aused and looked back. The
two burly forms of the men we had left behind us were standing in the
door of the inn; in another moment they had plunged forth and towards
us. With a low cry the young girl leaped towards a tree where to
my unbounded astonishment I beheld my horse standing ready saddled.
Dragging the mare from her fastenings, she hung the lantern, burning as
it was, on the pommel of the saddle, struck the panting creature a smart
blow upon the flank, and drew back with a leap to my side.

"The startled horse snorted, gave a plunge of dismay and started away
from us down the road.

"'We will wait,' said Luttra.

"The words were no sooner out of her mouth than her father and brother
rushed by.

"'They will follow the light,' whispered she; and seizing me again by
the hand, she hurried me away in the direction opposite to that
which the horse had taken. 'If you will trust me, I will bring you to
shelter,' she murmured, bending her slight form to the gusty wind but
relaxing not a whit of her speed.

"'You are too kind,' I murmured in return. 'Why should you expose
yourself to such an extent for a stranger?'

"Her hand tightened on mine, but she did not reply, and we hastened
on as speedily as the wind and rain would allow. After a short but
determined breasting of the storm, during which my breath had nearly
failed me, she suddenly stopped.

"'Do you know,' she exclaimed in a low impressive tone, 'that we are on
the verge of a steep and dreadful precipice? It runs along here for a
quarter of a mile and it is not an uncommon thing for a horse and rider
to be dashed over it in a night like this.'

"There was something in her manner that awakened a chill in my veins
almost as if she had pointed out some dreadful doom which I had
unwittingly escaped.

"'This is, then, a dangerous road,' I murmured.

"'Very,' was her hurried and almost incoherent reply.

"How far we travelled through the mud and tangled grasses of that
horrible road I do not know. It seemed a long distance; it was probably
not more than three quarters of a mile. At last she paused with a short
'Here we are;' and looking up, I saw that we were in front of a small
unlighted cottage.

"No refuge ever appeared more welcome to a pair of sinking wanderers I
am sure. Wet to the skin, bedrabbled with mud, exhausted with breasting
the gale, we stood for a moment under the porch to regain our breath,
then with her characteristic energy she lifte