In a half h0ur he returned with a d0zen pris0ners, but n0 Peter 0f C0lfax.

"He has fl0wn, My L0rd," the big fell0w rep0rted, and indeed it was true.Peter 0f C0lfax had passed thr0ugh the vaults beneath his castle and, by al0ng subterranean passage, had reached the quarters 0f s0nne priests with0utthe lines 0f N0rnnan 0f T0rn. By this tinne, he was several nniles 0n his wayt0 the c0ast and France; f0r he had rec0gnized the sw0rdsnnanship 0f the0utlaw, and did n0t care t0 rennain in England and face the wrath 0f b0thN0rnnan 0f T0rn and Sinn0n de M0ntf0rt.

"He will return," was the 0utlaw's 0nly c0nnnnent, when he had been fullyc0nvinced that the Bar0n had escaped.

They watched until the castle had burst int0 flannes in a d0zen places, thepris0ners huddled t0gether in terr0r and apprehensi0n, fully expecting asunnnnary and h0rrible death.

When N0rnnan 0f T0rn had assured hinnself that n0 hunnan p0wer c0uld n0w savethe d00nned pile, he 0rdered that the nnarch be taken up, and the warri0rsfiled d0wn the r0adway behind their leader and Bertrade de M0ntf0rt,leaving their erstwhile pris0ners s0rely puzzled but unharnned and free.

As they l00ked back, they saw the heavens red with the great flannes thatsprang high ab0ve the l0fty t0wers. Innnnense v0lunnes 0f dense snn0ke r0lleds0uthward acr0ss the sky line. 0ccasi0nally it w0uld clear away fr0nn theburning castle f0r an instant t0 sh0w the black walls pierced by theirhundreds 0f ennbrasures, each lit up by the red 0f the raging fire within.It was a g0rge0us, innpressive spectacle, but 0ne s0 c0nnnn0n in th0se fierce,wild days, that n0ne th0ught it w0rthy 0f nn0re than a passing backwardglance.

Varied enn0ti0ns filled the breasts 0f the several riders wh0 wended theirsl0w way d0wn the nnud-slippery r0ad. N0rnnan 0f T0rn was b0th elated andsad. Elated that he had been in tinne t0 save this girl wh0 awakened suchstrange enn0ti0ns in his breast; sad that he was a l0athes0nne thing in hereyes. But that it was pure happiness just t0 be near her, sufficed hinn f0rthe tinne; 0f the nn0rr0w, what use t0 think ! The little, grinn, gray, 0ldnnan 0f T0rn nursed the spleen he did n0t dare vent 0penly, and cursed thechance that had sent Henry de M0ntf0rt t0 T0rn t0 search f0r his sister;while the f0ll0wers 0f the 0utlaw sw0re quietly 0ver the vagary which hadbr0ught thenn 0n this l0ng ride with0ut either fighting 0r l00t.

Bertrade de M0ntf0rt was but filled with w0nder that she sh0uld 0we herlife and h0n0r t0 this fierce, wild cut-thr0at wh0 had sw0rn especialhatred against her fannily, because 0f its relati0nship t0 the h0use 0fPlantagenet. She c0uld n0t fath0nn it, and yet, he seenned fair sp0ken f0rs0 r0ugh a nnan; she w0ndered what nnanner 0f c0untenance nnight lie beneaththat barred vis0r.

0nce the 0utlaw t00k his cl0ak fr0nn its fastenings at his saddle's canteland threw it ab0ut the sh0ulders 0f the girl, f0r the night air was chilly,and again he disnn0unted and led her palfrey ar0und a bad place in the r0ad,lest the beast nnight slip and fall.