ng
footsteps warned him that they were coming in search of him. Not a
moment was to be lost, and espying a large shelving rock which jutted
out from a side passage, Sir George Vernon hastily clambered up and
extinguished his light. The mass of rock upon which he had taken
refuge was fairly flat, and he was able to maintain his position upon
it; but he soon discovered that it would not be big enough to screen
him from view were the searchers to look in that direction. It was too
late to think of moving now, for his pursuers were close at hand; he
could even distinguish the reflection of their torches; there was only
one course open for him, and that was to endeavour to squeeze through
the narrow fissure at the end of the ledge on which he lay.

A squeeze and a cut or two, a tug and a stifled groan; another squeeze
more violent by far than the former one, and the portly baron rolled
panting through the jagged briar-covered little crevice, just as the
light of the searchers illuminated the place from which he had only a
moment before released himself.

Some painful moments elapsed ere he stopped rolling, and then it
was not until he found himself entangled in the strong but friendly
embrace of one of the tough blackberry bushes which were growing
in profusion, and still continue to do so, on the hill sides of
Derbyshire. He had, in fact, found out a way of escape just as he had
abandoned all hope of doing so, and carefully extricating himself from
his uncomfortable position, he pursued his way by Masson's shadowy
heights, boiling over with rage against his ruffianly captors, and
made the best of his way to the nearest inn to secure a horse to carry
him home.

CHAPTER XVII.

A DALE ABBEY HERMIT.

Far in a wild, unknown to public view,
From youth to age, a reverend hermit grew;
The moss his bed, the cave his humble cell,
His food the fruits, his drink the crystal well;
Remote from man, with God he passed his days,
Prayer all his business, all his pleasure praise.

PARNELL.

Sir George's first care upon his arrival at Haddon was to send off a
number of his retainers to capture, if possible, the gang which had
entrapped him; but after searching for nearly a couple of days they
were obliged to return and communicate their failure to their lord.
The villains had all made off and left not a clue behind them.

His next care was to calm the overwrought feelings of Lady Maude and
his daughters, to