had passed by,
Cale continued his way quietly enough, following the noisy party at
a safe distance, as they too seemed bound towards Snowe Hill.

They were approaching the top of the hill when a sudden sound of
shrieking met their ears, mixed with the loud laughter and
half-drunken shouts of the roisterers. Tom caught his companion's
arm and pulled him along.

"That is a woman's voice!" he cried quickly. "She is crying for
help. Come!"

"Beshrew me if I ever again walk abroad with a peruke at night!"
grumbled Cale, as he let himself be hurried along by the eager Tom.
"I am not a watchman. Why should I risk my goods for every silly
wench who should know better than to be abroad of a night alone?
Come, come, my young friend, my legs are not as long as yours; I
shall have no wind for fighting if you drag me along at this pace!"

It was the urgency of the cries that spurred Tom to the top of his
speed. The laughter was loud and ceaseless, but the shrieks were
becoming faint and stifled. Tom's blood was boiling. He pictured to
himself a foul murder done. A few seconds before they reached the
spot a new sound greeted their ears--a sort of rattling, bounding
noise--which provoked another peal of uncontrollable laughter.

Then a voice was heard shouting:

"The watch! the watch! or some fellows with swords!"

Immediately the whole band broke up and rushed helter-skelter in
all directions. Not that the bullies feared the watch one whit. The
watchmen were mostly poor, old, worn-out men, who could do little
or nothing to impose order upon these young braggarts. Indeed, they
were so often maltreated themselves, that they just as often as not
kept carefully away when cries were raised for help. But, having
had their fun, the roisterers were ready to disperse themselves;
for some of the citizens would rise in a white heat of rage, and
take law into their own hands, in which case it happened that the
disturbers of the peace came off second best. One of them had seen
Tom's tall figure and the sword in his hand as he ran beneath a
lamp, and had fancied that some more determined rescue than that
afforded by the watch was to be given. So the band dispersed
shouting and hooting; and Tom and Cale found them scattered ere
they came up to them.

"But where is the woman?" asked Tom, looking round; "they have not
surely carried her off?"

"Oh no--only sent her rolling down the hill in a barrel!" panted
Cale; "it is a favourite past