young woman--you could not mistake her? 'Twas the Polly Greenway
they should have found. Tell me, for God's sake, has any boat put out
from this stair?"

"Why, sir," replied one of the wherrymen who stood near by, pipe in
mouth and hand in pocket, "since you mention it, there was a boat
started but this instant for midstream. They sought McMaster's
brigantine, the Polly Perkins, that lies waiting for the tide. 'Twas, as
you say, a young gentleman, and with him was a young woman. I misdoubt
the lady was ill."

"Get me a boat!" cried the new-comer. "A sovereign, five sovereigns, ten
sovereigns, a hundred--but that ship must not weigh anchor until I
board her, do you hear!"

The ring of the imperative voice, and moreover the ring of good English
coin, set all the dock astir. Straightway there came up another wherry
with two lusty fellows, who laid her at the stair where stood the
impatient stranger.

"Hurry, men!" he cried. "'Tis life and death--'tis more than life and
death!"

And such fortune attended Sir Arthur Pembroke that forsooth he went over
the side of the Polly Perkins, even as the gray dawn began to break over
the narrow Thames, and even as the anchor-song of the crew struck up.

CHAPTER XVII

WHITHER

A few hours later a coppery sun slowly dispersed the morning mists above
the Thames. The same sun warmed the court-yards of the London jail,
which lately had confined John Law, convicted of the murder of Beau
Wilson, gentleman. It was discovered that the said John Law had, in some
superhuman fashion, climbed the spiked walls of the inner yard. The
jailer pointed out the very spot where this act had been done. It was
not so plain how he had passed the outer gates of the prison, yet those
were not wanting who said that he had overpowered the turnkey at the
gate, taken from him his keys, and so forced his way out into London
city.

Far and wide went forth the proclamation of reward for the apprehension
of this escaped convict. The streets of London were placarded broadcast
with bills bearing this description of the escaped prisoner:

"Five hundred pounds reward for information regarding the escaped
felon, John Law, convicted in the King's Bench of murder and under
sentence of death. The same Law escaped from prison on the night of 20
July. May be known by the following description: Is tall, of dark
complexion, spare of build, raw-boned, face hath deep pock-marks. Eyes
dark, hair dark and scanty