"
Escaped!" exclaimed Herne, springing from his steed, and rushing up to
him; "dogs! you have played me false. But your lives shall pay the
penalty of your perfidy."
"We had no hand in it whatever," replied Fenwolf doggedly. "She
contrived to get out of a chamber in which I placed her, and to liberate
Sir Thomas Wyat. They then procured a steed from the stable, and
plunged through the pool into the lake."
"Hell's malison upon them, and upon you both!" cried Herne. "But you
shall pay dearly for your heedlessness, - if, indeed, it has not been
something worse. How long have they been gone?"
"It may be two hours," replied Fenwolf.
"Go to the cave," cried Herne, "and await my return there; and if I
recover not the prize, woe betide you both!"
And with these words, he vaunted upon his steed and disappeared.
"And woe betide you too, false fiend!" cried Fenwolf. "When you come
back you shall meet with a welcome you little expect. Would we had
fired the train, Tristram, even though we had perished with him!"
It will be time enough to fire it on his return," replied the old forester; "it
is but postponing our vengeance for a short time. And now to fix our
positions.
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