ing to a long lane almost
completely overarched with the massive branches of the overhanging
trees which grew on either side.

Dorothy looked at Manners appealingly.

"What say you, Doll?" he inquired. "You shall determine."

"Nay, you decide."

"To that clump of trees," interposed De la Zouch.

"Well, if Dorothy does not object--"

"Not I, in truth," she interrupted.

"Away we go, then," replied Manners. "There and back at once?" he
asked.

"No, only there," replied Sir Henry, ill-concealing a malicious grin.
"It will be a long, long time before you come back this way, I trow,"
he added under his breath.

"But we are not yet placed," said Dorothy's lover, as De la Zouch was
about to start away. "We two must fall in the rear, Sir Henry."

"Nay, I am equally as well mounted as you," returned the maiden. "We
will run upon our merits, or I shall withdraw."

In a few minutes they were careening along the course in gallant
style, as nearly as possible all three abreast, but as they neared the
trees which formed the winning mark, Sir Henry fell behind and left
the other two to finish the exciting race alone.

"Curse them, a murrain on them!" he muttered, as he pulled his horse
to a standstill; "where can the fellows be?"

His objurgation might have been heard, for no sooner were the words
out of his mouth than he saw, rising up from the brushwood, the men of
whom he had just spoken in such uncomplimentary terms.

Burdened as he was with anxiety for the successful issue of his plot,
and fearful lest at the last stage it should miscarry and snatch away
the prize for which he had struggled so long, and which already seemed
to be within his grasp, De la Zouch was in a terrible ferment of hope
and fear.

"The villains," he muttered, as he sat still in his saddle impatiently
watching; "why don't they move? It will be too late in a minute. I'll
thrash every mother's son of them when we get back to Ashby, that I
will. Dear me! what a fool I am to forget the signal;" and putting his
hand to his mouth he blew a loud shrill whistle through his fingers.

Manners and Dorothy had just raced up together to the trees, and
hearing the unusual sound that their companion made, they turned
round at the same instant to see how much they were before him, and to
ascertain the meaning of the noise. Just at this juncture, in answer
to the signal of their lord, De la Zouch's hirelings rushed through
the already prepared gaps in th