en laid by Roman
soldiery; in the lapse of ages much of it had sunk, and every here and
there, for a few hundred yards, it lay submerged below the stagnant
waters of the fen.

About a mile from Kettley, Dick came to one such break in the plain line
of causeway, where the reeds and willows grew dispersedly like little
islands and confused the eye. The gap, besides, was more than usually
long; it was a place where any stranger might come readily to mischief;
and Dick bethought him, with something like a pang, of the lad whom he
had so imperfectly directed. As for himself, one look backward to where
the windmill sails were turning black against the blue of heaven--one
look forward to the high ground of Tunstall Forest, and he was
sufficiently directed and held straight on, the water washing to his
horse's knees, as safe as on a highway.

Half-way across, and when he had already sighted the path rising high
and dry upon the farther side, he was aware of a great splashing on his
right, and saw a grey horse, sunk to its belly in the mud, and still
spasmodically struggling. Instantly, as though it had divined the
neighbourhood of help, the poor beast began to neigh most piercingly. It
rolled, meanwhile, a bloodshot eye, insane with terror; and as it
sprawled wallowing in the quag, clouds of stinging insects rose and
buzzed about it in the air.

"Alack!" thought Dick, "can the poor lad have perished? There is his
horse, for certain--a brave grey! Nay, comrade, if thou criest to me so
piteously, I will do all man can to help thee. Shalt not lie there to
drown by inches!"

And he made ready his cross-bow, and put a quarrel through the
creature's head.

Dick rode on after this act of rugged mercy, somewhat sobered in spirit,
and looking closely about him for any sign of his less happy predecessor
in the way.

"I would I had dared to tell him further," he thought; "for I fear he
has miscarried in the slough."

And just as he was so thinking, a voice cried upon his name from the
causeway-side, and, looking over his shoulder, he saw the lad's face
peering from a clump of reeds.

"Are ye there?" he said, reining in. "Ye lay so close among the reeds
that I had passed you by. I saw your horse bemired, and put him from his
agony; which, by my sooth! an ye had been a more merciful rider, ye had
done yourself. But come forth out of your hiding. Here be none to
trouble you."

"Nay, good boy, I have no arms, nor skill to use the