76 MASTER SKYLARK

they to stop him? This was not the Stratford road; he
was certain of that now. But “Stop him—stop him
there!” he heard the master-player call, and a wild, un-
reasoning fright came over him. He dug his heels into
the palfrey’s heaving sides and urged him up the hill
through the cloud of dust that came rolling down behind
the horsemen. The hindmost riders had plunged into
those before, and the whole array was struggling, shout-
ing, and wrangling in wild disorder; but out of the flurry
Carew and the bandy-legged man with the ribbon in his
ear spurred furiously and came galloping after him at the
top of their speed.

Nick cried out, and beat the palfrey with the rein; but
the chase was short. They overtook him as he topped the
hill, one on each side, and, leaning over, Carew snatched
the bridle from his hand. “Thou little imp!” he panted,
as he turned the roan around and started down the hill.
“Don’t try this on again!”

“Oh, Master Carew,” gasped Nick, “what are ye going
to do wi me?”

“Do with thee?” cried the master-player, savagely
clapping his hand upon his poniard,—“ why, I am going
to do with thee just whatever I please. Dosthear? And,
hark ’e, this sort of caper doth not please me at all; and
by the whistle of the Lord High Admiral, if thou triest it
on again, thy life is not worth a rotten peascod !”

Unbuckling the rein, he tossed one end to the bandy-
legged man, and holding the other in his own hand, with
Nick riding helpiessly between them, they trotted down the