Part 9 (2/2)
”I care not, dick,” replied the lad ”If y' are bound to die, dick, I'll die too I would liever go with you to prison than to go free without you”
”Well,” returned the other, ”IFollow me, if ye must; but if ye play me false, it shall but little advance you, mark ye that Shalt have a quarrel in thine inwards, boy”
So saying, dick took once in of the thicket and looking briskly about hiood pace he rattled out of the dell, and caain into the more open quarters of the wood To the left a little eorse, and croith a black tuft of firs
”I shall see froht, and struck for it across a heathy clearing
He had gone but a few yards, when Matcham touched him on the arm, and pointed To the eastward of the su to the other side; the heath was not yet out; all the ground was rusty, like an unscoured buckler, and dotted sparingly with yews; and there, one following another, dick saw half a score green jerkinsat their head, conspicuous by his boar-spear, Ellis Duckworth in person One after another gained the top, showed for a ainst the sky, and then dipped upon the further side, until the last was gone
dick looked at Matcham with a kindlier eye
”So y' are to be true to ht ye were of the other party”
Matchaan to sob
”What cheer!” cried dick ”Now the saints behold us! would ye snivel for a word?”
”Ye hurt me,” sobbed Matcham ”Ye hurt th”
”Nay, that is fool's talk,” said dick, roughly ”Y' had no title to ht to have well basted you If ye go with me, ye ht to stay behind; but, seeing that dick continued to scour full-tilt towards the eminence and not so ht better of that, and began to run in turn But the ground was very difficult and steep; dick had already a long start, and had, at any rate, the lighter heels, and he had long since coh the firs, and ensconced hi like a deer, rejoined him, and lay down in silence by his side
Below, in the bottom of a considerable valley, the short cut from Tunstall hamlet wound doards to the ferry It ell beaten, and the eye followed it easily frolades; there the forest closed upon it; every hundred yards it ran beside an ambush Far down the path, the sun shone on seven steel salets, and from time to time, as the trees opened, Selden and hisbriskly, still bent upon Sir Daniel's mission The wind had somewhat fallen, but still tussled merrily with the trees, and, perhaps, had Appleyard been there, he would have draarning from the troubled conduct of the birds
”Now, mark,” dick whispered ”They be already well advanced into the wood; their safety lieth rather in continuing forward But see ye where this wide glade runneth down before us, and in the midst of it, these two score trees make like an island? There were their safety An they but come sound as far as that, I will iveth ainst so -bow, Jack, will have the uppermost ever”
Meanwhile, Selden and his er, and momently drew nearer hand Once, indeed, they paused, drew into a group, and see from far away across the plain that had arrested their attention--a hollol of cannon that careat battle It orth a thought, to be sure; for if the voice of the big guns were thus becoht one sore against Sir Daniel and the lords of the dark rose
But presently the little troop began again to move forward, and came next to a very open, heathy portion of the here but a single tongue of forest ran down to join the road They were but just abreast of this, when an arrow shone flying One of the men threw up his arether in a mass Even from where the boys lay they could hear the ru out; they could see the startled horses prancing, and, presently, as the troop began to recover fro to dislanced in a wide arch; a second rider bit the dust Thelost hold upon the rein, and his horse fled galloping, and dragged hi fro hoofs The four who still kept the saddle instantly broke and scattered; one wheeled and rode, shrieking, towards the ferry; the other three, with loose rein and flying rai up the road from Tunstall
From every clump they passed an arrow sped Soon a horse fell, but the rider found his feet and continued to pursue his comrades till a second shot despatched him Another man fell; then another horse; out of the whole troop there was but one fellow left, and he on foot; only, in different directions, the noise of the galloping of three riderless horses was dying fast into the distance
All this time not one of the assailants had for athe path, horse or ony; but no merciful enemy broke cover to put them from their pain
The solitary survivor stood bewildered in the road beside his fallen charger He had colade, with the island of timber, pointed out by dick He was not, perhaps, five hundred yards from where the boys lay hidden; and they could see hi to and fro in deadly expectation But nothing cae, and suddenly unslung and bent his bow At the sanised Selden
At this offer of resistance, from all about hihter A score of men, at least, for this was the very thickest of the ambush, joined in this cruel and untilanced over Selden's shoulder; and he leaped and ran a little back Another dart struck quivering at his heel
He ht in his face, and fell short in front of hi and reechoing from different thickets
It was plain that his assailants were but baiting him, as men, in those days, baited the poor bull, or as the cat still trifles with the mouse
The skirreen was already cal the arrows; and now, in the evil pleasure of their hearts, they gave themselves the spectacle of their poor fellow-sinner in his torture
Selden began to understand; he uttered a roar of anger, shouldered his cross-bow, and sent a quarrel at a venture into the wood Chance favoured hi down his weapon, Selden began to run before hiht line for dick and Matcham