’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！’