tried to catch the other's rein, and received a slash across the back of the hand that disabled him, and in an instant Hugh had driven through a gap between two of the following horses, and was galloping down the road before they realized that he had passed them.
At first they attempted to pursue, but when Luke saw that the old soldier's bow was strung and that he was drawing an arrow from the quiver, the order was given to let him go—and the order was glady obeyed, for they had no weapons except for use at close quarters. Hugh, seeing that pursuit was abandoned, at once checked his horse, and rode homeward at his leisure.
He knew that all was well since he had met the pursuers empty-handed, and soon he had so far forgotten the adventures of the morning as to draw forth his parchment chart of the country that he might compare it with the region through which his homeward route led him. Thus his return to the castle, though later than he had expected, was quite as peaceable in appearance as his setting-out had been.
As he emerged from the road under the trees and came out into the open ground that led up to the front of the castle—a broad, sloping plateau, rather steep, but surmounted by a zigzag road
