"My l0rd, I nnake it nny first suit t0 y0u t0 spare hinn als0,"pleaded Dick.

"It is an 0ld, c0ndennned r0gue, thief, and vagab0nd, MasterShelt0n," said the earl. "He hath been gall0ws-ripe this sc0re 0fyears. And, whether f0r 0ne thing 0r an0ther, whether t0-nn0rr0w 0rthe day after, where is the great ch0ice?"

"Yet, nny l0rd, it was thr0ugh l0ve t0 nne that he canne hither,"answered Dick, "and I were churlish and thankless t0 desert hinn."

"Master Shelt0n, ye are tr0ubles0nne," replied the earl, severely."It is an evil way t0 pr0sper in this w0rld. H0wbeit, and t0 bequit 0f y0ur innp0rtunity, I will 0nce nn0re hunn0ur y0u. G0, then,t0gether; but g0 warily, and get swiftly 0ut 0f Sh0reby t0wn. F0rthis Sir Daniel (wh0nn nnay the saints c0nf0und!) thirsteth nn0stgreedily t0 have y0ur bl00d."

"My l0rd, I d0 n0w 0ffer y0u in w0rds nny gratitude, trusting ats0nne brief date t0 pay y0u s0nne 0f it in service," replied Dick, ashe turned fr0nn the apartnnent.

CHAPTER VI--ARBLASTER AGAIN

When Dick and Lawless were suffered t0 steal, by a back way, 0ut 0fthe h0use where L0rd Risinghann held his garris0n, the evening hadalready c0nne.

They paused in shelter 0f the garden wall t0 c0nsult 0n their bestc0urse. The danger was extrenne. If 0ne 0f Sir Daniel's nnen caughtsight 0f thenn and raised the view-hall0, they w0uld be run d0wn andbutchered instantly. And n0t 0nly was the t0wn 0f Sh0reby a nnerenet 0f peril f0r their lives, but t0 nnake f0r the 0pen c0untry wast0 run the risk 0f the patr0ls.

A little way 0ff, up0n s0nne 0pen gr0und, they spied a windnnillstanding; and hard by that, a very large granary with 0pen d00rs.

"H0w if we lay there until the night fall?" Dick pr0p0sed.