r," said Nat, with a sigh of
relief as they went gently along the lane which opened upon the
high-road lying to west and east, and there crossed it and led on
towards the Manor.

They were within twenty yards of the cross-roads, when Nat looked
cautiously back, to see if his master was within hearing, and seeing
that he was not, he chuckled and said softly--

"Master Scar, sir."

"Yes," said Scarlett, starting from a reverie full of recollections
about the times he and Fred had traversed that road on very different
missions to the present.

"I was just thinking, sir, that I'd give every penny I've saved up again
I get married, which may happen some day, to see our Samson come
shuffling up yonder lane. How he would stare, and how mad he would be,
and--"

"Hush, Nat. Look!"

The ex-gardener sat up, round-eyed and as if turned into stone, while
the clatter of horse's hoofs behind told that Sir Godfrey had set spurs
to his horse, and was riding on to join them, which he did, drawing rein
as they reached the cross-roads, an act duly imitated by the group of
three horsemen coming up the lane from the opposite direction, and there
at the intersection of the great main western road, the two little
parties sat gazing at each other, accident having arranged that master,
son, and servant from Hall and Manor should be exactly opposite to each
other, gazing in each other's eyes.

For full a minute no one spoke, and then Thunder, Sir Godfrey's charger,
threw up his noble head and whinnied loudly what might have been taken
as a defiance.

"Now, Master Scar," whispered Nat, "isn't the master going to give the
word. It's war now, and we can soon do them."

"Silence!" cried Sir Godfrey, sternly; and then, turning to Colonel
Forrester, he raised his plumed Cavalier hat, the colonel responding by
lifting the steel morion he wore.

Then it was as if Sir Godfrey's command had had its effect upon all
present, for they gazed straight at each other, Nat and Samson with the
look of a couple of angry dogs waiting to be let loose and fight; the
two lads in a puzzled manner, as if ready to shake hands, and held back
by some invisible chain; and their fathers with a haughty look of anger
and disdain.

Sir Godfrey was the first to speak in a stern tone of voice, as he
looked straight in Colonel Forrester's eyes.

"May I ask, sir," he said, "in which direction you are going?"

"No, sir," was the calm reply. "You have no right to