n awkward one
for Mark; but he managed to hoist himself round a little, and presented
his point steadily at the advancing bird, as it came on, looking small
at first, then rapidly appearing bigger and bigger, till, with a furious
whish through the air, it was upon him.

"Hah!" ejaculated the lad, as his right arm was swung round by the
violence of the raven's stoop, and the unfortunate bird had shared its
mate's fate, for with the rush it had not only pierced itself through
and through, but swept itself off the blade, wrenching the holder's
shoulder, and falling, fluttering feebly, downward, till it too passed
from sight.

"Well done, brave birds!" panted the lad. "Seems too bad: but it has
saved no end of lambs. Who'd have thought that they would fight like
that? Why, they could have beaten me off. Lucky I brought my sword.
Phew! it has made me hot," he muttered, as he wiped the blade carefully;
and after a little wriggling to find the hole in the scabbard, thrust
the weapon home. "They will not come at me again; so now for our young
friends."

He began to feel the nest again, making the young birds squeal hoarsely,
and peck at him viciously as well; but after the parents' attack, this
seemed trifling, and, to his great satisfaction, he found that there was
an egg as well.

"Must get that down safe," he said. "Old Master Rayburn will be so--"

He did not finish his sentence, for at that moment a hoarse voice
shouted: "Hallo, below! What you doing there?" And looking up, to his
horror he saw three heads against the sky, as their owners lay on the
cliff and looked down at him; one of the faces being that of Ralph
Darley, the others, those of two of the enemy's men.

CHAPTER SIX.

NICK GARTH MAKES A FIND.

"Hi! Nick! Nick, I say, hallo!" Ralph Darley ran as he shouted at a
couple of his father's men, who were descending the slope on the eastern
side of the castle, each shouldering a short sharp pick, of the kind in
common use for hewing stone.

At first, though they must have heard, they paid no attention whatever;
but at the third angry summons, they both stopped short, looked slowly
round, and seeing their young master running, they stood still, and
waited for him to come up, which he did, panting and angry.

"You, Nick Garth," he cried; "you must have heard me call."

"Yerse," said the man addressed, a strong-built fellow, with a perfectly
smooth face, and an unpleasant-looking pair of eyes