’Iwill，sir，Iwill——whenI’vegotmystaff。I’llgohomeandgetit，andcomesharphere，andstartinabody。’
’Staff！——nevermindyourstaff；theman’llbegone！’
’ButIcan’tdonothingwithoutmystaff——canI，William，andJohn，andCharlesJake？No；forthere’stheking’sroyalcrownapaintedoneninyallerandgold，andthelionandtheunicorn，soaswhenI
raiseenupandhitmyprisoner，’tismadealawfulblowthereby。I
wouldn’t’tempttotakeupamanwithoutmystaff——no，notI。IfI
hadn’tthelawtogiemecourage，why，insteado’mytakinguphimhemighttakeupme！’
’Now，I’making’smanmyself；andcangiveyouauthorityenoughforthis，’saidtheformidableofficeringray。’Nowthen，allofye，beready。Haveyeanylanterns？’
’Yes——haveyeanylanterns？——Idemandit！’saidtheconstable。
’Andtherestofyouable-bodied——’
’Able-bodiedmen——yes——therestofye！’saidtheconstable。
’Haveyousomegoodstoutstavesandpitch-forks——’
’Stavesandpitchforks——inthenameo’thelaw！Andtake’eminyerhandsandgoinquest，anddoasweinauthoritytellye！’
Thusaroused，themenpreparedtogivechase。Theevidencewas，indeed，thoughcircumstantial，soconvincing，thatbutlittleargumentwasneededtoshowtheshepherd’sgueststhatafterwhattheyhadseenitwouldlookverymuchlikeconnivanceiftheydidnotinstantlypursuetheunhappythirdstranger，whocouldnotasyethavegonemorethanafewhundredyardsoversuchunevencountry。
Ashepherdisalwayswellprovidedwithlanterns；and，lightingthesehastily，andwithhurdle-stavesintheirhands，theypouredoutofthedoor，takingadirectionalongthecrestofthehill，awayfromthetown，therainhavingfortunatelyalittleabated。
Disturbedbythenoise，orpossiblybyunpleasantdreamsofherbaptism，thechildwhohadbeenchristenedbegantocryheart-
brokenlyintheroomoverhead。Thesenotesofgriefcamedownthroughthechinksofthefloortotheearsofthewomenbelow，whojumpeduponebyone，andseemedgladoftheexcusetoascendandcomfortthebaby，fortheincidentsofthelasthalf-hourgreatlyoppressedthem。Thusinthespaceoftwoorthreeminutestheroomontheground-floorwasdesertedquite。
Butitwasnotforlong。Hardlyhadthesoundoffootstepsdiedawaywhenamanreturnedroundthecornerofthehousefromthedirectionthepursuershadtaken。Peepinginatthedoor，andseeingnobodythere，heenteredleisurely。Itwasthestrangerofthechimney-corner，whohadgoneoutwiththerest。Themotiveofhisreturnwasshownbyhishelpinghimselftoacutpieceofskimmer-cakethatlayonaledgebesidewherehehadsat，andwhichhehadapparentlyforgottentotakewithhim。Healsopouredouthalfacupmoremeadfromthequantitythatremained，ravenouslyeatinganddrinkingtheseashestood。Hehadnotfinishedwhenanotherfigurecameinjustasquietly——hisfriendincinder-gray。
’O——youhere？’saidthelatter，smiling。’Ithoughtyouhadgonetohelpinthecapture。’Andthisspeakeralsorevealedtheobjectofhisreturnbylookingsolicitouslyroundforthefascinatingmugofoldmead。
’AndIthoughtyouhadgone，’saidtheother，continuinghisskimmer-cakewithsomeeffort。
’Well，onsecondthoughts，Ifelttherewereenoughwithoutme，’
saidthefirstconfidentially，’andsuchanightasitis，too。
Besides，’tisthebusinesso’theGovernmenttotakecareofitscriminals——notmine。’
’True；soitis。AndIfeltasyoudid，thattherewereenoughwithoutme。’
’Idon’twanttobreakmylimbsrunningoverthehumpsandhollowsofthiswildcountry。’
’NorIneither，betweenyouandme。’
’Theseshepherd-peopleareusedtoit——simple-mindedsouls，youknow，stirreduptoanythinginamoment。They’llhavehimreadyformebeforethemorning，andnotroubletomeatall。’
’They’llhavehim，andweshallhavesavedourselvesalllabourinthematter。’
’True，true。Well，mywayistoCasterbridge；and’tisasmuchasmylegswilldototakemethatfar。Goingthesameway？’
’No，Iamsorrytosay！Ihavetogethomeoverthere’(henoddedindefinitelytotheright)，’andIfeelasyoudo，thatitisquiteenoughformylegstodobeforebedtime。’
Theotherhadbythistimefinishedthemeadinthemug，afterwhich，shakinghandsheartilyatthedoor，andwishingeachotherwell，theywenttheirseveralways。
Inthemeantimethecompanyofpursuershadreachedtheendofthehog’s-backelevationwhichdominatedthispartofthedown。Theyhaddecidedonnoparticularplanofaction；and，findingthatthemanofthebalefultradewasnolongerintheircompany，theyseemedquiteunabletoformanysuchplannow。Theydescendedinalldirectionsdownthehill，andstraightwayseveralofthepartyfellintothesnaresetbyNatureforallmisguidedmidnightramblersoverthispartofthecretaceousformation。The’lanchets，’orflintslopes，whichbeltedtheescarpmentatintervalsofadozenyards，tookthelesscautiousonesunawares，andlosingtheirfootingontherubblysteeptheyslidsharplydownwards，thelanternsrollingfromtheirhandstothebottom，andtherelyingontheirsidestillthehornwasscorchedthrough。
Whentheyhadagaingatheredthemselvestogether，theshepherd，asthemanwhoknewthecountrybest，tookthelead，andguidedthemroundthesetreacherousinclines。Thelanterns，whichseemedrathertodazzletheireyesandwarnthefugitivethantoassistthemintheexploration，wereextinguished，duesilencewasobserved；andinthismorerationalordertheyplungedintothevale。Itwasagrassy，briery，moistdefile，affordingsomesheltertoanypersonwhohadsoughtit；butthepartyperambulateditinvain，andascendedontheotherside。Heretheywanderedapart，andafteranintervalclosedtogetheragaintoreportprogress。
Atthesecondtimeofclosingintheyfoundthemselvesnearalonelyash，thesingletreeonthispartofthecoomb，probablysowntherebyapassingbirdsomefiftyyearsbefore。Andhere，standingalittletoonesideofthetrunk，asmotionlessasthetrunkitself；
appearedthemantheywereinquestof；hisoutlinebeingwelldefinedagainsttheskybeyond。Thebandnoiselesslydrewupandfacedhim。
’Yourmoneyoryourlife！’saidtheconstablesternlytothestillfigure。
’No，no，’whisperedJohnPitcher。’’Tisn’toursideoughttosaythat。That’sthedoctrineofvagabondslikehim，andwebeonthesideofthelaw。’
’Well，well，’repliedtheconstableimpatiently；’Imustsaysomething，mustn’tI？andifyouhadalltheweighto’thisundertakinguponyourmind，perhapsyou’dsaythewrongthingtoo！——
Prisoneratthebar，surrender，inthenameoftheFather——theCrown，Imane！’
Themanunderthetreeseemednowtonoticethemforthefirsttime，and，givingthemnoopportunitywhateverforexhibitingtheircourage，hestrolledslowlytowardsthem。Hewas，indeed，thelittleman，thethirdstranger；buthistrepidationhadinagreatmeasuregone。
’Well，travellers，’hesaid，’didIhearyespeaktome？’
’Youdid:you’vegottocomeandbeourprisoneratonce！’saidtheconstable。’Wearrest’eeonthechargeofnotbidinginCasterbridgejailinadecentpropermannertobehungto-morrowmorning。Neighbours，doyourduty，andseizetheculpet！’
Onhearingthecharge，themanseemedenlightened，and，sayingnotanotherword，resignedhimselfwithpreternaturalcivilitytothesearch-party，who，withtheirstavesintheirhands，surroundedhimonallsides，andmarchedhimbacktowardstheshepherd’scottage。
Itwaseleveno’clockbythetimetheyarrived。Thelightshiningfromtheopendoor，asoundofmen’svoiceswithin，proclaimedtothemastheyapproachedthehousethatsomeneweventshadarisenintheirabsence。Onenteringtheydiscoveredtheshepherd’slivingroomtobeinvadedbytwoofficersfromCasterbridgejail，andawell-knownmagistratewholivedatthenearestcountry-seat，intelligenceoftheescapehavingbecomegenerallycirculated。
’Gentlemen，’saidtheconstable，’Ihavebroughtbackyourman——notwithoutriskanddanger；buteveryonemustdohisduty！Heisinsidethiscircleofable-bodiedpersons，whohavelentmeusefulaid，consideringtheirignoranceofCrownwork。Men，bringforwardyourprisoner！’Andthethirdstrangerwasledtothelight。
’Whoisthis？’saidoneoftheofficials。
’Theman，’saidtheconstable。
’Certainlynot，’saidtheturnkey；andthefirstcorroboratedhisstatement。
’Buthowcanitbeotherwise？’askedtheconstable。’Orwhywashesoterrifiedatsighto’thesinginginstrumentofthelawwhosatthere？’Hereherelatedthestrangebehaviourofthethirdstrangeronenteringthehouseduringthehangman’ssong。
’Can’tunderstandit，’saidtheofficercoolly。’AllIknowisthatitisnotthecondemnedman。He’squiteadifferentcharacterfromthisone；agauntishfellow，withdarkhairandeyes，rathergood-
looking，andwithamusicalbassvoicethatifyouhearditonceyou’dnevermistakeaslongasyoulived。’
’Why，souls——’twasthemaninthechimney-corner！’
