"Don't you think, instead of paying compliments to one another, we ought to go and get our wounds properly seen to?" "Yes, it would be more sensible. You'll turn off, and go round by the cliff?" "Yes, where the path comes up from the river," replied Ralph. "And we'll finish that fight as soon as ever we can," said Mark. "Very well. I suppose we must see who's best man." "Of course.--Hallo! who's this?" A figure was dimly-seen coming up through the bushes, along the track just mentioned, and directly after, it became fully visible as Master Rayburn with his fish-creel on his back, and rod on shoulder; and they saw the old man stop short and cry: "Shade of good Queen Bess! What's the meaning of this?" CHAPTER FOURTEEN. MASTER RAYBURN BEGINS TO THINK. Neither of the lads answered, for a feeling of confusion which troubled them. They felt abashed at being seen in each other's company; but they had to stop, for the old man planted himself right in the middle of the narrow track, where it passed between two blocks of stone, and as soon as the cob reached him, it began to sniff at his breast and creel, and stood still. "The wolf and the lamb together," said the old man drily, and in the most serious manner; "but which is wolf, and which is lamb?" Then, without waiting for a reply, he caught sight of something in the dimming light beneath the trees, and said; "What's this? Surely, my dear lads, you two have not been fighting? You have--and with swords." Mark's cheeks flushed, and his eyes fell for a moment before the old man's piercing eyes; but he recovered himself directly, before Ralph could speak, and said: "Yes, we've had a desperate fight coming home. Set upon by about a dozen ruffians, and if it had not been for young Darley here--" "You did as much as I did, or more," cried Ralph. "Oh, never mind who did most. We don't know. Had enough to do without. But we whipped them, Master Rayburn, and made the beggars run." "Where was this?" cried the old man. "In the vale at the foot of Ergles. They came down from the cave there." "Were they a set of disbanded soldiers--those who came up to Cliff Castle, Ralph?" "Yes, and to the Black Tor, too," cried Mark. "I thought as much," said the old man eagerly. "Then this accounts for the witches seen on the mountain, and the thefts that have taken place." "Too late, Master Rayburn," cried Mark, laughing. "We caught that fish first.--Didn't we, Darley?" "Yes; we said that was it," replied Ralph. "Then I am too late; and I had made up my mind to go out that way, after I had taken home my fish--after dark--and watch. So you had to run for it?" "Well, I don't know about that," said Mark bluntly. "We retreated at last, when they got too many for us, but we charged six of 'em.--Didn't we, Darley?" "Yes; and upset four, and the other two ran," said Ralph modestly. "But we only had to fight two at a time, and of course that made it even."