at the lad, to force him down, with the natural result that he threw
himself open to the point of his more skilful enemy, who chose his
moment, and made one quick thrust which darted like lightning through
the captain's bull-like neck, making him utter a low, deep growl as his
sword flew from his hand, and he staggered backwards into the arms of a
couple of the grooms, who lowered him to the ground.

"Hah!" ejaculated Denis, whose heart was beating fast, and stepping
forward he stooped over his fallen adversary, raised a portion of his
cloak and drew his blade through it twice over. "Stop!" he cried
quickly. "What are you going to do?" His loud question was addressed
to the chief groom. "No," cried the boy sternly; "lift him in yonder,"
and he pointed with his blade towards the saddle-room. "Lay him there;
tear strips off his cloak, and bind up his arm and neck. The greatest
help you can give him now is to stop the bleeding."

There was a tone of command in the boy's uttered words which had the
natural effect, and the men busied themselves at once with their task,
taking with them their lanterns and doing at once as they had been told,
while they were so intent upon their task that they did not notice that
Denis had followed them, to draw to the door and slip the two bolts with
which it was furnished into their sockets.

Then sheathing his sword, he turned quickly to the stable, where the
four chargers stood untethered, and caught his own by the bridle, to
begin leading it to the door.

He trusted to the nature of the horses for the result, old stable
companions as they were, and it was as he expected, for the intelligent
animals followed their leader quietly enough, to stand together in the
entry waiting, like their master, for what might come.

CHAPTER THIRTY FOUR.

A DASH FOR LIBERTY.

"Oh!" groaned Denis to himself, as he stood in the darkness watching the
shape of the saddle-room door, marked-out as it was in lines of light
from the lanterns within, listening to the low muttering of voices, and
shuddering once as his wounded adversary uttered a low deep groan, which
was followed directly after by an angry ejaculation as if he were
enraged by the clumsy surgery of the men.

"Is all this going to be in vain?" muttered the boy. "It is as if the
whole business is accursed and is bound to fail."

He stood listening, and the talking went on, to be interrupted by
another fierce ejaculation from the ca