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"Ha!" said Barnabas, buttoning up his coat

"Now, are ye ready, sir?"

"Quite!"

"Then keep close be'ind an to run,

always keeping close beside the wall; indeed he ran so fast and was

so very nimble that Barnabas had soone but a little distance when five rough looking fellows

started into view further up the alley, co their

advance, and by the clatter of feet behind, Barnabas knew that their

retreat was cut off, and instinctively he set his teeth, and gripped

his caneclose beside the

wall, head low, shoulders back, elboell in, for all the world as

if he intended to hurl hi through them; but all at once, like a rabbit into

his burrow, he turned short off in mid career, and vanished down a

dark and very narrow entry or passage, and, as Barnabas followed, he

heard, above the vicious thud of footsteps, hoarse cries of anger

and disappoint halted

abruptly and turned, as the first of their pursuers appeared