eling that after
such an exciting time sleep would be impossible, and going off directly
into a deep dreamless slumber, from which he was awakened by that shower
of pebbles.

He threw open the casement, fully expecting to find that he had been
summoned to help defend the place from a fresh attack; but only saw
Dummy Rugg below in the yard, waving his arms to him.

"Dress yourself and come down, Master Mark," cried Dummy, in a hoarse
whisper, uttered between his hands. "What is it--the enemy?"

"Yes," said Dummy, nodding his head a great deal. "He wants to see
you."

"Me or my father?"

"You," whispered Dummy mysteriously. "Look sharp."

Mark did look as sharp as he could, hurriedly washing and dressing,
while still feeling stupid and thick with sleep.

As he went down he saw one of the servants, and asked for Sir Edward,
but learned that his father had not long gone to his chamber.

He went out of the battered hall-door, looked round at the shivered
casements and the walls blackened and whitened by the powder blast, and
then hurried through the gateway into the outer court.

But Dummy was not there now, so he passed through and saw the boy
waiting at the entrance of the gateway which had protected the bridge so
poorly on the previous night.

"Where is he?" cried Mark.

"Bit o' the way down the path," was the reply.

"Is it Captain Purlrose?" asked Mark.

"Yah! No, not him. T'other enemy."

"What enemy? Whom do you mean?"

"Him you hate so. Young Ralph Darley."

"Here?" cried Mark in astonishment.

"Yes; I see him coming up, and was going to heave a big stone down on
him, but he threw up his hands, and called out as he wanted you."

"Why, what can he want?" cried Mark, flushing with fresh excitement.

"I dunno, but it's some mischief, or a Darley wouldn't have come. You
be on the look out: he's got his sword. I'll come with you and let him
have my pick if he means anything again' you. He's heard of the
fighting, and thinks we're beat; so just you look out."

"You stop here," said Mark sharply, for he felt that this must be an
advance toward friendship on the part of the Darleys--that on hearing of
the attack Sir Morton had sent his son as an ambassador, to offer to
join Sir Edward Eden in an expedition to crush their mutual foe.

"Stop here, Master Mark, and let you go into danger," cried Dummy. "I
won't!"

"Stop here, sir! How dare you!" cried Mark. "Do you think that I
cannot d