“A close squeak that, sir.  The fellow died hard,” Joe Sedley said, cheerily.

“It was indeed, Joe.  I owe my life to you.”

“Oh, it was all in the way of business, sir.  You’ll likely enough do as much for me in our next charge.”

Hugh was up a moment after Joe Sedley, for the latter had been nearer to a man with a torch, but he just saw the narrow escape his master had, and was so shaken that his hand trembled as he wrung that of his comrade.

“I must stick to my sword, another time,” Rupert said.  “I am David without his sling without it, and any Goliath who comes along can make short work of me.  Now let us go below and see after Miss van Duyk, and assure ourselves that our enemy is dead at last.  As he said in the boat, I shall never feel quite safe till I know for certain that he is dead.”

Chapter 16:  Ramilies.

Neither Rupert Holliday nor Maria van Duyk would be troubled more with Sir Richard Fulke.  He was absolutely and unquestionably dead.  He had fallen on his head, and death had been instantaneous.  In the man whom Rupert shot through the window, Hugh and he recognized the fellow who had been his accomplice in the attempt to carry off Maria in London.

Maria was wholly uninjured, although she was days before she was able to speak with comfort, so roughly had the gag been thrust into her mouth.  She had not seen her chief abductor after she had been carried off, as Sir Richard must have felt that it was in vain either to threaten or to sue until he had got her in safety far from Dort.

Leaving the rest of the gang to be dealt with by the authorities, Rupert with his followers left Dort two days later, happy in having finally freed his friends from the danger which had so long menaced them.  Mynheer van Duyk said but little; but Rupert knew how deep were his feelings of gratitude; and he again sighed deeply over the fact that Rupert was still but little over eighteen.  Maria herself was equally grateful.

Van Duyk would have freighted a shipful of presents to Rupert’s friends in England, but the latter would not hear of it.  He insisted, however, on sending a pipe of magnificent old Burgundy for the colonel’s drinking; while Maria sent a stomacher of antique workmanship, with valuable gems, to Madame Holliday.

No adventure marked their homeward journey.  Their ship took them rapidly with a fair wind to London Bridge; and Rupert and Hugh started next day by the coach for Derby, the former having made Joe Sedley a handsome present, to enable him to enjoy his holiday, and an invitation to come down to Windthorpe Chace when he was tired of London.

A letter had been written from Holland a few days before starting, to announce their coming, but it was, of course, impossible in the days of sailing ships to fix a day for arrival.