A minute later he was on the back of the parson’s bay horse, with Joan behind him, holding on by the belt round his waist. CHAPTER XIV. A PERILOUS RIDE. Although so much had passed since Joan’s arrival at the farmhouse, it had all taken place within the space of a few minutes. She herself, and Ann and Tregenna, had all been at too great tension of the nerves to be dilatory either in speech or action. When, therefore, Tregenna felt the touch of Joan’s hands on his belt, he saw, at the same moment, the figure of Gardener Tom at a very short distance away, between them and the bridge. He was going down the hill, presumably in search of his comrades; but his lameness prevented his getting along very fast. Tregenna was about to speak, when Joan uttered, very low in his ear, a warning “Sh—sh,” and pointed upwards, in the direction of a road that went past the farm and over the hill behind it. Understanding without any words that she thought it prudent to return to Hurst by a different and less direct way than the road by which they had come, he turned the horse’s head at once in the direction she indicated. They rode for some distance in silence. The drizzling rain had now almost ceased, and the moon was showing fitfully behind ragged, driving clouds. Their way lay at first along a very bad road, which had the merit of being open to the fields on either side, so that they were sure at least that they could not be attacked without warning. They thus remained for some time in sight of the farmhouse; but though Joan watched the building as well as she could in the feeble and fitful moonlight, she could make out no sign of any creature stirring near it, until for a moment, as they neared the top of the hill, the moon shone out for an instant brightly on the valley at their feet. Then a low cry escaped her lips. “There is a horse coming out from the farm stables,” said she, “and going down the hill towards the bridge. Ay, and there is a second and a third. But one of the three is mounted; and the others are led by the rider of the first.” “Well,” said Tregenna, noticing the alarm in her tone. “And what think you that portends?” “Why, ’tis that Ann has saddled them and is leading them forth, for what purpose, unless it be to attack us on our way to Hurst, I cannot imagine. I would now we had kept the straight, short road, and risked passing the searchers. Now I fear they may come up with us, since they will be mounted, and will lie in wait.” The suggestion was not a pleasant one. But Tregenna was at first rather incredulous. “Surely,” said he, “she would not have let us go forth unmolested, if she had meant ill by us! And they would not touch your father’s daughter, villains though they be. You and he are both too well known, and too much respected even by the wrong-doers.”