at
last, in sheer despair, he walked slowly away, with the intention of
evading the outposts, and, being so well acquainted with the country
round, dodging from copse to coombe, and then away here and there till
he was beyond the last outpost, when he could easily get to the Manor.

Now, it had always seemed one of the easiest things possible to get out
of camp. So it was in theory--"only got to keep out of the roads and
paths, cross the fields and keep to the moor, and there you are."

But when, after making up his mind which way to go, Samson tried to
practise instead of theorise, he found the task not quite so easy. His
plan was to go out of the park to the south, and then work round to the
west; but he had not gone fifty yards beyond the park, and was chuckling
to himself about how easy it was, and how an enemy might get in, when,
just as he was saying to himself, "Sentinels, indeed! Why, I'd make
better sentinels out of turnips!"

"Halt!" rang out, and a man appeared from behind a tree.

"Halt? What for? You know me."

"Yes," said the sentry. "I know you. Can't go out of the lines without
a pass."

"What! Not for a bit of a walk?"

"Where's your pass?"

"Didn't get one. No pass wanted for a bit of a ramble."

"Go back."

"Nonsense! You won't turn a man--"

"Your pass, or go back."

"Go back yourself."

Samson took a step forward, and the man blew the match of his heavy
piece, and presented it.

"Back, or I fire!" he cried.

"Yes; you dare, that's all!" cried Samson. "Such nonsense!"

But the man was in earnest, that was plain enough; and, seeing this,
Samson went growling back, made a long _detour_, and started again.

This time he thought he had got through the chain of sentinels, and,
congratulating himself on his success, he made for a little grove of
birch-trees.

"Only wanted a little trying," he said.

"Stand!"

He started back in amazement, for he had walked right up to the muzzle
of a firelock, the man who bore it proving more stern and severe than
the one he had before encountered.

Samson went back, growling savagely; and this was the first line of
sentinels! A second would have to be passed, and beyond that there were
patrols of cavalry guarding the camp in every direction.

"Well, Master Fred shan't say I didn't try," he muttered, as he made now
for the back of the Hall, where the great groves of trees sheltered the
place from the north and easterly winds.

He