At the summit was a hard chalk road, and here we dismounted to rest our weary steeds, and, throwing ourselves on the damp grass, we listened intently for any sounds of pursuit. We were at a considerable height above the sea, for almost below us, as it seemed, were the watch-fires of the rebel outpost at Portsbridge, which we had ridden through but twenty minutes before. The camp was in a state of uproar, men shouting, horses neighing, while from the road below came the sounds of a body of horses rapidly galloping in the direction they had supposed us to have taken. At length the day began to dawn, and, led by Sergeant Lawson, whose knowledge of the country was surprising, we descended the hill by a more gradual slope, keeping a safe distance from, but following the general direction of, the London road. At intervals we passed several countrymen, who gazed at us with open-mouthed astonishment, for as yet the horrors of this disastrous civil war had not been brought home to them. The common hind still ploughed his land or tended his sheep, careless of the affairs of the kingdom, but before long the constant levy upon his crops, by foragers of both sides, goaded the peasant into a state dangerous both to Royalists and rebels. On emerging from a wood hard by the village of Catherington, I saw before us a tall, grass-covered hill crowned by a windmill, and, to my delight, I recognised a well-known landmark within sight of our castle of Ashley. Boldly crossing the deserted highway, we rode through the village of Chalton, every step of the way now being familiar, and, just as the sun appeared above the downs, we came in sight of my ancestral home. Snugly ensconced between two lofty spurs of the South Downs, Ashley Castle, though more of a dwelling than a fortress, was well able to be put in a state of defence, and, in the absence of artillery, which an enemy would be at great pains to draw over the rough hill-roads, it could be relied upon to withstand a lengthy siege. Notwithstanding the early hour, the castle was astir, thick clouds of smoke arising from the kitchen chimneys, while at the gate stood a pikeman, his steel headpiece glittering in the rays of the sun. The drawbridge over the moat was raised, and, on our approach, there was a rush of armed men to the walls, and, though the garrison appeared but few in number, it was not lacking in watchfulness. Removing my steel cap, I waved it above my head, and, being instantly recognised, the drawbridge slowly sank into position, and we passed beneath the gateway, where my mother and sister were awaiting us. In a few words I introduced my companions, and explained the circumstances of my home-coming, and, to my surprise, my mother expressed her approval of my action in leaving Newport. Telling the grooms to take charge of our horses, and giving directions for a meal to be spread, she led the way to the great panelled hall.