“Good-bye again, Angus, I shall not forget you,” he said. At that moment Ian returned and they mounted their horses and bade farewell and rode off. The boy stood in the grey dawn, gazing regretfully after them down the road. Then a thought struck him. He felt puzzled. “Why, I do not believe that was a boy at all,--No, I am sure it was not. It must have been the little lady herself. What a fool I was not to think of it before. But fancy her taking a kiss from the likes of me!” They had hardly disappeared from sight, when he heard the clatter of hoofs behind him and a body of armed men rode down the street. “Good morrow, my lad,” said their leader, “you are up betimes.” Wilfred had decided that it would be best to appear very communicative and then perhaps they would not trouble to ask any one else. “Yes,” he said, “there have been some silly loons here, who did not know what a good thing bed is on a cold winter morning, routing me up to look after their horses,” and Wilfred half turned on his heel as though he would go back to the house. “Not so fast, my lad,” said the leader, “who were they, and what were they like?” “Oh, there were two of them, a man in homespun and his page, though why he should have a page perplexed me not a little. Do you know who he was, good sirs, I should like to know the meaning of it?” “That is not your concern, lad; come, can you tell me any more? Was he a big man?” “No, he was about middle size; but very well built, with deep set grey eyes and a fine face.” “Humph,” grunted the horseman, “deep set grey eyes, yes; to the devil with the fine face! And what about the other?” he added. “Oh, he was a pretty slip of a boy.” “Were they armed?” “They both had swords and the man had pistols.” “That’s they, right enough; but one more question--Where did they come from and where are they going?” “They came from Alston and arrived very tired last night.” “That settles it, and which way did you say they had gone now?” “Oh, they set off along the Carlisle road, long before it was light. You don’t want to find them, do you? You’ll never do it if you stand talking here; marry, you’ve got your work cut out for you if you want to catch them.” “Come along, men,” said their leader. “They must be pretty well in Carlisle by now,” shouted Wilfred, as they started off. “You will hardly do it.” “To hell fire with them; but we’ll get them yet”; and the horses thundered down the road. CHAPTER XXV AMAZING DISCOVERIES Wilfred stood and rubbed his hands. “I would give a week’s pay to see them in Carlisle,” he chuckled. Meanwhile Ian and Aline gently made their way along the road to Longtown without mishap. They saw a small body of troopers once; but the troopers took no notice of them. In the desultory border warfare people went about their business practically unconcerned. Life had to go on and, if they waited till there was no fighting, to all intents and purposes they might, in those districts, wait for ever.