of which it was impossible for an officer to follow him, without a
clue. Whoever chose to incur the risk of so doing might enter the Mint
at any hour; but no one was suffered to depart without giving a
satisfactory account of himself, or producing a pass from the Master. In
short, every contrivance that ingenuity could devise was resorted to by
this horde of reprobates to secure themselves from danger or
molestation. Whitefriars had lost its privileges; Salisbury Court and
the Savoy no longer offered places of refuge to the debtor; and it was,
therefore, doubly requisite that the Island of Bermuda (as the Mint was
termed by its occupants) should uphold its rights, as long as it was
able to do so.

Mr. Wood, meantime, had not remained idle. Aware that not a moment was
to be lost, if he meant to render any effectual assistance to the child,
he ceased shouting, and defending himself in the best way he could from
the attacks of Rowland, by whom he was closely pressed, forced his way,
in spite of all opposition, to Davies, and dealt him a blow on the head
with such good will that, had it not been for the intervention of the
wall, the ruffian must have been prostrated. Before he could recover
from the stunning effects of the blow, Wood possessed himself of the
child: and, untying the noose which had been slipped round its throat,
had the satisfaction of hearing it cry lustily.

At this juncture, Sir Cecil and his followers appeared at the threshold.

"He has escaped!" exclaimed the knight; "we have searched every corner
of the house without finding a trace of him."

"Back!" cried Rowland. "Don't you hear those shouts? Yon fellow's
clamour has brought the whole horde of jail-birds and cut-throats that