the clubs outside, although they rose to my call, kept themselves to the
town-boys and court bullies, and were hands-off to the Watch and the
Company. At last one slippery rogue scrambled over the barrier and
dodged past me. And while I was engaging him, three or four more did
the same; till presently it seemed the game was up. I had to yield the
outer passage and retreat to the printing room, where three of the
besiegers got in with me before I could make to the door. There was no
time to lose, for the door was a weak one, and in five minutes would be
down. So I laid about me with the printer's balls, and stunned one of
my men and upset another. Then I put the third down the trap-door,
which stood open, just as the door began to totter inwards. It was time
to go. No good could be got by staying, and whatever came of it, no one
would be the better for my capture. So I darted out by the back way
that I knew of, where nobody looked for me; and running down the garden,
and over my Lord's ground to the river's edge, I took a wherry and made
for the other bank.

I could see the crowd presently break through my master's house into the
garden, and stand disappointed when they saw I had given them the slip.
But I was beyond pursuit; and they trooped back angrily, I suppose to
make fast the place against my further intrusion.

Much good I had done by my silly riot! My master's house was wrecked,
where it need only have been robbed. My mistress' goods and chattels
were no nearer being handed over than they were before; and, since some
one must suffer for it all, and I had escaped, it was likely enough my
master's lot would be all the worse for him by what had happened. I had
no cause to be proud of myself; and to be just, I was not proud.

Now, I knew enough of Peter Stoupe to be sure he would guess I had fled
to Kingston. So to disappoint him and the watch both, I turned my
boat's head down stream, and resolved to lie hid a week in the city
before I showed myself again there. By that time the hue and cry would
have ceased, and, further, the time named by Master Udal for my visit
would be come.

As luck would have it, I was hailed, as I rowed under London Bridge, by
a man from a vessel which had just dropped anchor in the pool. She was
a French craft, full of merchandise, part for London and part for Leith,
in Scotland; and being under-manned, the captain, seeing me idle,
offered me and a few others plying abou