that the distance was too great, and that the cattle could not be
left. The soldiery seemed to him to spend their spare time in
defacing the many churches of the city, chiefly in order to do what
they called purifying them from all idols, in which term they
included every sort of carving or picture, or even figures on
monuments.

And in this work of destruction a chest containing church plate had
been come upon, making their work greedy instead of only mischievous.

When all the churches in Bristol had been ransacked, they began to
extend their search to the parish churches in the neighbourhood, and
Stead began to be very anxious, though he hoped and believed that the
cave was a perfectly safe place.




CHAPTER XIV.

THE QUESTION.



"Dogged as does it."--TROLLOPE.


Stead, Stead," cried Rusha, running up to him, as he was slowly
digging over his stubble field to prepare it for the next crop, "the
soldiers are in Elmwood."