for it else."

"But what must we now do?" asked Rookwood. "Go, even yet, to Combe
Abbey, and seize on the Lady Elizabeth?"

"We wait for you, Mr Catesby," said Sir Everard. "You have been our
leader from the beginning, and we of your following will not forsake you
now."

"Too late for anything of that sort," was Catesby's decision. "There
are scarce enough of us, and word will sure be sent to my Lord
Harrington, quicker than we could reach the place. Remember, they will
go direct, and we have come round. Nay, our only way is to gather all
our friends together, and see what manner of stand we can make. In
numbers is our safety."

"Every Catholic in the realm will rally to us," said Sir Everard.

"And many Protestants belike," suggested Robert Winter.

"Marry, we shall have brave following, ere we be twelve hours older,"
said Percy. "But which way go we now?"

"Let us first cross over to Grant's; we shall maybe increase our numbers
there: then go we to Coughton, pressing such as will join us on the
way."

"Done!" said Percy, always the first to agree to anything which was
action, and not waiting for events.

Outside, in the meantime, Bennet Leeson was walking the horses, as he
had been requested.

"Tarry a bit, Leeson: thou hast not yet handled all thou mayest gain
this night," said a voice the smith knew.

"Why, whence came you, Tom Bates?"

"You've good eyes, Bennet. I've been behind you ever since we left
Ashby."

"By the same token, but I never saw you."

"Well, let be seeing me or no--wilt guide me to Rugby and back here for
another shilling?"

Bates and Leeson accordingly rode away to "a little town called Rugby,"
where at the bailiffs house they found nine more worthies, who had
finished their supper, and were playing cards. One of these gentry was
John Winter--the half-brother of Robert and Thomas,--whose mother was
the daughter of Queen Mary's redoubtable Secretary, Sir John Bourne
[Note 4]. He was either very simple or very clever, and at this
distance of time it is not easy to say which.

Bates delivered the message with which he was charged, that "the
gentlemen at Dunchurch desired their company to be merry," and the nine
card-players accordingly returned with him to that place. Having paid
the promised shilling to Leeson, Bates took his new convoy into the inn,
whence the whole party emerged in about a quarter of an hour.

"That is for thy pains, smith, and I thank thee," sa