He had thus been unable to procure
horses for us, but at Eccleshall he had managed to obtain a pillion for
Margaret's use behind him.
This was awkward indeed, for though Master Freake had ridden hard, the
pursuit could not be very far behind, and if, as was almost certain, the
dragoons turned up at the "Ring of Bells," the sergeant would be set free,
and be after us like a mad bull. There was, however, a margin of time
available, and therefore I put this problem out of my mind, and attended
only to the urgent one of the Colonel's position.
To me there was only one explanation possible. This continual shifting of
the Colonel, ever under the charge of those rascally dragoons, commanded
now by a man whose familiarity with Tixall was an evil augury, meant one
thing only. Soon, perhaps within an hour or two, there would be fighting,
and under cover of that a stab in the back or a bullet in the head would
clear the Colonel out of Brocton's path for ever.
"Take these papers, Master Freake," said I. "Mistress Waynflete will tell
you what has happened here, and you can give them back to their owner if
you choose.
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