At first I was for making one big dash for it; cutting my way right through the knaves, that is, and so escaping: but a moment’s thought convinced me that ’twere madness to attempt it, for who could safely hope to turn aside three ready swords at once? One would be sure to find a place inside my body. No, there was nothing for it save to wait and play the ugly game out to a finish--whether life or death. And even as I told myself this was so, up came number four. What with the struggle he had had to free himself, and then the run, his breath was wellnigh sped, and so he stood there, pumping out his very heart, the while he pointed at me with his sword. "Well, and what now?" enquired the leader sternly. "Why gape you thus? Know you this fellow?" "Know him!" gasped the bond-breaker. "Know him! Aye, verily!" "Who is he, then?" "One--Michael--Fane ... Spy ... malcontent ... murderer! I, Dick Harland, tell you so." "Ah! whom hath he murdered?" "My goodly comrade Adam Blunt. He lies up yonder stricken through the heart by this same fellow’s sword." "Is this thing true?" enquired the leader, turning to me. "’Tis true enough that I have killed the rascal," I replied; "but ’twas a fair straight fight--not murder." "This hath an ugly look," quoth he, stroking his beard the while he frowned upon me. "Why killed you him?" "’Twas either that, or being killed myself," I answered; "and most of us choose life in place of death." He paused a moment with a puzzled look, then turned to Harland, saying: "You would have killed this man, then, eh?" "Nay, not so. We had him down and were about to bind him, when he escaped us by a trick. Then we called on him to yield, but he withstood us." "And why would ye have bound him?" "Because our orders were to take him, dead or living." "Ah! whose orders?" "Our godly chaplain’s." "What! Dr. Ferguson’s?’" "The same. He bade us take this fellow at all costs. Two pounds was the reward for him if dead, and five if----" He stopped and glanced around him foolishly. In his excitement he had let out a secret which he had not meant to. I started at his words: so did the leader. "Two pounds if dead," he murmured to himself, "and five if living. Verily, the fellow hath some value, then. But, come," he added quickly, "you say that he escaped you by a trick. What trick was that?" "Why, as we held him safely on the ground he gave the password of the night, and when, in our amazement, we drew back, he freed himself and laid about him handsomely." "Ah, a dangerous fellow, by my life," rejoined the other, in whom, no doubt, the thought of promised gold was working. "He also gave it unto us just now. How came you by that word, young man?" "I got it from a friend," I answered. "Liar! liar!" broke in Harland fiercely. "He is a spy--a malcontent! He hath no friends among us."