Kings of Carrick

MURE SEEKS SAFETY AT NEWARK. in
horse in the direction of the knoll, where the Kennedys were
waiting for him. This the attendant perceived ; and riding
hack at an angle towards the road, he hurried with all avail-
able speed to execute his errand in time. Auchendrane was not
more than a couple of hundred yards from the hillock ; the
attendant was more than double that distance from Mure
himself.
Anxious not to raise any alarm, the attendant pressed on
in silence, until he saw that if he contented himself with
signalling — and so far, thanks to the nature of the country,
Mure had not perceived him — he must fail in his attempt to
warn his leader. There was no help for it but to shout ; and
shout he did with might and main.
" Ho ! " he yelled, at the pitch of his voice, " the hillock,
the hillock ! The Kennedys ! "
Mure caught the words; so did the Master of Cassillis.
The former reined up on the instant ; but when he saw a
troop of horsemen dash out from behind the knoll, he turned
his horse's head for Newark, and stayed not a instant on the
order of his going. He had a good start ; he was fairly
mounted ; but he took nothing for granted. With heel and
whip he encouraged his horse ; and the horse, partaking of
the excitement so suddenly sprung upon them, laid himself
down into a long striding gallop.
There was racing and chasing ; the road was uneven ; a
distance of a hundred yards was all that intervened between
the pursuers and their prey ; and the strong shelter of New-
ark was half-a-mile away. An excellent horseman, Mure
took all the speed that was available out of the steed which
he bestrode. If the Kennedys lessened the distance, it was
imperceptible. The Master encouraged them to the utmost ;
and they dashed pell-mell along the slope of the hill without
regard to the ruggedness of the way. Pistol shots were fired
at the pursued, but the distance was too great ; and the only
result of the shots was that the warder on duty on Newark