the cliff.

But after the first startled sensation, he walked on steadily enough,
for the cry of the brown owl was quite familiar to him, and he knew that
it was only uttered in all probability close to some patch of ivy, where
small birds roosted, to startle them out, ready for the sharp dash of
their enemy's claw, from whose four-way talon clutch there was no
escape.

"How cowardly I am to-night," he said to himself. "Everything sounds
different. It's being tired, and feeling the pain of my wound. Soon be
home now."

Then he began thinking of his father, and what he would say about the
two encounters; and in imagination he saw his stern frowning face.

But he was satisfied that Sir Morton would be glad to hear the news
about Captain Purlrose and his men, and he began to think that there
would be some talk of attacking the gang of thieves in their
lurking-place; for, as Master Rayburn had said, they could not be
allowed to harbour there.

Ralph gave quite a jump now, for he heard a sharp rustling sound,
followed by the rattle of a little stone, a short distance behind him,
and he increased his pace, with his heart beating heavily.

"Just as if some one was following me," he thought, "and stepped upon a
stone, and sent it rolling."

But he soon calmed down again, though he did not slacken his pace,
keeping on as fast as his weakness and the darkness would allow, with
the result that it was not more than half of his ordinary rate.

Again he was startled by a sound behind, this time as if a piece of dead
wood had cracked sharply, from the weight of some one following.

This time it was nearer, and succeeded by a rustling, plainly enough
caused by some one or something forcing a way through the bushes. Some
one or something? The lad felt that it must be something. If it had
been some one, he would have spoken; but what thing could it be?

He was in a dense part of his way now, with the sky quite hidden by the
overhanging boughs, so that it was not possible to see more than a few
feet behind or before him, and hence he looked back in vain; and though
he listened intently there was no heavy snorting breath, such as he
would probably have heard if it had been pony or cow.

"It's some one tracking me," thought the lad at last, as again he heard,
very near him now, the rustle of the leaves and the flying back of
twigs.

So impressed was he now, and satisfied that whoever followed might mean
him harm, that