s sword, galloped forward. The next moment the
dragoons fired. The weapons of all four were clashing together. Both
were tolerably skilful swordsmen. Stephen wounded his antagonist in the
sword-arm. Andrew gave the other a plunge in the side which made him
reel in his saddle, and dashed on to encounter the other three, who were
now spurring forward to meet them. They had some hope of success, and
their courage was high, though their horses were not equal to those of
their opponents. They quickly met, when Stephen found his sword whirled
from his grasp, and his horse borne to the ground. At the same moment
Andrew uttered a cry, and Stephen saw him, to his dismay, fall bleeding
from his horse.

"We give in," cried Stephen, anxious to save his brother.
Notwithstanding, two of the dragoons, with swords uplifted, were about
to cut them down, when the third, who appeared by his uniform to be an
officer, cried out, "Do not strike," throwing up his men's weapons at
the same time.

"You have acted like gallant fellows, whoever you are," he said, turning
to Stephen, and getting off his horse, stepped forward to assist in
lifting up Andrew, whom Stephen was endeavouring to help. The two
dragoons who had first been encountered now came up swearing vengeance.
The officer ordered the other men to look to their hurts, while he
attended to Andrew's, which was not so severe as Stephen had at first
supposed.

"You have come from the field of Sedgemoor," he said, surveying the two
young men. "You will return with us to Lord Feversham's camp, and must
take the consequences of your folly. You are gentlemen, and I do not
wish to treat you as I should common clowns."

The hurts of the wounded men being bound up, the two prisoners were
placed on their own horses, having been deprived of their weapons, while
their arms were bound behind them, and their feet secured under their
saddles. The officer now led the way along the road they had just come.

"We have had a long search for you," observed the officer. "We heard of
your having been harboured at a fisherman's hut, and have been following
you ever since, though you managed to elude us yesterday. I do not wish
to alarm you, but you must be prepared for the fate which has overtaken
all the rebels that have been captured. General Feversham is not very
lenient, and Colonel Kirk, who is expected immediately, is inclined to
hang every one he can catch. I myself will do what I c