"How long would it take to cross the valley?" I asked.
"That depends on luck," Hugh said. "Liddesdale is not a single valley; it is Y-shaped. If we manage to cross the downstroke of the Y we could be over in three hours at the most. If we are less lucky it will take twice as long, or we could be there forever, mouldering at the foot of a shallow grave."
"Let"s try it," I said. "If you agree." I felt a surge of excitement at the thought of crossing the Armstrong homeland of Liddesdale. Until the Yorling"s raid, I had never thought of the Armstrongs except as a distant menace. Although we were always prepared for a raid on the Lethan, I had not considered Liddesdale or the Armstrongs as being a direct threat to me. Now, since I had met Wild Will face to scarred face and I knew what sort of
