mp
was burning, and the two men sitting and talking together. They leapt
up, with an exclamation of pleasure, as Oswald entered.

"We were afraid that something might have gone wrong; for, as I was
waiting for you in the road, I heard a body of horsemen coming along,
and hid behind the trees. As they went by, one of them said, 'We must
have passed them long ago, if they came by this road. They had not more
than a quarter of an hour's start.'

"I heard no more, but it suggested that, maybe, you had managed to
escape with the ladies, and that the Bairds were in pursuit of you."

"That was exactly the case. We have got them out of the hold, and
methought that we should have got two hours' start, at least, in which
case they would not have overtaken us before we had crossed the Liddel,
at the ford, six miles above the junction of the Esk with it, and were
well on our road towards Longtown; but by some accident, I know not
what, the matter was discovered before we have been gone ten minutes.
As it was certain that they would overtake us, long before we got to
Parton, we swam the Esk, and I have left the ladies on the hill over
there, in charge of Roger, while I came here. We know that, by morning,
the countryside will be up and searching the hills; and that, with the
two lasses, it would be hopeless for us to try and make our way on to
Hiniltie.

"Therefore, we decided to hide up for two or three days, then to make
our way down here at night, mount, and ride through. By that time the
search down in the valley here will have slackened, and we shall get
through Parton all right, and our only danger will be at the ford
across the Liddel; where, possibly, the Bairds may set a guard, lest we
find our way down there. I had intended that we should take the four
horses, and that you should make your way to Hiniltie across the hills;
but as there will now be no great occasion for speed, one of you had
best ride with us, while the other bears the news to Hiniltie that we
have carried off the girls.

"You had better settle between yourselves which shall go with us. You
may take it that there is about equal danger, both ways, for the one
that goes to Hiniltie must travel cautiously, as it will be a week
before the Bairds give up the search among the hills."

"We had best decide by lot."

Oswald picked up a piece of straw, and broke off two fragments, one an
inch longer than the other; and, closing his hand on them, he held the