But a second glance showed him their red cloaks and military steel caps, and he knew them for soldiers of the Commonwealth.
Hearing the beat of hoofs behind him, he looked over his shoulder to see four other troopers closing rapidly down upon him.

Clearly he was the object of their attention.

He had been a fool not to have perceived this earlier, and his heart misgave him, for all that had he paused to think he must have realized that he had naught to fear, and that in this some mistake must lie.
"Halt!" thundered the deep voice of the sergeant, who, with a trooper, held the road in front.
Kenneth drew up within a yard of them, conscious that the man's dark eyes were scanning him sharply from beneath his morion.
"Who are you, sir ?" the bass voice demanded.
Alas for the vanity of poor human mites! Even Kenneth, who never yet had achieved aught for the cause he served, grew of a sudden chill to think that perchance this sergeant might recognize his name for one that he had heard before associated with deeds performed on the King's behalf.
For a second he hesitated; then: "Blount," he stammered, "Jasper Blount." He little thought how that fruit of his vanity was to prove his undoing thereafter.
"Verily," sneered the sergeant, "it almost seemed you had forgotten it." And from that sneer Kenneth gathered with fresh dread that the fellow mistrusted him.
"Whence are you, Master Blount ?" Again Kenneth hesitated.

Then recalling Ashburn's high favour with the Parliament, and seeing that it could but advance his cause to state the true sum of his journey: "From Castle Marleigh," he replied.
"Verily, sir, you seem yet in some doubt.

Whither do you go ?" "To London." "On what errand ?" The sergeant's questions fell swift as sword-strokes.
"With letters for Colonel Pride." The reply, delivered more boldly than Kenneth had spoken hitherto, was not without its effect.
"From whom are these letters ?" "From Mr.Joseph Ashburn, of Castle Marleigh." "Produce them." With trembling fingers Kenneth complied.