurely pace,
together with the jingling of arms and the sound of voices.

Tom's heart beat thick and fast, but his hand did not tremble as he
followed Lord Claud's example and got ready his pistol. Like two
figures carved in stone sat the two liers-in-wait, their
well-trained horses as motionless as themselves.

Crack! crack!

The silence of the night was broken by the ominous sound. A yell of
pain and fury arose. Two horses turned back rearing, and dashed
away, but the third was gripped by a strong hand; and before the
party behind could see a vestige of what was happening, two
riderless horses had galloped past them, throwing them into a panic
of confusion and terror.

Lord Claud had judged right in part. Thrown into confusion, the men
turned as if to flee, thinking themselves fallen amongst a large
band of robbers. Tom made a quick rush round the corner, seized the
second pack horse by the bridle, and dashed off in pursuit of Lord
Claud; but even as he did so he became aware that there were more
than the two troopers in the party, and in a moment the sound of
yells and cries behind him told him that he was pursued.

But he had proved the pace of the horse beneath him, and if he
could but possess himself of the bags upon the pack horse, and let
the slower-paced beast go free, he knew he could distance pursuit.
With a mighty effort he lifted the heavy bags and swung them over
his shoulders; but even at that moment he heard the crack of
firearms in the rear, and his good horse reared up perfectly erect,
and Tom had but time to slip off his back before the creature fell
over backwards, and lay still and dead.

Tom had another pistol, and even as he reached the ground he turned
round and fired full at the foremost pursuer. A cry of pain told
him his shot had found a billet in horse or man. But he could stay
for no more. Already his mask and wig had fallen off. The moonlight
struck full upon his face and the fine proportions of his figure.
He saw that there were half a dozen men spurring onwards in
pursuit; but he was full of that fury which gives to men an almost
superhuman strength.

Leaping upon the back of the pack horse, he spurred the maddened
and terrified animal to the wildest gallop, a gallop which he could
never keep up, but which for the time