time Edward
heard the clash of the flint against the steel, and he was certain that
it was somebody striking a light. He advanced very cautiously, and
arrived at a large tree, behind which he remained to reconnoitre. The
people, whoever they might be, were not more than thirty yards from him;
a light spread its rays for a moment or two, and he could make out a
figure kneeling and holding his hat to protect it from the wind; then it
burnt brighter, and he saw that a lantern had been lighted, and then
again, of a sudden, all was dark again: so Edward immediately satisfied
himself that a dark lantern had been lighted and then closed. Who the
parties might be he of course had no idea; but he was resolved that he
would ascertain, if he could, before he accosted them and asked his way.

"They have no dog," thought Edward, "or it would have growled before
this; and it's lucky that I have none either." Edward then crept softly
nearer to them: the wind, which was strong, blew from where they were to
where Edward stood, so that there was less chance of their hearing his
approach.

Edward went on his hands and knees, and crawled through the fern until
he gained another tree, and within ten yards of them, and from where he
could hear what they might say. He was thus cautious, as he had been
told by Oswald that there were many disbanded soldiers who had taken up
their quarters in the forest, and had committed several depredations
upon the houses adjacent to it, always returning to the forest as a
rendezvous. Edward listened, and heard one say:

"It is not time yet! No, no: too soon by half an hour or more. The
people from Lymington who buy him what he wants always bring it to him
at night, that his retreat may not be discovered. They sometimes do not
leave the cottage till two hours after dark, for they do not leave
Lymington to go there till it is dark!"

"Do you know who it is who supplies him with food?"

"Yes, the people at the inn in Parliament Street--I forget the sign."

"Oh! I know. Yes, the landlord is a downright Malignant in his heart!
We might squeeze him well, if we dared show ourselves in Lymington."

"Yes, but they would squeeze our necks tighter than would be agreeable,
I expect," replied the other.

"Are you sure that he has money?"

"Quite sure; for I peeped through the chinks of the window-shutters, and
I saw him pay for the things brought to him; it was from a canvas bag,
and it was gold that