per, "how could you
help them to go up to the Hoze? They'll find out everything now."

"P'r'aps not, missus. I sent 'em, because if I hadn't they'd have found
the way. We may get off yet, and if we do--well, it won't be the first
time; so, here's to luck."

As he spoke he opened a corner cupboard, took out a bottle of spirits
which had never paid duty, poured out and drank a glass.

"Thank you," said a gruff voice. "I think, if you don't mind, farmer,
I'll have a little taste of that. I came back to tell you that your
cider is rather harsh and hard, not to say sour, and I'm a man
accustomed to rum."

As he spoke, Gurr the master stepped into the room, took the bottle from
the farmer's hand, helped himself to a glass, and poured out and smelt
the spirit.

"I say, farmer," he said, as he tasted, "this is the right sort or the
wrong sort, according to which side you are."

"Only a little drop given me by a friend."

"French friend, for any money," said the master, drinking the glass.
"Yes, that's right Nantes. I thought so from the first, farmer, and I
know now I was right."

He went off again, and Shackle stood shaking his fist after him.

"And we'd got off so well," he muttered. "I knew that rascal suspected
us."

"Say me, Blenheim," retorted Mrs Shackle. "I've begged you hundreds of
times not to meddle with the business, but you would, and I'm your wife
and obliged to obey. Isn't Ram a long time bringing home that cow?"

"Yes," said Shackle drily. "Very."

CHAPTER EIGHT.

Archy was some little distance ahead of his men, and he had just stepped
into the patch of woodland which surrounded the Hoze, when he heard a
pleasant little voice singing a snatch of a Jacobite song.

He stopped short to listen, it sounded so bird-like and sweet, and
half-laughingly he sang the last line over aloud, thinking the while how
disloyal he was.

Hardly had he finished, when there was a burst of barking, a rush, and a
dog came hurrying toward him, followed by a voice crying--

"Grip, Grip, come here!"

The dog seemed to pay no heed to the call, and at a turn of the track,
Archy saw him coming open-mouthed.

It was not a pleasant sight, and the youth felt disposed to take to his
heels, and run for protection to his men.

But there were drawbacks to such a proceeding.

If he ran it would look cowardly, and he knew for certain that the dog
would come after him, and take him at a disadvantage; so, making