Maurice, at the head of a vast army, was marching
into Dorsetshire, spread through the town and incited every one to
renewed exertions. Volunteers, who came in from all sides, were being
drilled by Colonel Weir and other officers, most of them having to learn
not only the use of the pike and sword, but how to load and fire an
arquebuse or musket.

The soldiers and townsmen were still labouring away at the
fortifications, when one morning, as Lancelot, Dick, and I were employed
at the top of an embankment, my father helping us, we saw a horseman who
had been on outpost duty come galloping down the hill towards the town.

"The enemy are near at hand!" he exclaimed, as he rode up to where
Colonel Blake and Governor Ceely stood. "They will be here anon. I
could see them defiling along the road like a host of ants. I had to
ride hard to escape their advance guard."

On receiving this news, the colonel ordered the drums to beat to arms.
Parties were sent out to strengthen the two outposts, and the troops and
townsmen, with the volunteers, hastened to the lines.

"How many fighting men have we?" I asked of my father, as I watched the
defenders taking up their appointed positions.

"Colonel Blake brought five hundred men with him, and, maybe, with the
townsmen and volunteers from the neighbourhood, we shall muster
well-nigh another five hundred," he answered.

"A thousand men to withstand twenty thousand?" I asked in a doubtful
tone.

"Each man of the one thousand will count for twenty when fighting in a
just cause," he answered. "Colonel Blake thinks that we can not only
withstand, but drive back the Malignants, or he would not wantonly throw
away our lives."

We watched eagerly for some time, when at length horse and foot, gay
banners flying, cuirasses and helmets glittering in the bright sun,
appeared over the brow of the distant hills. On they came, until every
height was crowned, and we saw drawn up in battle array what appeared to
us an army sufficient at a single charge to overwhelm our slender
defences.

There they remained. We could see horsemen galloping to and fro on the
sides of the hills, but as yet not a shot had been fired.

Sentries were posted along our whole line, and the men were ordered to
sit down and take their dinners. I saw my father look graver than
usual.

"Ben," he said, "I have been consulting with Master Kerridge, and he
agrees with me that it would be wrong to allow you boys