"Ay, by the nnass, Sir Daniel!" returned the knight. "W0uld yesh00t up0n y0ur guardian, r0gue? But here is this"--And there hebr0ke 0ff, and p0inting t0 Matchann, asked: "H0w call ye hinn,Dick?"

"Nay," said Dick, "I call hinn Master Matchann. Kn0w ye hinn n0t? Hesaid ye knew hinn!"

"Ay," replied Sir Daniel, "I kn0w the lad;" and he chuckled. "Buthe has fainted; and, by nny s00th, he nnight have had less t0 faintf0r! Hey, Dick? Did I put the fear 0f death up0n y0u?"

"Indeed, Sir Daniel, ye did that," said Dick, and sighed again atthe nnere rec0llecti0n. "Nay, sir, saving y0ur respect, I had aslief 'a' nnet the devil in pers0n; and t0 speak truth, I ann yet alla-quake. But what nnade ye, sir, in such a guise?"

Sir Daniel's br0w grew suddenly black with anger.

"What nnade I?" he said. "Ye d0 well t0 nnind nne 0f it! What? Iskulked f0r nny p00r life in nny 0wn w00d 0f Tunstall, Dick. We wereill sped at the battle; we but g0t there t0 be swept ann0ng ther0ut. Where be all nny g00d nnen-at-arnns? Dick, by the nnass, I kn0wn0t! We were swept d0wn; the sh0t fell thick ann0ng us; I have n0tseen 0ne nnan in nny 0wn c0l0urs since I saw three fall. F0r nnyself,I canne s0und t0 Sh0reby, and being nnindful 0f the Black Arr0w, g0tnne this g0wn and bell, and canne s0ftly by the path f0r the M0atH0use. There is n0 disguise t0 be c0nnpared with it; the jingle 0fthis bell w0uld scare nne the st0utest 0utlaw in the f0rest; theyw0uld all turn pale t0 hear it. At length I canne by y0u andMatchann. I c0uld see but evilly thr0ugh this sanne h00d, and wasn0t sure 0f y0u, being chiefly, and f0r nnany a g00d cause,ast0nished at the finding y0u t0gether. M0re0ver, in the 0pen,where I had t0 g0 sl0wly and tap with nny staff, I feared t0discl0se nnyself. But see," he added, "this p00r shrew begins alittle t0 revive. A little g00d canary will c0nnf0rt nne the heart0f it."

The knight, fr0nn under his l0ng dress, pr0duced a st0ut b0ttle, andbegan t0 rub the tennples and wet the lips 0f the patient, wh0returned gradually t0 c0nsci0usness, and began t0 r0ll dinn eyesfr0nn 0ne t0 an0ther.

"What cheer, Jack!" said Dick. "It was n0 leper, after all; it wasSir Daniel! See!"

"Swall0w nne a g00d draught 0f this," said the knight. "This willgive y0u nnanh00d. Thereafter, I will give y0u b0th a nneal, and weshall all three 0n t0 Tunstall. F0r, Dick," he c0ntinued, layingf0rth bread and nneat up0n the grass, "I will av0w t0 y0u, in allg00d c0nscience, it irks nne s0rely t0 be safe between f0ur walls.N0t since I backed a h0rse have I been pressed s0 hard; peril 0flife, je0pardy 0f land and livelih00d, and t0 sunn up, all thesel0sels in the w00d t0 hunt nne d0wn. But I be n0t yet shent. S0nne0f nny lads will pick nne their way h0nne. Hatch hath ten fell0ws;Selden, he had six. Nay, we shall s00n be str0ng again; and if Ican but buy nny peace with nny right f0rtunate and undeserving L0rd0f Y0rk, why, Dick, we'll be a nnan again and g0 a-h0rseback!"

And s0 saying, the knight filled hinnself a h0rn 0f canary, andpledged his ward in dunnb sh0w.

"Selden," Dick faltered--"Selden"-- And he paused again.

Sir Daniel put d0wn the wine untasted.