he tent for fear that should discover
them. On the other hand, Richard went to work with his ax and his
hatchet, and, cutting down branches of trees, he built three tents or
hovels, in which they all encamped with as much convenience as they
could expect.

The provisions they had at Walthamstow served them very plentifully this
night; and as for the next, they left it to Providence. They had fared
so well with the old soldier's conduct, that they now willingly made him
their leader, and the first of his conduct appeared to be very good. He
told them that they were now at a proper distance enough from London;
that, as they need not be immediately beholden to the country for
relief, they ought to be as careful the country did not infect them as
that they did not infect the country; that what little money they had
they must be as frugal of as they could; that as he would not have them
think of offering the country any violence, so they must endeavor to
make the sense of their condition go as far with the country as it
could. They all referred themselves to his direction: so they left their
three houses standing, and the next day went away towards Epping; the
captain also (for so they now called him), and his two fellow travelers,
laid aside their design of going to Waltham, and all went together.

When they came near Epping, they halted, choosing out a proper place in
the open forest, not very near the highway, but not far out of it, on
the north side, under a little cluster of low pollard trees.[201] Here
they pitched their little camp, which consisted of three large tents or
huts made of poles, which their carpenter, and such as were his
assistants, cut down, and fixed in the ground in a circle, binding all
the small ends together at the top, and thickening the sides with boughs
of trees and bushes, so that they were completely close and warm. They
had besides this a little tent where the women lay by themselves, and a
hut to put the horse in.

It happened that the next day, or the next but one, was market day at
Epping, when Captain John and one of the other men went to market and
bought some provisions, that is to say, bread, and some mutton and beef;
and two of the women went separately, as if they had not belonged to the
rest, and bought more. John took the horse to bring it home, and the
sack which the carpenter carried his tools in, to put it in. The
carpenter went to work and made them benches and stools to sit