"It will be rather hard, though, if they do not, after all this drilling and teaching." "Oh! those men may," said the secretary, hastily. "I meant the people from the village." "Well, we shall see," said Roy. "But what makes you say that the enemy are near?" said the secretary, giving him a searching look. "The messenger who brought the news. Farmer Raynes." "Farmer Raynes?" "Yes; he was taken and escaped." At that moment Ben came up with a grim look of satisfaction upon his countenance. "Morning, sir," he said to the secretary. "You see the enemy have found us out. Ready for them?" "I? What do you mean?" "Ready to doctor some of us as gets our heads and legs knocked off by cannon-balls. I beg pardon, Master Roy, sir, her ladyship's a-signalling to you yonder. What does she say to the enemy coming?" "My mother!" said Roy, excitedly, as he caught sight of her at one of the corridor windows. "I have not seen her yet." CHAPTER EIGHTEEN. ROYLAND CASTLE AFTER ITS GROWL. Lady Royland received the news calmly enough, and was the first to allude to the flag, which she said would be, though unfinished, suitable enough to hoist whenever her son thought it right to do so. "The sooner, then, the better, I should say, mother," cried Roy. "Let them see it waving when they come near." "By all means, my boy. I am glad to find that you have everything in so good a state of preparation. The guns startled me a little, but I expected to hear them some time. Do you think the men will prove true and come in?" "True, mother? Yes, of course." A few minutes later Roy came out with the silken flag hanging in folds across his arm like a cloak, and hurried to where Ben and the three troopers were busy loading the two guns, run out now into the gate-way so as to command the road from each side of the raised bridge. The men were all armed, and a look of excitement was in every face, notably in that of Farmer Raynes, who was fidgeting about and looking anxious. Roy handed the flag to Ben, who took it proudly, and nodded his satisfaction. "You'll come up and be there at the hoisting, sir?" he said. "Of course. Yes--what is it?" "Master Pawson, sir," whispered the old soldier, with a laugh; "we managed to wake him up at last." Roy smiled and went to where the farmer stood, watching him anxiously, and finally making a sign to him to come. "Want to speak to me, Master Raynes?" he said. "Yes, sir; I'm in agonies about my men. They'll be coming along soon and falling into a trap, for some of those troopers will be hanging about the road." "Yes, this is serious," said Roy, who grasped the difficulties of the reinforcements he hoped soon to receive. Ben was called into counsel, and his suggestion was that the guns on the four towers should be manned ready to cover the advance of the friends, and keep back the enemy.