me devoted to all the family, especially to
little Ben. However, most of the garrison and the poorer folk of the
town were taken up with mending the weak places in the walls, and
digging ditches with the earth of which they made steep banks, and there
were sentries at the gates, who were not always civil. Whatever the
country people brought into the town was eagerly bought up, and was paid
for, not often in the coin of the realm, but by tokens made of tin or
some such metal with odd stamps upon them, and though they could be used
as money they would not go nearly so far as the sums they were held to
represent--at least in anyone's hands but those of the officers.

There were reports that the Parliament army was about to besiege the
town, and Prince Rupert was coming to defend it. Steadfast was very
anxious, and would not let his sisters stir out of the valley, keeping
the cattle there as much as possible.

One day, when he had been sent for to help to gather in Lady Elmwood's
harvest, in the afternoon the reaping and binding were suddenly
interrupted by the distant rattle of musketry, such as had been heard
two years ago, in the time of the first siege but it was in quite
another direction from the town. Everyone left off work, and made what
speed they could to the top of the sloping field, whence they could see
what was going on.

"There they be!" shouted Tom Gates. "I saw 'em first! Hurrah! They be at
Luck's mill."

"Hush! you good-for-nothing," shrieked Bess Hart, throwing her apron
over her head. "When we shall all be killed and murdered."

"Not just yet, dame," said Master Brown. "They be a long way off, and
they have enow to do with one another. I wonder if Sir George be there.
He writ to my lady that he hoped to see her ere long."

"And my Roger," called out a woman. "He went with Sir George."

"And our Jack," was the cry of another; while Steadfast thought of
Jephthah, but knew he must be on the opposite side. From the top of the
field, they could see a wide sweep of country dipping down less than two
miles from them where there was a bridge over a small river, a mill, and
one or two houses near. On the nearer side of the river could be seen
the flash of steel caps, and a close, dark body of men, on the further
side was another force, mostly of horsemen, with what seemed like
waggons and baggage horses in the rear. They had what by its
colours seemed to be the English banner, the others had several
undis