But Dorothy followed him closely; and a few yards away they came upon Hugh Knollys, towering angrily over a man lying prostrate on the ground, and whom Dorothy recognized instantly as the rude fellow who had so alarmed her at the inn. At sight of the two figures breaking through the underbrush, Hugh started in surprise, and a look which Dorothy found it hard to understand showed in his face. "What is it--what is the matter?" Captain Southorn demanded angrily, stepping toward the two other men. Hugh did not reply, and now they heard rapid footsteps approaching. "Here, this way,--come here!" shouted Hugh, who did not appear to have heard the young Englishman's question. Farmer Gilbert had arisen slowly to his feet, and did not attempt to escape from the grasp Hugh still kept upon his arm. "Oh, Hugh--what is it?" asked Dorothy, looking with frightened eyes at his prisoner. "Never mind now, Dot," he answered hastily, but his voice softening. "How came you here? You should not--" Then, with a half-sulky glance as of apology to the young Englishman, he bit his lip and was silent. "We were standing in the path just now," said Captain Southorn, "when a bullet came so close to us as to do this;" and he touched the torn cloth on his shoulder. Hugh started. "Then it must have been you he was shooting at!" he exclaimed, glancing angrily at the prisoner. "The bullet went just over my head and into a tree," said Dorothy, continuing her husband's explanation. "Over your head, Dot!" cried Hugh. "So close to you as that!" And a terrible look came to his face,--one that revealed his secret to the purple-blue eyes watching him so keenly. "Oh--my God!" The appearance of several men--soldiers--cut the words short, and restored Hugh's calmness, for, turning to them, he bade them take the man and guard him carefully. "And I'll take this gun of yours," he said to him, "and see to it that you get the treatment you deserve for such a cowardly bit of work." "Wait a bit, till I answers him," said Farmer Gilbert, now speaking for the first time, as he turned to face Hugh, and holding back, so as to arrest the steps of the men who were dragging him away. "I want to say, young sir, that if ye had n't sneaked up on me from aback, an' knocked my gun up, I'd hev done what I've been dodgin' 'round to do these five days past--an' that were to put a bullet through the head or d----d trait'rous heart o' that British spy in petticoats." His face was ablaze with passion, and he shook his clenched fist at Dorothy, who stood looking at him as though he were a wild beast caught in the toiler's net. Captain Southorn started forward; but Hugh motioned him back. Then realizing the full sense of the fellow's words, he sprang upon him with an oath such as no one had ever heard issue from his lips.