redoubled his exertions, now slightly altering his course. When it
was fairly dark he emerged from the wood upon the road by which he
had made his flight in the morning.

'Thank God. Here the dogs, among so many other scents, must miss
mine.' He perceived to his great joy that there was not a star in the
heavens; nor was there to be seen any of the dusky yellow in the
south-east which marks the rising of the harvest moon.

The wind was blowing from the south-west, and the fugitive's eyes
could see that large masses of dark cloud were rolling before the
wind, and gathering to leeward like a mighty army, which halts its
forces to prepare for battle. A heavy storm was brewing, and there
would be no light from the moon. Providence indeed had been kind to
Roland, giving in the morning the shelter of His forest's sanctuary,
and now the kindly shadow of His clouds.

He had lost the sound of the pursuers, and concluded that they must
have either returned for the night, or sped the opposite way. He had
not gone far, when he was startled by the sharp whinny of a horse.
His first impulse was to avoid the beast; but upon consideration he
resolved to reconnoitre. Approaching cautiously he found that the
cause of his alarm was one horse only, tied to a tree which grew by
the roadside. His sight having become accustomed to the darkness he
was soon able to assure himself that no human being was nigh.
Proceeding then to the animal, which he found saddled--it belonged no
doubt to one of the pursuers who had left it there while in the woods
with the hounds--he tightened the girths, mounted and rode away. This
was indeed a godsend! He had not proceeded far when he saw a horseman
approaching, The stranger stopped and pulled rein.