no
consideration, have announced his neighbourhood by lighting a fire of
his own. But now he must no longer squander valuable hours. The direct
way to the uplands was about two miles in length; but it was crossed by
a very deep, precipitous dingle, impassable to mounted men; and for the
sake of speed, it seemed to Dick advisable to desert the horses and
attempt the adventure on foot.

Ten men were left to guard the horses; signals were agreed upon by which
they could communicate in case of need; and Dick set forth at the head
of the remainder, Alicia Risingham walking stoutly by his side.

The men had freed themselves of heavy armour, and left behind their
lances; and they now marched with a very good spirit in the frozen snow,
and under the exhilarating lustre of the moon. The descent into the
dingle, where a stream strained sobbing through the snow and ice, was
effected with silence and order; and on the farther side, being then
within a short half-mile of where Dick had seen the glimmer of the fire,
the party halted to breathe before the attack.

In the vast silence of the wood, the lightest sounds were audible from
far; and Alicia, who was keen of hearing, held up her finger warningly
and stooped to listen. All followed her example; but besides the groans
of the choked brook in the dingle close behind, and the barking of a fox
at a distance of many miles among the forest, to Dick's acutest
hearkening, not a breath was audible.

"But yet, for sure, I heard the clash of harness," whispered Alicia.

"Madam," returned Dick, who was more afraid of that young lady than of
ten stout warriors, "I would not hint ye were mistaken; but it might
well have come from either of the camps."

"It came not thence. It came from westward," she declared.

"It may be what it will," returned Dick; "and it must be as Heaven
please. Reck we not a jot, but push on the livelier, and put it to the
touch. Up, friends--enough breathed."

As they advanced, the snow became more and more trampled with
hoof-marks, and it was plain that they were drawing near to the
encampment of a considerable force of mounted men. Presently they could
see the smoke pouring from among the trees, ruddily coloured on its
lower edge and scattering bright sparks.

And here, pursuant to Dick's orders, his men began to open out, creeping
stealthily in the covert, to surround on every side the camp of their
opponents. He himself, placing Alicia in the shelter of