There followed next a piece of open , which Dick avoided , holding to his left . Two minutes after , and the same obstacle arising , the lads followed the same course . Thus it followed that , while the lads , bending continually to the left , drew nearer and nearer to the high road and the river which they had crossed an hour or two before , the great bulk of their pursuers were leaning to the other hand , and running towards Tunstall . The lads paused to breathe . There was no sound of pursuit . Dick put his ear to the ground , and still there was nothing ; but the wind , to be sure , still made a turmoil in the trees , and it was hard to make certain . `` On again , '' said Dick ; and , tired as they were , and Matcham limping with his injured foot , they pulled themselves together , and once more pelted down the hill . Three minutes later , they were breasting through a low thicket of evergreen . High overhead , the tall trees made a continuous roof of foliage . It was a pillared grove , as high as a cathedral , and except for the hollies among which the lads were struggling , open and smoothly swarded . On the other side , pushing through the last fringe of evergreen , they blundered forth again into the open twilight of the grove . `` Stand ! '' cried a voice . And there , between the huge stems , not fifty feet before them , they beheld a stout fellow in green , sore blown with running , who instantly drew an arrow to the head and covered them . Matcham stopped with a cry ; but Dick , without a pause , ran straight upon the forester , drawing his dagger as he went . The other , whether he was startled by the daring of the onslaught , or whether he was hampered by his orders , did not shoot ; he stood wavering ; and before he had time to come to himself , Dick bounded at his throat , and sent him sprawling backward on the turf . The arrow went one way and the bow another with a sounding twang . The disarmed forester grappled his assailant ; but the dagger shone and descended twice . Then came a couple of groans , and then Dick rose to his feet again , and the man lay motionless , stabbed to the heart . `` On ! ''
said XXXXX ; and he once more pelted forward , Matcham trailing in the rear .
Dick Matcham Tunstall forester hollies hour left minutes twang twilight