y the stream, till he reached the path leading up to the
Hall garden, where he stopped short, gave the order, and the man blew a
cheery call, which echoed and re-echoed from the red stone walls.

Then, riding forward with his white flag well displayed, he advanced
boldly to the front of the barricaded porch.

For a few minutes he sat there gazing up at the front, and wondering
that no heed was paid to his coming. So still was everything, that it
seemed as if the Hall had been deserted, till, happening to glance to
his left, he caught sight of a dark eye at one of the windows, and
directly after he realised that this eye was glancing along a heavy
piece, the owner taking careful aim at him as if about to fire.

It was impossible under the circumstances to avoid a feeling of
trepidation; but second thoughts came to whisper to him as it were--

"You are under a flag of truce--an ambassador, and sacred."

"But he might be ignorant, and fire," thought Fred, as he glanced to his
right, where, to his horror, he saw a second man taking aim at him, and
apparently only waiting the word.

Fred's first thought was that he ought to clap spurs to his horse, wheel
round suddenly so as to disorder the men's aim, and gallop back for his
life.

"And then," he said to himself, "how should I dare face the general and
my father?"

Drawing a long breath, he sat firm, and then fighting hard to keep down
his trepidation, he turned his head, and called to his follower, bidding
him summon the garrison once more.

The man raised his trumpet to his lips, and blew another call, falling
back again at a sign from the flag-bearer, and though he would not show
that he knew of their presence, a glance to right and left told Fred
that the two men were taking aim at him still.

"They dare not fire. They dare not!" he said to himself, as he sat
fast; and directly after a group of showily dressed Cavaliers appeared
at the large open window above the broad porch.

He could see that Sir Godfrey Markham was in the centre, with a tall
fair man with a pointed beard on one side, a grey dark man on the other,
and half behind him stood Scarlett, with some dozen more.

"Well, sir," said Sir Godfrey, sternly, and speaking as if he had never
seen the messenger before, "what is your business?"

"I am the bearer of a despatch, sir," replied Fred, "for the chief
officer here."

"That will be you, sir," said Sir Godfrey to the gentleman on his right.
"W