me one else.

By this time Naomi and Eli had mounted their horses.

Then I heard a man's shout. "Help! quick! the girl has been taken from
us!"

"Who by? Where?" This voice came from the direction of Lanherne House.

"That big fool Pennington. Where's Tresidder? Quick, we shall get them."

"Are the horses good, Eli?" I asked.

"Beauties," grunted Eli; "reg'lar beauties. The purty maid shud knaw
'em, they come from Trevause."

"Is this my Nero?" cried Naomi.

The horse whinnied as she spoke; evidently he recognised her voice.

"Are you right, Eli?"

"Iss."

"Ride quietly up the hill," I said; "make no noise, if you can help it."

But the horses could not help making a noise, and the click of their
ironed hoofs rang out plainly.

"There, they've got horses. Fetch out ours, quick!"

"Which way are they going?"

"Towards Carnanton Woods. Make haste."

Rapidly we rode up the hill toward Mawgan Cross, where there are four
crossways.

"Naomi," I said, "shall I take you to Trevose, or shall I take you to a
place of safety, many miles from here?"

"She mustn't go to Trevause," grunted Eli.

"Why?"

"Richard Trezidder is there, so es thou'll laady."

"Tresidder's mother?"

"Iss."

"How do you know?"

"I zeed 'er--zeed 'em both," and Eli chuckled as though he vastly
enjoyed himself.

"He's squire there," continued Eli. "People zay that the purty maid es
dead, and everything do come to he."

"Who told you this?"

"No time to tell 'ee now. They'll be foll'in' we soon. Neck Trezidder es
down to Mawgan."

"No, Jasper, let us not go where the Tresidders are. Anywhere but
there."

I turned my horse's head southward.

"Then we'll go to Mullion," I said. "We can get to Truro by the morning;
we can get refreshment there."

At that time another difficulty presented itself. I remembered that I
had no money. Eli had that morning paid the landlady at the kiddleywink
at Mawgan for our food and lodgings. I said nothing about it, but Eli,
by that strange intuition which divined men's thoughts, knew what was
passing in my mind.

"Plenty ov money, Maaster Jasper, plenty ov money."

"How did you get it?" I asked.

"How ded I git the hosses?"

"I do not know. How?"

"Old man called Jonathan. Aw, aw!"

"Did he give it to you?"

"Iss, iss! He do 'ate the Trezidders. I tould un purty maid wad'n dead;
tould un Maaster Jasper takin' 'er 'way--aw, aw!" and again the gnome
laughed gleefully.

"Jonatha