"Oh, he's all right, and happy as he can be, I wot," said Dicky, with a grin, which made us doubt the truth of his assertion. Our fear now, however, was that the idiot would escape from us before we could ascertain whether or not he really did know where little Hugh was. Still, we could not help hoping that the child was safe. Jack therefore did his best to keep him talking till our friends should come from the Hull. Happily, the poor creature was very fond of keeping his tongue moving, as other people with a limited supply of brains are apt to do. Though he talked on, we could not make out more than we had already. To our great relief, we heard at length the sound of voices approaching us. Soon Sir Hugh, with Cousin Peter, Mr Strafford, and several other gentlemen on horseback, with Sam Barnby and a whole posse of men, appeared in the distance. We shouted to them to come to us. No sooner did Dicky Green see them, than he began to tremble violently; then, looking to the right and left, he bolted off through the forest. Fortunately, Cousin Peter saw him, and gave chase on horseback; Sam Barnby also followed in the direction we pointed. Still Dicky ran very fast, dodging in and out among the trees. Meantime, Sir Hugh and Mr Strafford rode up to where the dead body lay on the grass. As soon as Sir Hugh saw the features of the corpse, he said in a sad voice: "It is that unhappy man, cut off in the middle of his career; but my boy, my boy, where can he be?" Though Dicky Green ran fast, he was ere long overtaken and brought back. He stood before the gentlemen with one of his most idiotic looks, which made it seem hopeless that anything could be got out of him. "Come, come, Dicky, that will not do for us," said Cousin Peter; "rouse yourself up and tell us all you know about this matter. No one will do you any harm, lad." Thus spoken to kindly, after some time, Dicky looked up and said: "Thee wants to know about the little chap, and if I tells thee, thee won't ask how that one there came by his death?" "If we do ask, it will not be to bring any harm on you, Dicky. You may be assured of that," said Cousin Peter. Dicky thought for some time, and then began to move off through the forest. "He is going towards his mother's cottage; I shouldn't be surprised if little Master Hugh be there safe enough," whispered Sam Barnby. "Bless you, bless you, Sam Barnby, for those words, and I believe that they are true," exclaimed Sir Hugh, as we all followed the idiot, except a couple of men, who were left with the dead body.