The knight, from under his long dress, produced a stout bottle, and
began to rub the temples and wet the lips of the patient, who returned
gradually to consciousness, and began to roll dim eyes from one to
another.

"What cheer, Jack?" said Dick. "It was no leper after all; it was Sir
Daniel! See!"

"Swallow me a good draught of this," said the knight. "This will give
you manhood. Thereafter I will give you both a meal, and we shall all
three on to Tunstall. For, Dick," he continued, laying forth bread and
meat upon the grass, "I will avow to you, in all good conscience, it
irks me sorely to be safe between four walls. Not since I backed a horse
have I been pressed so hard; peril of life, jeopardy of land and
livelihood, and, to sum up, all these losels in the wood to hunt me
down. But I be not yet shent. Some of my lads will pick me their way
home. Hatch hath ten fellows; Selden, he had six. Nay, we shall soon be
strong again; and if I can but buy my peace with my right fortunate and
undeserving Lord of York, why, Dick, we'll be a man again, and go
a-horseback!"

And so saying, the knight filled himself a horn of canary, and pledged
his ward in dumb show.

"Selden," Dick faltered--"Selden----" And he paused again.

Sir Daniel put down the wine untasted.

"How!" he cried, in a changed voice. "Selden? Speak! What of Selden?"

Dick stammered forth the tale of the ambush and the massacre.

The knight heard in silence; but, as he listened, his countenance became
convulsed with rage and grief.

"Now here," he cried, "on my right hand, I swear to avenge it! If that I
fail, if that I spill not ten men's souls for each, may this hand wither
from my body! I broke this Duckworth like a rush; I beggared him to his
door; I burned the thatch above his head; I drove him from this
country; and now, cometh he back to beard me? Nay, but, Duckworth, this
time it shall go bitter hard!"

He was silent for some time, his face working.

"Eat!" he cried suddenly.--"And you here," he added to Matcham, "swear
me an oath to follow straight to the Moat House."

"I will pledge mine honour," replied Matcham.

"What make I with your honour?" cried the knight. "Swear me upon your
mother's welfare!"

Matcham gave the required oath; and Sir Daniel readjusted the hood over
his face, and prepared his bell and staff. To see him once more in that
appalling travesty somewhat revived the horror of his two companions.
But the knight was soo