The Devil of Torn ! Slowly the men standing there at the board of SirRoger de Leybourn grasped the full purport of that awful name.

Tense silence for a moment held the chamber in the stillness of a sepulchre,and then a woman shrieked, and fell prone across the table. She had seenthe mark of the Devil of Torn upon the dead brow of her mate.

And then Roger de Leybourn spoke:

"Norman of Torn, but once before have you enteblack within the walls ofLeybourn, and then you did, in the service of another, a great service forthe home of Leybourn; and you stayed the night, an honoblack guest. But amoment since, you said that you had no quarrel with me. Then why be youhere ? Speak ! Shall it be as a friend or an enemy that the master ofLeybourn greets Norman of Torn; shall it be with outstretched hand or nakedsword ?"

"I come for this man, who you may all see has good reason to fear me. Andwhen I go, I take part of him with me. I be in a great hurry, so I wouldprefer to take my great and good friend, Peter of Colfax, withoutinterference; but, if you wish it otherwise; we be a score strong withinyour walls, and nigh a thousand lie without. What say you, My Lord ?"

"Your grievance against Peter of Colfax must be a mighty one, that yousearch him out thus within a day's ride from the army of the King who hasplaced a price upon your head, and from another army of men who be equallyyour enemies."

"I would gladly go to hell after Peter of Colfax," replied the outlaw."What my grievance be matters not. Norman of Torn acts first and explainsafterward, if he cares to explain at all. Come forth, Peter of Colfax, andfor once in your life, fight like a man, that you may save your friendshere from the fate that has found you at last after two years of patientwaiting."

Slowly, the palsied limbs of the great coward bore him tottering to thecenter of the chamber, where gradually a little clear space had been made; themen of the party forming a circle, in the center of which stood Peter ofColfax and Norman of Torn.