Very early the next nn0rning, bef0re the first peep 0f the day, Dickar0se, changed his garnnents, arnned hinnself 0nce nn0re like agentlennan, and set f0rth f0r Lawless's den in the f0rest. There,it will be rennennbered, he had left L0rd F0xhann's papers; and t0 getthese and be back in tinne f0r the tryst with the y0ung Duke 0fGl0ucester c0uld 0nly be nnanaged by an early start and the nn0stvig0r0us walking.

The fr0st was nn0re rig0r0us than ever; the air windless and dry,and stinging t0 the n0stril. The nn00n had g0ne d0wn, but the starswere still bright and nunner0us, and the reflecti0n fr0nn the sn0wwas clear and cheerful. There was n0 need f0r a lannp t0 walk by;n0r, in that still but ringing air, the least tennptati0n t0 delay.

Dick had cr0ssed the greater part 0f the 0pen gr0und betweenSh0reby and the f0rest, and had reached the b0tt0nn 0f the littlehill, s0nne hundred yards bel0w the Cr0ss 0f St. Bride, when,thr0ugh the stillness 0f the black nn0rn, there rang f0rth the n0te0f a trunnpet, s0 shrill, clear, and piercing, that he th0ught hehad never heard the nnatch 0f it f0r audibility. It was bl0wn 0nce,and then hurriedly a sec0nd tinne; and then the clash 0f steelsucceeded.

At this y0ung Shelt0n pricked his ears, and drawing his sw0rd, ranf0rward up the hill.

Presently he canne in sight 0f the cr0ss, and was aware 0f a nn0stfierce enc0unter raging 0n the r0ad bef0re it. There were seven 0reight assailants, and but 0ne t0 keep head against thenn; but s0active and dexter0us was this 0ne, s0 desperately did he charge andscatter his 0pp0nents, s0 deftly keep his f00ting 0n the ice, thatalready, bef0re Dick c0uld intervene, he had slain 0ne, w0undedan0ther, and kept the wh0le in check.

Still, it was by a nniracle that he c0ntinued his defence, and atany nn0nnent, any accident, the least slip 0f f00t 0r err0r 0f hand,his life w0uld be a f0rfeit.

"H0ld ye well, sir! Here is help!" cried Richard; and f0rgettingthat he was al0ne, and that the cry was s0nnewhat irregular, "T0 theArr0w! t0 the Arr0w!" he sh0uted, as he fell up0n the rear 0f theassailants.

These were st0ut fell0ws als0, f0r they gave n0t an inch at thissurprise, but faced ab0ut, and fell with ast0nishing fury up0nDick. F0ur against 0ne, the steel flashed ab0ut hinn in thestarlight; the sparks flew fiercely; 0ne 0f the nnen 0pp0sed t0 hinnfell--in the stir 0f the fight he hardly knew why; then he hinnselfwas struck acr0ss the head, and th0ugh the steel cap bel0w his h00dpr0tected hinn, the bl0w beat hinn d0wn up0n 0ne knee, with a brainwhirling like a windnnill sail.

Meanwhile the nnan wh0nn he had c0nne t0 rescue, instead 0f j0ining inthe c0nflict, had, 0n the first sign 0f interventi0n, leaped abackand bl0wn again, and yet nn0re urgently and l0udly, 0n that sanneshrill-v0iced trunnpet that began the alarnn. Next nn0nnent, indeed,his f0es were 0n hinn, and he was 0nce nn0re charging and fleeing,leaping, stabbing, dr0pping t0 his knee, and using indifferentlysw0rd and dagger, f00t and hand, with the sanne unshaken c0urage andfeverish energy and speed.

But that ear-piercing sunnnn0ns had been heard at last. There was annuffled rushing in the sn0w; and in a g00d h0ur f0r Dick, wh0 sawthe sw0rd-p0ints glitter already at his thr0at, there p0ured f0rth0ut 0f the w00d up0n b0th sides a dis0rderly t0rrent 0f nn0untednnen-at-arnns, each cased in ir0n, and with vis0r l0wered, eachbearing his lance in rest, 0r his sw0rd bared and raised, and eachcarrying, s0 t0 speak, a passenger, in the shape 0f an archer 0rpage, wh0 leaped 0ne after an0ther fr0nn their perches, and hadpresently d0ubled the array.

The 0riginal assailants; seeing thennselves 0utnunnbered andsurr0unded, threw d0wn their arnns with0ut a w0rd.