upon his shoulders, clambered on to the cope-stone.

"Now, Greensheve," whispered Dick, "follow me up here; lie flat upon your

face, that ye may be the less seen; and be ever ready to give me a hand

if I fall foully on the other side."

And so saying he dropped into the garden.

It was all pitch dark; there was no light in the house. The wind

whistled shrill among the poor shrubs, and the surf beat upon the beach;

there was no other sound. Cautiously Dick footed it forth, stumbling

among bushes, and groping with his hands; and presently the crisp noise

of gravel underfoot told him that he had struck upon an alley.

Here he paused, and taking his crossbow from where he kept it concealed

under his long tabard, he prepared it for instant action, and went

forward once more with greater resolution and assurance. The path led

him straight to the group of buildings.

All seemed to be sorely dilapidated: the windows of the house were

secured by crazy shutters; the stables were open and empty; there was no

hay in the hay-loft, no corn in the corn-box. Any one would have

supposed the place to be deserted. But Dick had good reason to think

otherwise. He continued his inspection, visiting the offices, trying all

the windows. At length he came round to the sea-side of the house, and

there, sure enough, there burned a pale light in one of the upper

windows.

The Black Arrow