`` Y ' had no title to my windac , Master John . I would ` a ' done right to have well basted you . If ye go with me , ye must obey me ; and so , come . '' Matcham had half a thought to stay behind ; but , seeing that Dick continued to scour full-tilt towards the eminence and not so much as looked across his shoulder , he soon thought better of that , and began to run in turn . But the ground was very difficult and steep ; Dick had already a long start , and had , at any rate , the lighter heels , and he had long since come to the summit , crawled forward through the firs , and ensconced himself in a thick tuft of gorse , before Matcham , panting like a deer , rejoined him , and lay down in silence by his side . Below , in the bottom of a considerable valley , the short cut from Tunstall hamlet wound downwards to the ferry . It was well beaten , and the eye followed it easily from point to point . Here it was bordered by open glades ; there the forest closed upon it ; every hundred yards it ran beside an ambush . Far down the path , the sun shone on seven steel salets , and from time to time , as the trees opened , Selden and his men could be seen riding briskly , still bent upon Sir Daniel 's mission . The wind had somewhat fallen , but still tussled merrily with the trees , and , perhaps , had Appleyard been there , he would have drawn a warning from the troubled conduct of the birds . `` Now , mark , '' Dick whispered . `` They be already well advanced into the wood ; their safety lieth rather in continuing forward . But see ye where this wide glade runneth down before us , and in the midst of it , these two score trees make like an island ? There were their safety . An they but come sound as far as that , I will make shift to warn them . But my heart misgiveth me ; they are but seven against so many , and they but carry cross-bows . The long-bow , Jack , will have the uppermost ever . '' Meanwhile , Selden and his men still wound up the path , ignorant of their danger , and momently drew nearer hand . Once , indeed , they paused , drew into a group , and seemed to point and listen . But it was something from far away across the plain that had arrested their attention -- a hollow growl of cannon that came , from time to time , upon the wind , and told of the great battle .
It was worth a thought , to be sure ; for if the voice of the big guns were thus become audible in Tunstall Forest , the fight must have rolled ever eastward , and the day , by consequence , gone sore against Sir XXXXX and the lords of the dark rose .
Daniel Dick Jack John downwards glade gorse long-bow misgiveth windac