Page:Gothic Stories.djvu/19

 flying from his enemies, even if flight might be of any avail, he turned his hore, and, in an angry tone, demanded the reaon of their inolence. “Ak no quetions of us,” replied the ferocious Walter, “but urrender yourelf our prioner.” “Slave!” rejoined Fitzalan, intantly drawing his word, and advancing upon the ruffian, who was not backward in doing the ame. Fitzalan, at lat, diarmed his opponent, and, at the fame intant, received a blow on the temple from Hugo, who had lyly got behind him, which tretched him eneles on the ground. On recovering from his trance, he found himelf bound to the hore, his hands firmly fatened behind him, and the hore led by the two ruffians who had attacked him. He repeatedly aked his conductors to what place they were conveying him, but he aked them in vain; they preerved the mot profound ilence. After having travelled acros the heath above an hour, the faint beams of the waning moon howed, at ome ditance, the turrets of a catle, which appeared to Fitzalan to be that of the baron Fitzurban. He was right in his conjecture it was the catle of Fitzurban; and thither were the ruffians conveying him. In a few minutes they reached it; and Walter having given the ignal, the draw-bridge was let down; Fitzalan, when diarmed, and faint with los of blood, finding it impoible to make any effectual reitance, uffered himelf to be taken off the hore and fettered. He was now led by Hugo and Walter, with their words drawn, into the inner court; and Walter taking a key from his pocket applied it to a door, the lock of which being ruty with age, it was ome time before it could be made to open; but, at length, he ucceeded. He entered, followed by Fitzalan and Hugo, and decended a number of teps into a paage of great length, damp and noiome; from which many others branched forth: at the end of this paage, a may door trongly bolted preented itelf. Walter drew back the bolts, and unlocking the door, conducted Fitzalan into a dungeon of considerable extent, and wet with unwholeome vapours. In one corner lay a