IN ENGLAND AGAIN 305

“There is no one here except two young fellows, who
look to me as if they had spent their last penny in London,
and were travelling down home again.” He spoke in a
lowered voice, but the words came plainly enough to the
ears of the listeners within. Another word or two was
spoken, and then the landlord took the horse and led it
round to a stable behind, while its rider entered the room.
He stopped for amoment at the open door of the tap-room
and stared at the two young men, who had just put on their
hats again. ‘They looked up carelessly, and Harry said —

“Fine weather for this time of year.”

The man replied by a grunt, and then passed on into the
landlord’s private room.

“That is the fellow, sure enough, Charlie,” Harry said
in a low tone. “TI thought your eyes might have deceived
you, but I remember his face well. Now what is to be
done?”

“We won’t lose sight of him again,” Charlie said.
“Though if we do we shall know where to pick up his
traces, for he evidently frequents this place. I should
say he has taken to the road, there were a brace of pistols
in the holsters. ‘That is how it is that we have not found
him before. Well, at any rate, there is no use trying to
make his acquaintance here. ‘The first question is, Will
he stay here for the night or not—and if he does not,
which way will he go?”

“He came from the north,” Harry said. “So if he goes
it will be towards town.”

“That isso. Our best plan will be to pay our reckoning
and start. We will go a hundred yards or so down the
road, and then lie down behind a hedge, so as to see if he
passes. If he does not leave before nightfall, we will come
up to the house and reconnoitre. If he does not leave by
ten, he is here for the night, and we must make ourselves as
snug as we can under a stack. ‘The nights are getting cold,