w, and Mark
hurriedly kissed his sister.

"I'll take care," he said, smiling.

"But the Darley men may attack you, Mark," she whispered excitedly.

"I'm not afraid," he said, laughing. "Don't let Ralph Darley die,
Master Rayburn; he isn't such a bad fellow after all."

"Bah! Bad, indeed," said the old man, pressing Mark's arm, and looking
at him proudly, "Deal better fellow than you."

The next minute Mark leaped into the saddle, and the restive cob began
to rear.

"Take me with you, Master Mark," said Dummy, as he held the rein.

"Can't! Must go alone, Dum. You come by my side to-night."

"Got to carry bags of powder."

"Well, I shall be there."

"But s'pose the Darleys fight you, Master Mark?"

"They will not, Dummy," cried Mark. "Let go."

And pressing the cob's sides, the little animal bounded over the narrow
bridge, and would have galloped in a break-neck fashion down the steep
zigzag but for the strong hand at the rein.

The pony had its own way, though, along the rough track by the river, on
past Master Rayburn's peaceful cottage, and away again, till at a bend
of the stream the rider saw a cloud of smoke hanging over the ravens'
cliff, and soon after caught sight of one corner of the castle, with the
glorious beeches and sycamores low down, and birches high up, scorched
and shrivelled; and now he saw through an alley burned by the flames
driven downward by the wind that the beautiful old pile was reduced to a
shell, in whose interior the smoke was still rising from a heap of
smouldering wood.

As he drew nearer, and crossed the ford which led to the steep path up,
he saw on one of the terrace platforms quite a crowd of women and
children, collected from the outlying cottages and farms, all standing
gazing at the smoking ruins; and on one side there was a little group of
men, some standing, others sitting and lying down upon the stones.

"And if it had not been for Dummy our place might have been like this,"
thought Mark, as he rode up. The men, as they caught sight of him,
began to rise to their feet, two or three actively, the others as if in
pain, but all wearing a savage scowl.

But Mark did not shrink. He rode right past the women, and drew rein,
as Nick Garth said fiercely:

"Well, youngster, have you come to enjoy's morning's work?"

"What have I ever done to make you think me such a cowardly brute, Nick
Garth?" said Mark boldly; as the others uttered a menacing growl.
"Well,"