ng an
imprisonment in the depths of the cavern, Nick Garth raised himself upon
his elbow and uttered a shout which rose into a rousing cheer.

"God bless you, Mistress Minnie!" cried the man hoarsely, "and you too,
youngster. You're a brave lad, and I'll never call you an enemy again."

"Humph! No," said Dan Rugg, who was close to him. "I s'pose all that's
dead as mutton now. Look here, Nick Garth, I never see a man who could
fight as well as you, and if you'd got a decent paw I'd say shake
hands."

"Say it, mate," said Nick, and he painfully lifted a wounded arm, to
place his bandaged hand in that of the old miner who had hated him all
his life.

A man had been started off as soon as the news was known to fetch more
help from the Black Tor; and, as tidings fly swiftly, assistance soon
came from every farm and cottage for miles, the women flocking up to
Ergles, and eagerly helping to bear the sufferers to their homes.

Sir Edward and Sir Morton went last, each borne upon a litter, Minnie
being provided with a pony, led by one of her father's men, who kept on
shaking his head and saying that he couldn't understand it, for it
seemed so strange that his master and young mistress and their leaders
should be going up to the Black Tor.

He said this to Nick Garth, who was lying with closed eyes upon a
roughly-made litter of poles.

"Well," said Nick roughly, "who can? It's 'cause they say the world
turns round, and sometimes we're standing on our heads and sometimes on
our feet; we're on our heads now, and it's o' no use to kick when your
legs are in the air."

There was one more task to see to, though, before Mark left the place,
with its plunder in charge of Dan Rugg and a guard, so that the robbers'
stores could be restored to their rightful owners.

Over this matter Mark had a whispered consultation with the two wounded
knights, and then went off to Rugg.

"Well, yes, Master Mark," said that worthy; "I was thinking o' something
o' that sort. Right in that little chamber place. A good thick wall,
and well made, with plenty o' lime. It wouldn't seem Christian-like to
throw 'em out on the hill among the stones; and you see there's so many
ravens and crows."

Dummy Rugg kept as close to Mark as he could in these busy times, and
tried several times to speak to him, but without success. At last,
though, the opportunity came.

"Oh, Master Mark," he said, in a tone full of reproach; "you ought to
have spo