ity the man who tries to take the cloak from him
by force."

Master Penry made another speech to himself in Welsh.

"Fool!" exclaimed he, half blubbering. "This precious missive you leave
at an inn you know not where; with a man you know not whom; and yet your
master speaks of you as a trusty lad. Bah! Lead on!"

I swallowed my wrath and obeyed him. He stalked impatiently at my side,
saying nothing, but urging me forward so that I could scarcely keep pace
with him. I was in luck, in one way, to have his escort; for as I came
near the East Bridge, there lurked not a few of the townsmen who had
been in the fight when I assaulted the Mayor. Seeing me with Master
Penry, who, I suppose, was a man of some standing, they did not look
twice at me; else I might have been caught, and put to rest my limbs in
the cage. When we had crossed the bridge, and were in the country, my
companion suddenly stopped.

"This friend of yours," said he, "with the dirk in his girdle. Was he a
scholar?"

"He lent me this gown," said I.

"An Irishman?"

"I know not. He spoke good English, with a foreign trip of the tongue."

"A great big boy, with wild fair hair, and hands that never are still?"

"The very man. You know him?"

"Do I know him? For two months I have endured the pains of the lost
through him. A wild, untameable savage, subject to no laws, a heathen,
a butcher, a scoffer at things holy, an idler, a highwayman, a traitor,
a rebel, an Irish Papist wolf-hound! Do I know my own pupil? And--oh
my God!--is it he who has the coat? Oh, we are doubly lost! Knaves,
fools, all conspire to ruin us!"

I let him run on, for he was like one demented. But you may suppose I
opened my eyes as I heard this brave character of my new friend.

"Your pupil, is he?" said I at last; "then I counsel you to stay where
you are; for he will assuredly eat you alive if he gets you."

The Welshman paid no head to this warning, but rushed on, jabbering in
Welsh to himself, and groaning, ay, and even sobbing now and then in his
excitement.

At last, after an hour's hard work, we came to where I had found the
road that morning. Then, for another hour, I dragged him through the
swamps and marshes. His strength had begun to fail him long ere we
reached the river's bank; and he was fain, when at last we felt solid
earth under our feet, to cry a halt.

"I must rest for one moment," said he, puffing and panting and clutching
at his side i