Mark pleaded for permission to join in the vigil, but Sir Edward firmly ordered him to go and take proper rest; so he went, feeling that after such an exciting time sleep would be impossible, and going off directly into a deep dreamless slumber, from which he was awakened by that shower of pebbles. He threw open the casement, fully expecting to find that he had been summoned to help defend the place from a fresh attack; but only saw Dummy Rugg below in the yard, waving his arms to him. "Dress yourself and come down, Master Mark," cried Dummy, in a hoarse whisper, uttered between his hands. "What is it--the enemy?" "Yes," said Dummy, nodding his head a great deal. "He wants to see you." "Me or my father?" "You," whispered Dummy mysteriously. "Look sharp." Mark did look as sharp as he could, hurriedly washing and dressing, while still feeling stupid and thick with sleep. As he went down he saw one of the servants, and asked for Sir Edward, but learned that his father had not long gone to his chamber. He went out of the battered hall-door, looked round at the shivered casements and the walls blackened and whitened by the powder blast, and then hurried through the gateway into the outer court. But Dummy was not there now, so he passed through and saw the boy waiting at the entrance of the gateway which had protected the bridge so poorly on the previous night. "Where is he?" cried Mark. "Bit o' the way down the path," was the reply. "Is it Captain Purlrose?" asked Mark. "Yah! No, not him. T'other enemy." "What enemy? Whom do you mean?" "Him you hate so. Young Ralph Darley." "Here?" cried Mark in astonishment. "Yes; I see him coming up, and was going to heave a big stone down on him, but he threw up his hands, and called out as he wanted you." "Why, what can he want?" cried Mark, flushing with fresh excitement. "I dunno, but it's some mischief, or a Darley wouldn't have come. You be on the look out: he's got his sword. I'll come with you and let him have my pick if he means anything again' you. He's heard of the fighting, and thinks we're beat; so just you look out." "You stop here," said Mark sharply, for he felt that this must be an advance toward friendship on the part of the Darleys--that on hearing of the attack Sir Morton had sent his son as an ambassador, to offer to join Sir Edward Eden in an expedition to crush their mutual foe. "Stop here, Master Mark, and let you go into danger," cried Dummy. "I won't!" "Stop here, sir! How dare you!" cried Mark. "Do you think that I cannot defend myself against a boy like that?" "He's as big a boy as you are, Master Mark, and I won't let you go alone." "Dummy, you're an insolent dog," cried Mark haughtily. "Keep your place, sir, or I'll never go down the mine with you again." "Oh, very well," said the boy sulkily, "but if he cuts your head off, don't come and howl about it to me after it's done." "I promise you I won't," cried Mark.