nks our pious exercises have brought the enemy upon us.'

Chapter XV. Of our Brush with the King's Dragoons

Some little distance from us a branch road ran into that along which we
and our motley assemblage of companions-in-arms were travelling. This
road curved down the side of a well-wooded hill, and then over the level
for a quarter of a mile or so before opening on the other. Just at the
brow of the rising ground there stood a thick bristle of trees, amid the
trunks of which there came and went a bright shimmer of sparkling steel,
which proclaimed the presence of armed men. Farther back, where the road
took a sudden turn and ran along the ridge of the hill, several horsemen
could be plainly seen outlined against the evening sky. So peaceful,
however, was the long sweep of countryside, mellowed by the golden light
of the setting sun, with a score of village steeples and manor-houses
peeping out from amongst the woods, that it was hard to think that the
thundercloud of war was really lowering over that fair valley, and that
at any instant the lightning might break from it.

The country folk, however, appeared to have no difficulty at all in
understanding the danger to which they were exposed. The fugitives from
the West gave a yell of consternation, and ran wildly down the road or
whipped up their beasts of burden in the endeavour to place as safe a
distance as possible between themselves and the threatened attack. The
chorus of shrill cries and shouts, with the cracking of whips, creaking
of wheels, and the occasional crash when some cart load of goods came to
grief, made up a most deafening uproar, above which our leader's voice
resounded in sharp, eager exhortation and command. When, however, the
loud brazen shriek from a bugle broke from the wood, and the head of
a troop of horse began to descend the slope, the panic became greater
still, and it was difficult for us to preserve any order at all amidst
the wild rush of the terrified fugitives.

'Stop that cart, Clarke,' cried Saxon vehemently, pointing with his
sword to an old waggon, piled high with furniture and bedding, which was
lumbering along drawn by two raw-boned colts. At the same moment I saw
him drive his horse into the crowd and catch at the reins of another
similar one.

Giving Covenant's bridle a shake I was soon abreast of the cart which
he had indicated, and managed to bring the furious young horses to a
stand-still.

'Bring it up!' cried