You will therefore be well protected.
Let us have something to eat, and then in ten minutes we will be in
the saddle. Charley, fetch down three blue-lights, two signal
rockets, and two of the tin rockets. Maud, fill our pocket-flasks
with brandy. Hubert, you boys will each take your carbine and a
revolver; I will carry my long rifle, and the other two Colts."
In ten minutes they were ready to mount, and after a final embrace,
and many a "Be sure and take care of yourselves" from their mother
and sisters, they started off across the plain at a long, steady
gallop.
"They have got just an hour's start, boys," Mr. Hardy said. "Your
mother said that it was exactly half an hour from the first alarm
to my arrival, and I was in the house a minute or two under that
time. It is about half-past twelve now."
"It is very fortunate, papa, that we had our horses safe up at the
house."
"Yes, boys. If we had been obliged to wait until tomorrow morning
before starting, our chance of coming up would have been very
slight. As it is, we shall be up with them in three or four hours.
The sheep cannot go really fast more than twelve or fifteen miles,
especially with their heavy fleeces on."
Half an hour's riding took them to the scene of the attack. As they
neared it they saw two figures lying upon the grass.
Pages:
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
181
182