se fellows that we're on the
lookout and don't mean to stand any nonsense. That's enough for one
bullet, sir, eh?"

"Splendid! my lads," cried Roy, who leaned over the battlements, waving
his hand to the panting and nearly exhausted men from the mill, who came
at a steady trot now across the bridge, cheered loudly by all who could
see them.

Roy's next thought was to go and tell Lady Royland all about the
incident; but he felt that he must live up to his position, and be busy
there in sight of his men; so, after watching the enemy's horse till
quite out of sight, he bade Ben keep a sharp lookout, and descended to
hear the report of the party who had just come in.

He found them in the guard-room, scarlet with exertion, and still
panting from their long race, but evidently in high glee, Sam Donny,
their spokesman, the young man who was put first to the front when they
came to him, being full of their adventures,--how the troopers had
passed the mill three times that morning, and stopped twice to demand
corn for their steeds and water, their leader watching the miller's men
curiously as if suspicious of them.

"But they went off at last, sir. Let's see: they come agen, though,
twice after we'd heard the guns, and that kep' us back. Last of all, I
says to t'others, `Now for it, lads, or young Captin Roy'll be thinking
we're feared to come.' They says, `That's so,' and off we starts; but
we hadn't gone far 'fore we finds they're on the road, and we had to run
back and make for Water Lane. Hadn't gone far 'long Water Lane, when we
finds a couple of 'em there. Back we goes again, and creeps along aside
one of the fields, and there they was again, and dozens of 'em on the
watch, as if some one had told 'em we was likely to come over here.
Then we all goes back to the mill and talks it over, and some on us says
as we'd better stop till night; but I says, `Nay! They'll think we're
all cowards, and get shooting at us if we comes in the dark,' and at
last we said we'd go two miles round by the common. And so we did, sir,
crawling on our stummicks in and out among the furze bushes, and every
now and then seeing the sun shine on one of their caps as they rode here
and there.

"Last of all, sir, they seemed to have gone away, and I lifts up my head
and looks about. `All clear, mates!' I says, and up we gets, keeping
as far off as we could, so as to work round. `We've done 'em this
time,' I says, as we went on, and we