he very speedily contrived a method to free himself and
his companion from their fetters, which was by leaping down the house of
office,[87] which a few days afterwards they did and got clear off.

These various difficulties and narrow escapes seemed to make no other
impression upon Dyer than to give him a greater liking than ever to such
sort of villainous enterprises. He stole as many horses out of New
Forest as came to three-score pounds, and afterwards setting up for a
highwayman, committed a multitude of facts in that neighbourhood, which
he has with great care related in the account he published of his life.
Amongst the rest he stripped a poor maid-servant, who was just come out
of a place, of all the money she had, viz., a gold ring, and a box of
clothes, and so left her without either necessaries or money. At
Winchester he disposed of the clothes and linen which he took from the
poor woman. At an alehouse in High Street he fell into company with a
lace-man, from whom he learned, by some little conversation, that he was
going to Amesbury Fair in Wiltshire. Dyer told him he was going thither
too, and so along they journeyed together. When they arrived there, they
put up their horses at the sign of the Chopping Knife, and while the
lace-man went out to take a stand to sell his goods in, Dyer demanded
the box of lace of the landlord, as if he had been the man's partner;
then calling for his horse, while the landlord's back was turned, he
rode clear off from them all.

On the Plain, going towards Devizes, he overtook a Scotch pedlar. Dyer
it seems knew him, and called him by his name, asking him if he had any
good handkerchiefs, upon which the poor man let down the pack off his
back and showed him several. Dyer told him, after looking over the
goods, that he did not want to buy anything, but must have what he
pleased for nothing. The Scotchman, upon that, put himself in a posture
of defence, but Dyer drawing his pistols on him soon obliged him to
yield, and tied him with some of his own cloth fast to the post of a
wall. He then went and rifled the pack, taking thence nine pounds odd in
money, a great parcel of hair, which he sold afterwards for eight
pounds, six dozen handkerchiefs, and a quantity of muslin. Then he
released the pedlar again, and bid him go and take care of the rest of
his pack, Mr. Dyer being then in some hurry to look out for another
booty.

A very small time after our plunderer met with an old