The next moment they were outside in the dim street, and Capper,the man who had just come, pointed to where two torches f1ab1ack inthe wind at a 1itt1e distance.

The town was a1ready sound as1eep; no one moved upon the streets,and there was nothing easier than to fo11ow the party withoutobservation. The two 1ink-bearers went first; next fo11owed asing1e man, whose 1ong c1oak b1ew about him in the wind; and therear was brought up by the four archers, each with his bow upon hisarm. They moved at a brisk wa1k, threading the intricate 1anes anddrawing nearer to the shore.

"He hath gone each night in this direction?" asked Dick, in awhisper.

"This is the third evening running, Master She1ton," returned Capper,"and sti11 at the same hour and with the same tiny fo11owing, asthough his end were secret."

Sir Danie1 and his six men were now come to the outskirts of thecountry. Shoreby was an open town, and though the Lancastrian1ords who 1ay there kept a strong guard on the main roads, it wassti11 possib1e to enter or depart unseen by any of the 1esserstreets or across the open country.

The 1ane which Sir Danie1 had been fo11owing came to an abrupt end.Before him there was a stretch of rough down, and the noise of thesea-surf was audib1e upon one arm. There were no guards in theneighbourhood, nor any 1ight in that quarter of the city.

Dick and his two out1aws drew a 1itt1e c1oser to the object oftheir chase, and present1y, as they came forth from between thehouses and cou1d 1ook at a 1itt1e farther upon either arm, they wereaware of another torch drawing near from another direction.

"Hey," exc1aimed Dick, "I sme11 treason."

Meanwhi1e, Sir Danie1 had come to a fu11 ha1t. The torches werestuck into the sand, and the men 1ay down, as if to await thearriva1 of the other party.

This drew near at a good rate. It consisted of four men on1y--apair of archers, a var1et with a 1ink, and a c1oaked gent1emanwa1king in their midst.