don't know. Had enough to do without.
But we whipped them, Master Rayburn, and made the beggars run."

"Where was this?" cried the old man.

"In the vale at the foot of Ergles. They came down from the cave
there."

"Were they a set of disbanded soldiers--those who came up to Cliff
Castle, Ralph?"

"Yes, and to the Black Tor, too," cried Mark.

"I thought as much," said the old man eagerly. "Then this accounts for
the witches seen on the mountain, and the thefts that have taken place."

"Too late, Master Rayburn," cried Mark, laughing. "We caught that fish
first.--Didn't we, Darley?"

"Yes; we said that was it," replied Ralph.

"Then I am too late; and I had made up my mind to go out that way, after
I had taken home my fish--after dark--and watch. So you had to run for
it?"

"Well, I don't know about that," said Mark bluntly. "We retreated at
last, when they got too many for us, but we charged six of 'em.--Didn't
we, Darley?"

"Yes; and upset four, and the other two ran," said Ralph modestly. "But
we only had to fight two at a time, and of course that made it even."

"Very," said the old man drily; and his eyes sparkled in the gloom at
the frank way in which the two deadly enemies were relating their
adventures.

"Then some more came down from up above," continued Mark, "and two more
got up again, and the odds seemed to be too great, and we retreated."

"And very wisely too," said Master Rayburn. "But let me look at your
hurt, Mark, lad.--Tut-tut! soaked with blood.--Wound in the thigh."

"Ah! Don't touch it," shouted the lad. "You hurt."

"This must be seen to, my dear boy. I'll come home with you and dress
it."

"Yes do, please. It makes me wriggle like a worm on a hook; but he's
hurt too."

"Yes, I see. Roughly-bandaged, but, tut-tut-tut--why, the sword thrust
has gone through. There is blood on both sides."

"But it's only through the skin, I think," said Ralph.

"Only through the skin, my lad! It must be worse than that. But the
other side? You paid them for this, I hope."

"Oh yes, we gave them as much as we could, but we didn't kill any one."

"But we saw them carrying one away," said Ralph.

"Oh yes: so we did."

"The villains! And they wounded you both like this."

Mark glanced at Ralph, and Ralph glanced at him.

"No," said Ralph quietly; "they did not wound us."

"Then how came these injuries?" said the old man anxiously.

"Oh, never mind," cried Mark petti