he lofty arcade of the
oak. With his dagger, which alone remained to him of all his arms, young
Shelton severed the rope, and instantly, with a dead thump, the corpse
fell in a heap upon the ground.

Dick raised the hood; it was Throgmorton, Sir Daniel's messenger. He had
not gone far upon his errand. A paper, which had apparently escaped the
notice of the men of the Black Arrow, stuck from the bosom of his
doublet, and Dick, pulling it forth, found it was Sir Daniel's letter to
Lord Wensleydale.

"Come," thought he, "if the world changes yet again, I may have here the
wherewithal to shame Sir Daniel--nay, and perchance to bring him to the
block."

And he put the paper in his own bosom, said a prayer over the dead man,
and set forth again through the woods.

His fatigue and weakness increased; his ears sang, his steps faltered,
his mind at intervals failed him, so low had he been brought by loss of
blood. Doubtless he made many deviations from his true path, but at last
he came out upon the high-road, not very far from Tunstall hamlet.

A rough voice bid him stand.

"Stand?" repeated Dick. "By the mass, but I am nearer falling."

And he suited the action to the word, and fell all his length upon the
road.

Two men came forth out of the thicket, each in green forest jerkin, each
with long-bow and quiver and short sword.

"Why, Lawless," said the younger of the two, "it is young Shelton."

"Ay, this will be as good as bread to John Amend-All," returned the
other. "Though, faith, he hath been to the wars. Here is a tear in his
scalp that must 'a' cost him many a good ounce of blood."

"And here," added Greensheve, "is a hole in his shoulder that must have
pricked him well. Who hath done this, think ye? If it be one of ours,
he may all to prayer; Ellis will give him a short shrift and a long
rope."

"Up with the cub," said Lawless. "Clap him on my back."

And then, when Dick had been hoisted to his shoulders, and he had taken
the lad's arms about his neck, and got a firm hold of him, the ex-Grey
Friar added:

"Keep ye the post, brother Greensheve. I will on with him by myself."

So Greensheve returned to his ambush on the wayside, and Lawless trudged
down the hill, whistling as he went, with Dick, still in a dead faint,
comfortably settled on his shoulders.

The sun rose as he came out of the skirts of the wood and saw Tunstall
hamlet straggling up the opposite hill. All seemed quiet, but a s