rang forward upon the better road which lay straight
for the forest to the northeast, he had a suspicion of being
followed, although he could see nothing as he looked back.

The mare bounded beneath him with great, elastic strides. He could
afford to laugh pursuit to scorn. Perhaps this confidence made him
careless, for he noted not two motionless figures, lying as it were
in ambush, one on either side of the road in front, just where a
clump of great trees threw a deep shadow across the road. He had
thought of foes following behind; but he had not thought of their
forestalling his movements and waiting for him in advance.

The mare saw them first, and swerved violently. That swerve most
likely saved her life, if not Tom's, for at that identical moment
two shots rang out, and Bully Bullen with a shout of triumph sprang
forward, certain that his bullet had found its billet, and that Tom
was in his power at last.

The fire long smouldering in Tom's breast burst out now into a
fierce flame. His eyes blazed. A smothered imprecation broke from
his lips. He drew the pistol from his belt, and fired full at the
fellow who had sought to seize the mare's rein.

He might almost have spared his fire, for Nell Gwynne would have
dashed out his brains with her forefeet had he not fallen with a
groan, a lifeless corpse. The other man, who had seemed about to
rush forward, too, now started back in terror and dismay.
Sheltering himself behind a tree, he yelled out in a voice of
trembling fury:

"You shall swing for this, Tom Tufton! you shall feel the halter
about your neck right soon! The highway robber who is a murderer to
boot will never escape the arm of the law! I will bring you to the
gallows ere I have done with you!"

Tom knew the voice, and turned the mare's head towards the fellow,
who, however, decamped so quickly amongst the trees that it was
hopeless to try and follow on horseback. Moreover, Tom did not know
that he was not also pursued from behind; and if so, he must gain
the friendly shelter of the forest ere his enemies came up.

True, he had but slain this fellow in self-defence. He had been
well-nigh the victim himself. But the crime thus forced upon him
seemed to cut the last cable which bound him to the life of the
past. They might not be able to prove upon him the robbery of the
gold, but at least one witness had seen him shoot down Bully
Bullen, and would doubtless swear that there had been no
provocation