Dick bounded to his side and raised him. His face desperately worked;

his whole body was shaken by contorting spasms.

Is the arrow black?" he gasped.

It is black," replied Dick, gravely.

And then, before he could add one word, a desperate seizure of pain shook

the wounded man from head to foot, so that his body leaped in Dick's

supporting arms, and with the extremity of that pang his spirit fled in

silence.

The young man laid him back gently on the snow and prayed for that

unprepared and guilty spirit, and as he prayed the sun came up at a

bound, and the robins began chirping in the ivy.

When he rose to his feet, he found another man upon his knees but a few

steps behind him, and, still with uncovered head, he waited until that

prayer also should be over. It took long; the man, with his head bowed

and his face covered with his hands, prayed like one in a great disorder

or distress of mind; and by the bow that lay beside him, Dick judged that

he was no other than the archer who had laid Sir Daniel low.

At length he, also, rose, and showed the countenance of Ellis Duckworth.

Richard," he said, very gravely, "I heard you. Ye took the better part

The Black Arrow