428 THE SMUGGLER. 



a servant behind him, rode up at speed to tho principal 

 entrance of the churchyard. 



"I ana come to help yon, my men," cried Sir Edward 

 Digby^ springing to the ground, and giving his rein to his 

 servant. " Will you let us in to your redoubt? The dragoons 

 will soon be over; I sent your messenger on." 



" Perhaps, sir, you may have your trouble for your pains, 

 after all," answered young Harris, opening the gate to let 

 Digby and his horses in; "the fellows have not shown them- 

 selves,, and very likely won't come." 



"Oh, yes! they will," said the young baronet, advancing 

 simongst them, and looking round on every side; "I saw a 

 long line of men on horseback moving over the hill as I came. 

 Put the horses under cover of that shed, Somers. You should 

 cut down those thick bushes near the wall. They will conceal 

 their movements. Have you any axes?" 



" Here is one," cried a young man, and immediately he set 

 to work, hewing down the shrubs and bushes to which Digby 

 pointed. 



In the mean time the young officer ran over the groups 

 with his eye, calculating their numbers, and at length he said: 

 " You had better confine yourselves to defending the church; 

 you are not enough to meet them out here. I counted a 

 hundred and fifty, and there may be more. Station your best 

 marksmen at the windows and on the roof of the tower, and 

 put a few stout resolute fellows to guard the door in case these 

 scoundrels get nearer than we wish them. As we all act 

 upon our own responsibility, however, we had better be cau- 

 tious, and abstain from offensive measures till they are abso- 

 lutely necessary for the defence of ourselves and the security 

 of the prisoners. Besides, if they are kept at bay for some 

 time, the dragoons will take them in flank, and a good number 

 may be captured." 



"We can deal with them ourselves," said the voice of 

 Harding, in a stern tone. He had been standing by, listening 

 in grave silence, with a gun in his hand, which he had bor- 

 rowed at farmer Harris's; and now, as soon as he had spoken, 

 he turned away, walked into the church, and climbed to the 

 roof of the tower. There, after examining the priming of the 

 piece, he seated himself coolly upon the little parapet, and 

 looked out over the country, the moment after his voice was 



