rmen, a man
whom I had known for years. I had seen that tan-sailed barge many, many
times, rushing up the Waveney from Somer Leyton, with that same quiet
figure at her helm. I would have loved to have called out "Oh, Hendry.
How are you? Fancy seeing you here." But I dared not betray myself; nor
did Hendry recognize me. After the road swung away from the canal, I
watched that barge as long as she remained in sight, thinking that while
she was there I had a little bit of Oulton by me.

At last, far away I saw the church of Egmont, rising out of a flat
land (not unlike the Broad land) on which sails were passing in a misty
distance. I rose in my stirrups with a holloa; for now, I thought, I was
near my journey's end. I clapped my horse's neck, promising him an apple
for his supper. Then, glancing back, I looked out over the land. The
Oulton barge was far away now, a patch of dark sail drawing itself
slowly across the sky. Out to sea a great ship seemed to stand still
upon the skyline. But directly behind me, perhaps a mile away, perhaps
two miles, clearly visible on the white straight ribbon of road, a clump
of gallopers advanced, quartering across the road towards me. There may
have been twenty of them all told; some of them seemed to ride in ranks
like soldiers. I made no doubt when I caught sight of them that they
were coming after me, about that matter of the lady's harness. My first
impulse was to pull up, so that Old Blunderbore, as I had christened my
horse, might get his breath. But I decided not to stop, as I knew how
dangerous a thing it is to stop a horse in his pace after he has settled
down to it, had still three miles to go to shelter. If I could
manage the three miles all would be well. But could manage them? Old
Blunderbore had taken the eighteen miles we had come together very
easily. Now I was thankful that I had not pressed him in the early part
of the ride. But Egmont seemed a long, long way from me. I dared not
begin to gallop so far from shelter. I went loping on as before, with my
heart in my mouth, feeling like one pursued in a nightmare.

As I looked around, to see these gallopers coming on, while I was still
lollopping forward, I felt that I was tied by the legs, unable to move.
Each instant made it more difficult for me to keep from shaking up my
horse. Continual promptings flashed into my mind, urging me to bolt down
somewhere among the dunes. These plans I set aside as worthless; for a
boy wo