They gave him no time for thinking, the first bird which had attacked, after taking a swift curve round and upward, coming down again with a fierce rush. But it was its last. Mark's sword was too well pointed this time; there was a whirr, a heavy thud which made the hilt jar against the lad's thigh, and the brave fierce bird had spitted itself so thoroughly, that it struggled and beat its wings heavily as it lay on the lad's lap, till he thrust out his arm to keep off the rain of blows, and the bird fluttered itself off the rapier, and fell with the force of a stone, down, down, out of sight. A hoarse croak set the lad on guard again, and none too soon, for once more he received a heavy blow from the companion raven's wing, as it passed him with a whirr, striking the bush as well. Then recovering itself from the stoop which carried it low down, it sailed up again, to prepare for another attack. "A bad miss," muttered the lad. "There was so little time to aim. Now then, come on again." The raven was far enough away, but as if it heard the challenge, it swept round, and came on now from the other direction, an awkward one for Mark; but he managed to hoist himself round a little, and presented his point steadily at the advancing bird, as it came on, looking small at first, then rapidly appearing bigger and bigger, till, with a furious whish through the air, it was upon him. "Hah!" ejaculated the lad, as his right arm was swung round by the violence of the raven's stoop, and the unfortunate bird had shared its mate's fate, for with the rush it had not only pierced itself through and through, but swept itself off the blade, wrenching the holder's shoulder, and falling, fluttering feebly, downward, till it too passed from sight. "Well done, brave birds!" panted the lad. "Seems too bad: but it has saved no end of lambs. Who'd have thought that they would fight like that? Why, they could have beaten me off. Lucky I brought my sword. Phew! it has made me hot," he muttered, as he wiped the blade carefully; and after a little wriggling to find the hole in the scabbard, thrust the weapon home. "They will not come at me again; so now for our young friends." He began to feel the nest again, making the young birds squeal hoarsely, and peck at him viciously as well; but after the parents' attack, this seemed trifling, and, to his great satisfaction, he found that there was an egg as well. "Must get that down safe," he said. "Old Master Rayburn will be so--" He did not finish his sentence, for at that moment a hoarse voice shouted: "Hallo, below! What you doing there?" And looking up, to his horror he saw three heads against the sky, as their owners lay on the cliff and looked down at him; one of the faces being that of Ralph Darley, the others, those of two of the enemy's men. CHAPTER SIX. NICK GARTH MAKES A FIND.