where the fugitives had gone over, when the dog made a dead
halt, and looked wistfully across.

"Loo, loo!" said the foremost rider, "hie on, lass!" But the beast
would not move.

"Sure now, Mike," said he, as the others came up, "if they've taken
the water at this unlucky hole, they'll need no drownin' by this
anyhow."

"It's the brute, bad luck to her," replied his comrade. "She's on the
wrong scent. Why they're over the ford by this, and we shall have the
bloody thief-catchers here before we can open the door for 'em."

"If the bitch had followed my nose, instead of her own beautiful
scent," said the remaining speaker, "we should ha' been over the ford
too, long ago. They'd as soon think of swimming o'er the bay in a
cabbage-leaf as cross at this place. Back, back; and we'll shoulder
'em yet, my darlings. Come along, boys--one of you take the ford, an'
watch the road over the hill. Have a care, now, that the rogues be not
skulking round the bog. I'll keep the road hereabout; an' thou, Mike,
lay to with the hound when thou art on the other side. Maybe they'll
not find it just so easy to beat us in the hunting while we've a leg
to lay on after them."

The worthy triumvirate here withdrew. The animal was with much
difficulty forced from her track; but by the help of a stout cord she
was dragged off, yelping and whining, to the great joy of their
intended victims. Seaton could not but recognise the very finger of
Providence, which had pointed out the means of preservation. No other
way was left apparently for their escape. Whatsoever course they had
taken, save this, must have inevitably thrown them into the very toils
of their pursuers; and he determined to follow, fearlessly and without
question, the future impulses of his companion.

"Shall we attempt to flee, or must we tarry here a space?" he
hesitatingly inquired.

"Nay, friend," said his guide, "I wis not yet what we shall do; but
methinks we are to abide here until morning!"

Seaton shivered at this intimation. His clothes were drenched, and his
whole frame stiffened and benumbed with cold. His position, too,
crouching amongst decayed branches and alder twigs, was none of the
most eligible or easy to sustain. He felt fully resolved, however, to
follow the leadings of his friend, being convinced that his ultimate
safety depended on a strict adherence to this determination.

The country was very thinly inhabited, and their enemies were in
possession of