THE LONE ADVENTURE THE LONE ADVENTURE BY HALLIWELL SUTCLIFFE GEORGE H. DORAN COMPANY NEW YORK _Publishers in America for Hodder & Stoughton_ Copyright, 1911, By George H. Doran Company CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE I. THE FIGHT ON THE MOOR 1 II. THE NIGHT-RIDER 24 III. THE HURRIED DAYS 45 IV. THE LOYAL MEET 66 V. THE HORSE-THIEF 74 VI. THE PRINCE COMES SOUTH 91 VII. THE HEIR RETURNS 104 VIII. THE ROAD TO THE THRONE 122 IX. THE STAY-AT-HOMES 150 X. HOW THE PIPES PLAYED DREARILY 182 XI. THE TALE COMES TO WINDYHOUGH 202 XII. THE GALLOP 232 XIII. THE RIDING IN 256 XIV. THE GLAD DEFENCE 263 XV. THE BRUNT OF IT 281 XVI. THE NEED OF SLEEP 302 XVII. THE PLEASANT FURY 319 XVIII. THE RIDING OUT 330 XIX. THE FORLORN HOPE 343 XX. THE GLORY OF IT 363 XXI. LOVE IN EXILE 383 THE LONE ADVENTURE CHAPTER I THE FIGHT ON THE MOOR IN a gorge of the moors, not far away as the crow flies from Pendle Hill, stood a grim, rambling house known to the heath-men as Windyhough. It had been fortified once; but afterwards, in times of ease, successive owners had thought more of dice and hunting than of warfare, and within-doors the house was furnished with a comfort that belied its loopholed walls. It stood in the county of Lancaster, famed for its loyalty and for the beauty of its women--two qualities that often run together--and there had been Royds at Windyhough since Norman William first parcelled out the County Palatine among the strong men of his following. The Royd pride had been deep enough, yet chivalrous and warm-hearted, as of men whose history is an open book, not fearing scrutiny but asking it. The heir of it all--house, and name, and lusty pride--came swinging over the moor-crest that gave him a sight of Windyhough, lying far below in the haze of the November afternoon. It was not Rupert’s fault that he was the heir, and less strong of body than others of his race. It was not his fault that Lady Royd, his mother, had despised him from infancy, because he broke the tradition of his house that all its sons must needs be strong and good to look at.