The company, however, grew no further, and Bennet led them up to the door of the Lion at Dunchurch without any more marvels. It was now about "seven or eight o'clock in the night." Catesby, the only one whom he knew by sight, said to the smith as he dismounted-- "Here, smith, wilt walk the horses a few moments? It shall not be forgot in the reckoning." The whole party then went into the Lion, where Sir Everard Digby and others awaited them. A hurried, eager discussion of future plans took place here. The drawer was called to bring bottles of sack and glasses, and before he was well out of hearing, impetuous Percy cried, "We are all betrayed!" "Softly, an't like you!" responded the cooler Catesby. "We must go on now," cried Percy: "we shall die for it else." "But what must we now do?" asked Rookwood. "Go, even yet, to Combe Abbey, and seize on the Lady Elizabeth?" "We wait for you, Mr Catesby," said Sir Everard. "You have been our leader from the beginning, and we of your following will not forsake you now." "Too late for anything of that sort," was Catesby's decision. "There are scarce enough of us, and word will sure be sent to my Lord Harrington, quicker than we could reach the place. Remember, they will go direct, and we have come round. Nay, our only way is to gather all our friends together, and see what manner of stand we can make. In numbers is our safety." "Every Catholic in the realm will rally to us," said Sir Everard. "And many Protestants belike," suggested Robert Winter. "Marry, we shall have brave following, ere we be twelve hours older," said Percy. "But which way go we now?" "Let us first cross over to Grant's; we shall maybe increase our numbers there: then go we to Coughton, pressing such as will join us on the way." "Done!" said Percy, always the first to agree to anything which was action, and not waiting for events. Outside, in the meantime, Bennet Leeson was walking the horses, as he had been requested. "Tarry a bit, Leeson: thou hast not yet handled all thou mayest gain this night," said a voice the smith knew. "Why, whence came you, Tom Bates?" "You've good eyes, Bennet. I've been behind you ever since we left Ashby." "By the same token, but I never saw you." "Well, let be seeing me or no--wilt guide me to Rugby and back here for another shilling?" Bates and Leeson accordingly rode away to "a little town called Rugby," where at the bailiffs house they found nine more worthies, who had finished their supper, and were playing cards. One of these gentry was John Winter--the half-brother of Robert and Thomas,--whose mother was the daughter of Queen Mary's redoubtable Secretary, Sir John Bourne [Note 4]. He was either very simple or very clever, and at this distance of time it is not easy to say which.