rt drew rein, for
he had now time to think, and was assured that even should Sir
William at once send into Derby for a warrant for his apprehension,
he would be across the borders of the county long before he could
be overtaken.

"Have you any money with you, Hugh?" he asked, suddenly; "for I
have not a penny with me."

"I have only two shillings, Master Rupert. I got that yesterday in
Derby for a nest of young owlets I found in the copse."

Rupert reined up his horse in dismay.

"Two shillings between us, Hugh! And it is 126 miles to London.
What are we to do?"

Hugh thought a moment. "We can't go on with that, sir. Do you take
these two shillings and ride on to the Red Dragon. You will be
outside the county there. I will ride back to father's. It's under
two miles, and I shall be back here in half-an-hour again. He will
give me any money he may have in the house. I may as well fill my
valise too, while I am about it; and he's got a pair of pistols,
too, that he will give me."

It was clearly the best course to take, and Rupert trotted forward
on his way, while Hugh galloped back at full speed. In a quarter of
an hour the latter drew rein at his father's door.

"Hullo, Hugh, lad," the farmer, a hearty man of some fifty years of age,
said, as he came to the door, "be'est thou? What art doing on the
squire's horse? He looks as if thou had ridden him unmercifully, surely?"

In a few words Hugh related what had taken place, and told him of
his own offer to go to the wars with Rupert.

"That's right, lad; that's right and proper. It's according to the
nature of things that when a Holliday rides to the war a Parsons
should ride behind him. It's always been so, and will always be so,
I hope. Mother will grieve, no doubt; but she won't want to fly in
the face of nature.

"Here, mother, come out. Master Rupert's killed Sir William
Brownlow's son, and is off to the wars, and so our Hugh's,
natural-like, going with him."

Mrs. Parsons after her first ejaculation of surprise burst into
tears, but, as her husband had predicted, offered no objection
whatever to what seemed to her, as to him, a matter of plain duty
on the part of her son. Hugh now explained the reason of his
return.

"Ay, ay, lad; thou shalt have the money. I've got fifty pounds for
next quarter's rent. Colonel Holliday will be glad enough for some
of it to go to his grandson. I'll gin ye half o't, Hugh, and take
my chance of the colonel agreeing to