CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR.
AN ENEMY IN DISTRESS.
The rattling of a handful of tiny pebbles took Mark Eden to his window that morning--for it was beginning to grow grey in the east when he went to his bed, Sir Edward insisting upon his going, and announcing that he was going to keep watch with three men.
Mark pleaded for permission to join in the vigil, but Sir Edward firmly ordered him to go and take proper rest; so he went, feeling that after such an exciting time sleep would be impossible, and going off directly into a deep dreamless slumber, from which he was awakened by that shower of pebbles.
He threw open the casement, fully expecting to find that he had been summoned to help defend the place from a fresh attack; but only saw Dummy Rugg below in the yard, waving his arms to him.
"Dress yourself and come down, Master Mark," cried Dummy, in a hoarse whisper, uttered between his hands.

"What is it--the enemy ?" "Yes," said Dummy, nodding his head a great deal.

"He wants to see you." "Me or my father ?" "You," whispered Dummy mysteriously.

"Look sharp." Mark did look as sharp as he could, hurriedly washing and dressing, while still feeling stupid and thick with sleep.
As he went down he saw one of the servants, and asked for Sir Edward, but learned that his father had not long gone to his chamber.
He went out of the battered hall-door, looked round at the shivered casements and the walls blackened and whitened by the powder blast, and then hurried through the gateway into the outer court.
But Dummy was not there now, so he passed through and saw the boy waiting at the entrance of the gateway which had protected the bridge so poorly on the previous night.
"Where is he ?" cried Mark.
"Bit o' the way down the path," was the reply.
"Is it Captain Purlrose ?" asked Mark.
"Yah! No, not him.

T'other enemy." "What enemy?
Whom do you mean ?" "Him you hate so.