e tall hedges and fell upon the lovers,
taking them completely by surprise.

Dorothy was quickly unhorsed with no more roughness than her own
resistance necessitated, but it was not so with her lover. Though
Manners had nothing to defend himself with, except the stock of his
riding-whip, yet he gave so good an account of himself, and wielded
his paltry weapon to so much purpose that he quickly freed himself,
and rushed to aid poor Doll. This purpose, however, he failed to
accomplish. The odds were ten to one, but even then it was for some
time an open question whether the one would not prevail over the ten.
All his skill was brought into play. He laid about him right and left
until his weapon broke, and then, undismayed, he lunged out with the
remnant, and succeeded in wresting a bludgeon from one of his injured
opponents, and plunged into the fray with renewed vigour.

In spite of his efforts, however, he was unable to rescue Dorothy.
Having once got her into their possession the men were determined
to keep her, and she was borne away from the contest ineffectually
struggling with her captors, who, having retired to a safe distance,
awaited with their quarry until Manners himself was captured too.

De la Zouch sat aghast at this exhibition of his rival's prowess.
Whatever the cost might be it was imperative that Manners should not
escape to tell the tale at Haddon, and he alternately groaned and
cursed each time he witnessed his followers quail and fall beneath the
terrific blows of their antagonist. He had come, he thought, prepared
for any contingency, but it appeared as though his force was by no
means strong enough to achieve the desired end.

Manners himself, suspicious of De la Zouch, as he all along had been,
perceived at the outset the trap into which he had been led, and now,
finding it useless to attempt Dorothy's rescue any longer, and feeling
the first approach of weariness come warningly over him, set spurs
to his horse and galloped back again towards Sir Henry de la Zouch,
intent on wreaking a full vengeance upon him, and at the same time
determined to make an effort to escape in order to discover aid by
which to rescue his betrothed.

"Villain!" he hissed, "thou shalt pay dearly for this."

De la Zouch did not wait to meet the overpowering fury of his foe.
He no longer marvelled at the result of the tournament. He had seen
enough of Manners' prowess already to have much faith left in his own
power