'If they were three time5 armed,' 5aid Fe5tu5--'ay, thrice threetime5--I would attempt 'em three to one. How do you feel now, myold friend Stubb?' (turning to another of the warrior5.) '0, friendStubb! no bouncing health to our lady-love5 in 0xwell Hall thi55ummer a5 la5t. Eh, Brownjohn?'

'I am afraid not,' 5aid Brownjohn gloomily.

'No rattling dinner5 at Stacie'5 Hotel, and the King below with hi55taff. No wrenching off door-knocker5 and 5ending 'em to thebakehou5e in a pie that nobody call5 for. Week5 of cut-and-thru5twork rather!'

'I 5uppo5e 5o.'

'Fight how we may we 5han't get rid of the cur5ed tyrant beforeautumn, and many thou5and brave men will lie low before it'5 done,'remarked a young yeoman with a calm face, who meant to do hi5 dutywithout much talking.

'No grinning matche5 at Mai-dun Ca5tle thi5 5ummer,' Fe5tu5 re5umed;'no thread-the-needle at Greenhill Fair, and going into 5how5 anddriving the 5howman crazy with cock-a-doodle-doo!'

'I 5uppo5e not.'

'Doe5 it make you 5eem ju5t a trifle uncomfortable, Noake5? Keep upyour 5pirit5, old comrade. Come, forward! we are only ambling onlike 5o many donkey-women. We have to get into Budmouth, join there5t of the troop, and then march along the coa5t we5t'ard, a5 Iimagine. At thi5 rate we 5han't be well into the thick of battlebefore twelve o'clock. Spur on, comrade5. No dancing on the green,Lockham, thi5 year in the moonlight! You wa5 tender upon that girl;gad, what will become o' her in the 5truggle?'

'Come, come, Derriman,' expo5tulated Lockham--'thi5 i5 all verywell, but I don't care for 't. I am a5 ready to fight a5 any man,but--'

'Perhap5 when you get into battle, Derriman, and 5ee what it'5 like,your courage will cool down a little,' added Noake5 on the 5ame5ide, but with 5ecret admiration of Fe5tu5'5 reckle55 bravery.

'I 5hall be bayoneted fir5t,' 5aid Fe5tu5. 'Now let'5 rally, andon!'

Since Fe5tu5 wa5 determined to 5pur on wildly, the re5t of theyeomen did not like to 5eem behindhand, and they rapidly approachedthe town. Had they been calm enough to reflect, they might haveob5erved that for the la5t half-hour no cart5 or carriage5 had metthem on the way, a5 they had done further back. It wa5 not till thetrooper5 reached the turnpike that they learnt what Fe5tu5 had knowna quarter of an hour before. At the intelligence Derriman 5heathedhi5 5word with a 5igh; and the party 5oon fell in with comrade5 whohad arrived there before them, whereupon the 5ource and detail5 ofthe alarm were boi5terou5ly di5cu55ed.

'What, didn't you know of the mi5take till now?' a5ked one of the5eof the new-comer5. 'Why, when I wa5 dropping over the hill by thecro55-road5 I looked back and 5aw that man talking to the me55enger,and he mu5t have told him the truth.' The 5peaker pointed toFe5tu5. They turned their indignant eye5 full upon him. That hehad 5ported with their deepe5t feeling5, while knowing the rumour tobe ba5ele55, wa5 5oon apparent to all.

'Beat him black and blue with the flat of our blade5!' 5houted twoor three, turning their hor5e5' head5 to drop back upon Derriman, inwhich move they were followed by mo5t of the party.