Part 10 (1/2)
The coan to shoot in earnest But they were properly served; their chance had past; ainst the sun; and Selden, as he ran, bounded from side to side to baffle and deceive their ailade he had defeated their preparations; there were no her up than the one whom he had just killed or wounded; and the confusion of the foresters' counsels soon becaain twice It was repeated from another quarter The woods on either side becah the underwood; and a bewildered deer ran out into the open, stood for a second on three feet, with nose in air, and then plunged again into the thicket
Selden still ran, bounding; ever and again an arrow followed hiht escape dick had his bow aretful of his interest, took sides at heart for the poor fugitive; and both lads glowed and trembled in the ardour of their hearts
He ithin fifty yards of theain, indeed, upon the instant; but now he ran staggering, and, like a blind man, turned aside from his direction
dick leaped to his feet and waved to him
”Here!” he cried ”This way! here is help! Nay, run, fellow--run!”
But just then a second arrow struck Selden in the shoulder, between the plates of his brigandine, and, piercing through his jack, brought him, like a stone, to earth
”O, the poor heart!” cried Matcham, with clasped hands
And dick stood petrified upon the hill, a mark for archery
Ten to one he had speedily been shot--for the foresters were furious with themselves, and taken unawares by dick's appearance in the rear of their position--but instantly, out of a quarter of the wood surprisingly near to the two lads, a stentorian voice arose, the voice of Ellis Duckworth
”Hold!” it roared ”Shoot not! Take hi Shelton--Harry's son”
And immediately after a shrill whistle sounded several tiain taken up and repeated farther off The whistle, it appeared, was John Amend-All's battle trumpet, by which he published his directions
”Ah, foul fortune!” cried dick ”We are undone Swiftly, Jack, coh the open pine clump that covered the summit of the hill
CHAPTER VI--TO THE DAY'S END
It was, indeed, high time for them to run On every side the co better runners, or having open ground to run upon, had far outstripped the others, and were already close upon the goal; soht and left, and outflanked the lads on either side
dick plunged into the nearest cover It was a tall grove of oaks, firm under foot and clear of underbrush, and as it lay down hill, they ood speed There followed next a piece of open, which dick avoided, holding to his left Two , the lads followed the sa continually to the left, drew nearer and nearer to the high road and the river which they had crossed an hour or two before, the great bulk of their pursuers were leaning to the other hand, and running towards Tunstall
The lads paused to breathe There was no sound of pursuit dick put his ear to the ground, and still there was nothing; but the wind, to be sure, still made a turmoil in the trees, and it was hard to ain,” said dick; and, tired as they were, and Matchaether, and once more pelted down the hill
Three h a low thicket of evergreen High overhead, the tall trees rove, as high as a cathedral, and except for the hollies a, open and sh the last fringe of evergreen, they blundered forth again into the open twilight of the grove
”Stand!” cried a voice
And there, between the huge stems, not fifty feet before thereen, sore bloith running, who instantly drew an arrow to the head and covered them Matchaht upon the forester, drawing his dagger as he went The other, whether he was startled by the daring of the onslaught, or whether he was ha; and before he had time to come to hi backward on the turf The arroent one way and the bow another with a sounding twang The disarer shone and descended twice Then caain, and the man lay motionless, stabbed to the heart
”On!” said dick; and he oncein the rear To say truth, theydis for their breath like fish Matcham had a cruel stitch, and his head swam; and as for dick, his knees were like lead But they kept up the fore
Presently they carove It stopped abruptly; and there, a few yards before the, at this point, between two even walls of forest
At the sight dick paused; and as soon as he stopped running, he becarew louder It was at first like the rush of a very high gust of wind, but soon it beca of horses; and then, in a flash, a whole co round the corner, swept before the lads, and were gone again upon the instant They rode as for their lives, in coalloped at their side with bloody saddles They were plainly fugitives froe had scarce begun to die away towards Shoreby, before fresh hoofs ca in their wake, and another deserter clattered down the road; this tih degree Close after hiainly canter, the drivers flailing at the horses as if for life These must have run early in the day; but their cowardice was not to save them For just before they ca, a ly beside hions, and with the truncheon of a sword, began to cut the drivers down Soed into the wood; the others he sabred as they sat, cursing them the while for cowards in a voice that was scarce human