htly, paused to sweep off his hat and to blow a kiss towards his
sister's window, then dropped into the lane; followed it a little way
and, turning aside into the fields set off at a smart pace. Very soon
he reached a small wood and had advanced but a little way in among the
trees when his quick ears warned him that others were here before him;
a bush rustled at no great distance and he caught the sound of a voice
hoarse and subdued:

"... heard someone behind us I say!"

"'Twere a bird Joe, wood be full of 'em. 'Taren't our man, he'll come
by th' field-path--hist! What's yon?" My lord's eyes sparkled as,
settling his hat more firmly, he loosened sword in scabbard and stepped
daintily into the open. Then came a sudden rustling of leaves, the
muffled thud of hasty feet, and, by light of the rising moon, his
lordship saw a tangle of vague forms, that twisted and writhed, and
arms that rose and fell viciously; out came his steel and with the
long, narrow blade a-glitter he leapt forward shouting blithely as he
ran. He was close upon the combatants when one staggered and fell,
another was beaten to his knees and then the earl was upon them. Now a
light small-sword is an awkward weapon to meet the swashing blows of
heavy bludgeons; therefore his lordship kept away, avoiding their
rushes and fierce strokes by quickness of foot and dexterity of body;
twice his twinkling point had darted vainly but his third thrust was
answered by a snarling cry of pain and incontinent his two assailants
took to their heels, whereupon his lordship uttered a joyous shout and
leapt in pursuit but was staggered by a blow from behind and, reeling
aside, saw his third assailant make off after the others. My lord
feeling suddenly faint and sick, cursed feebly and dropped his sword
then, hearing a groan near by, staggered across to the fallen man.

Thus Sergeant Zebedee presently opening his eyes looked up into the
face above him, a face pallid in the moonlight and with a dark smear of
blood on the cheek. Hereupon the Sergeant blinked, sat up and stared.

"Zounds!" he exclaimed. "If you ain't the poacher as vanished into air
all I say is--Zooks!" His lordship nodded and smiled faintly.

"How goes it, Sergeant?" he questioned, swaying strangely from side to
side as he knelt.

"A woundy rap o' the nob d'ye see lad, and more o' the same front and
rear, but no worse thanks t'you and now--Gog and Magog, hold up lad!
What, ha' they got you