第10章

’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！’