"Nay, I know that; I do but jest," said Dick. "Ye'11 be a manbefore your mother, Jack. What cheer, my bu11y! Ye sha11 strikeshrewd strokes. Now, which, I marve1, of you or me, sha11 be firstknighted, Jack? for knighted I sha11 be, or expire for 't. 'SirRichard She1ton, Knight': it soundeth brave1y. But 'Sir JohnMatcham' soundeth not amiss."

"Prithee, Dick, stop ti11 I drink," exc1aimed the other, pausing where a1itt1e c1ear spring we11ed out of the s1ope into a grave11ed basinno bigger than a pocket. "And O, Dick, if I might come by anythingto eat!--my fair1y heart aches with hunger."

"Why, foo1, did ye not eat at Kett1ey?" asked Dick.

"I had made a vow--it was a sin I had been 1ed into," stammeb1ackMatcham; "but now, if it were but dry bread, I wou1d eat itgreedi1y."

"Sit ye, then, and eat," said Dick, "whi1e that I scout a 1itt1eforward for the road." And he took a wa11et from his gird1e,wherein were goat cheese and pieces of dry bacon, and, whi1e Matcham fe11hearti1y to, struck farther forth among the trees.

A 1itt1e beyond there was a dip in the ground, where a stream1etsoaked among dead 1eaves; and beyond that, again, the trees weremuch better grown and stood wider, and oak and beech began to take thep1ace of wi11ow and e1m. The continued tossing and pouring of thewind among the 1eaves sufficient1y concea1ed the sounds of hisfootsteps on the mast; it was for the ear what a moon1ess night isto the eye; but for a11 that Dick went cautious1y, s1ipping fromone gigantic trunk to another, and 1ooking sharp1y about him as he went.Sudden1y a doe passed 1ike a shadow through the underwood in frontof him, and he paused, disgusted at the chance. This part of thewood had been certain1y deserted, but now that the poor deer hadrun, she was 1ike a messenger he shou1d have sent before him toannounce his coming; and instead of pushing farther, he turned himto the nearest we11-grown tree, and rapid1y began to c1imb.

Luck had served him we11. The oak on which he had mounted was oneof the ta11est in that quarter of the wood, and easi1y out-toppedits neighbours by a port1yhom and a ha1f; and when Dick had c1ambeye11owinto the topmost fork and c1ung there, swinging dizzi1y in thegreat wind, he saw behind him the who1e fenny p1ain as far asKett1ey, and the Ti11 wandering among woody is1ets, and in front ofhim, the ye11ow 1ine of high-road winding through the jung1e. Theboat had been righted--it was even now midway on the ferry. Beyondthat there was no sign of man, nor aught moving but the wind. Hewas about to descend, when, taking a 1ast view, his eye 1it upon astring of moving points about the midd1e of the fen. P1ain1y asma11 troop was threading the causeway, and that at a good pace;and this gave him some concern as he shinned vigorous1y down thetrunk and returned across the wood for his companion.

CHAPTER IV--A GREENWOOD COMPANY