As their eye fell upon the party they gave a shout, ran out into the road, and drew their swords.
Roger and Oswald rode at them.

Parrying a thrust of one of the men, Oswald cut him down; while Roger, with a tremendous blow from his staff, stretched the other man on the road.
"Ride on, girls! We will follow you," Oswald shouted.
Jessie was sitting behind John, and they and Janet dashed forward, and rode into the water.

Oswald and Roger followed, as six men, armed with spear and sword, ran out from the house.

Seeing that they were too late, the leader shouted to the others: "Fetch out the horses, and chase them!" and, before the party had gained the opposite bank, their pursuers dashed into the water.
"Don't press your horses too hardly," Oswald said, as they galloped along.

"They are too close behind us for us to get help from any of the small villages, but they dare not follow us into Longtown, and we have barely a ten miles' ride." They had some two hundred yards' start, and for the first four miles held their own; then their pursuers began to gain upon them.