him forth on such a night; why he, whom with my own
eyes, three hours agone, I had seen drunken, should have chosen, after
his carouse, cold air and his own company rather than sleep; when and
where he first spied us, how long he had followed us, I have never
known. Perhaps he could not sleep for triumph, had heard of my impending
arrest, had come forth to add to the bitterness of my cup by his
presence, and so had happened upon us. He could only have guessed at
those he followed, until he reached the edge of the wharf and looked
down upon us in the moonlight. For a moment he stood without moving;
then he raised his hand to his lips, and the shrill call that had before
startled us rang out again. At the far end of the lane lights appeared.
Men were coming down the lane at a run; whether they were the watch,
or my lord's own rogues, we tarried not to see. There was not time to
loosen the rope from the piles, so I drew my knife to cut it. My lord
saw the movement, and sprang down the steps, at the same time shouting
to the men behind to hasten. Sparrow, grappling with him, locked him in
a giant's embrace, lifted him bodily from the steps, and flung him into
the boat. His head struck against a thwart, and he lay, huddled beneath
it, quiet enough. The minister sprang after him, and I cut the rope. By
now the wharf shook with running feet, and the backward-streaming flame
of the torches reddened its boards and the black water beneath; but each
instant the water widened between us and our pursuers. Wind and current
swept us out, and at that wharf there were no boats to follow us.

Those whom my lord's whistle had brought were now upon the very edge of
the wharf. The marshal's voice called upon us in the name of the King to
return. Finding that we vouchsafed no answer, he pulled out a pistol and
fired, the ball going through my hat; then whipped out its fellow and
fired again. Mistress Percy, whose behavior had been that of an angel,
stirred in her seat. I did not know until the day broke that the ball
had grazed her arm, drenching her sleeve with blood.

"It is time we were away," I said, with a laugh. "If your reverence will
keep your hand upon the tiller and your eye upon the gentleman whom you
have made our traveling companion, I'll put up the sail."

I was on my way to the foremast, when the boom lying prone before
me rose. Slowly and majestically the sail ascended, tapering upward,
silvered by the moon,--the great whit