room which had been his prison; and turning the handle of the door, he
rushed in and uttered a groan, for the room was, as he had anticipated,
empty. But the bedroom door was closed, and he darted to that and flung
it open.

"Gone! gone! gone!" he groaned. "What shall I do? Will they take him
to the Tower?"

He knew that there was no saying what might be the destination of the
prisoners; but he rushed back to the staircase, meaning to go straight
to the Tower by some means, and then he stopped short and uttered a half
hysterical cry, for there was Captain Murray ascending the stairs.

"Not gone?" he cried.

"No; but I am just off. I wish you could have gone with me, Frank. It
would have done your poor father good."

"I am going. She wishes it, and sends me."

"Hah! Quick, then. Back to your room."

"Oh, I'm ready," cried the boy.

"Nonsense! We are going to ride. Your boots and sword, boy. I'll lend
you a military cloak."

"But it will be losing time," panted Frank.

"It will be gaining it, my boy. You cannot go through a London mob like
that. You are going to ride with soldiers, and you must not look like a
page at a levee. Quick!"

"You will wait for me?"

"Of course."

Frank ran to his rooms, drew on his high horseman's boots, buckled on
his sword, which had been returned to him, and ran back to where Captain
Murray was waiting for him with a cloak over his arm.

"No spurs?" he said. "Never mind. You will have a well-trained horse.
I have got passes for two, Frank; and, as it happens, I know the officer
of the Horse Guards who is in command of the detachment going to meet
the escort, so that we can get close up to the prisoners. Let's see:
you do ride?"

"Oh yes; my father taught me long ago, anything--bare-backed often
enough."

"Good. I am glad, boy. It was sorry work going without you. But I
know why it was. Walk quickly; no time to lose."

He hurried his companion to the stables of the Horse Guards, where a
couple of the men were waiting, and a horse was ready saddled.

"Quick!" he said to the men. "I shall want the second charger, after
all."

It was rapidly growing dark, and one man lit a lanthorn, while the other
clapped the bit between the teeth of a handsome black horse, turned the
docile creature in its stall, and then slipped on a heavy military
saddle with its high-peak holsters and curb-bit.

Five minutes after they were mounted and making for Charing Cr