were, and Matcham limping with
his injured foot, they pulled themselves together, and once more pelted
down the hill.

Three minutes later they were breasting through a low thicket of
evergreen. High overhead the tall trees made a continuous roof of
foliage. It was a pillared grove, as high as a cathedral, and except for
the hollies among which the lads were struggling, open and smoothly
swarded.

On the other side, pushing through the last fringe of evergreen, they
blundered forth again into the open twilight of the grove.

"Stand!" cried a voice.

And there, between the huge stems, not fifty feet before them, they
beheld a stout fellow in green, sore blown with running, who instantly
drew an arrow to the head and covered them. Matcham stopped with a cry;
but Dick, without a pause, ran straight upon the forester, drawing his
dagger as he went. The other, whether he was startled by the daring of
the onslaught, or whether he was hampered by his orders, did not shoot:
he stood wavering; and before he had time to come to himself, Dick
bounded at his throat, and sent him sprawling backward on the turf. The
arrow went one way and the bow another with a sounding twang. The
disarmed forester grappled his assailant; but the dagger shone and
descended twice. Then came a couple of groans, and then Dick rose to his
feet again, and the man lay motionless, stabbed to the heart.

"On!" said Dick; and he once more pelted forward, Matcham trailing in
the rear. To say truth, they made but poor speed of it by now, labouring
dismally as they ran, and catching for their breath like fish. Matcham
had a cruel stitch, and his head swam; and as for Dick, his knees were
like lead. But they kept up the form of running with undiminished
courage.

Presently they came to the end of the grove. It stopped abruptly; and
there, a few yards before them, was the high-road from Risingham to
Shoreby, lying, at this point, between two even walls of forest.

At the sight Dick paused; and as soon as he stopped running, he became
aware of a confused noise, which rapidly grew louder. It was at first
like the rush of a very high gust of wind, but it soon became more
definite, and resolved itself into the galloping of horses; and then, in
a flash, a whole company of men-at-arms came driving round the corner,
swept before the lads, and were gone again upon the instant. They rode
as for their lives, in complete disorder; some of them were wounded;
riderles