ervice endured the space of eleven nights and twelve
days, and no more persons being there found, in company with
Mayster Abbingdon himself, Garnet, Hill [Hall], Owen, and Chambers,
were brought up to London to understand further of his highness's
pleasure."

That the Government had good grounds for suspecting Hindlip and
its numerous hiding-places may be gathered from the official
instructions the Worcestershire Justice of the Peace and his
search-party had to follow. The wainscoting in the east part of
the parlour and in the dining-room, being suspected of screening
"a vault" or passage, was to be removed, the walls and floors
were to be pierced in all directions, comparative measurements
were to be taken between the upper and the lower rooms, and in
particular the chimneys, and the roof had to be minutely examined and
measurements taken, which might bring to light some unaccounted-for
space that had been turned to good account by the unfortunate
inventor, who was eventually starved out of one of his clever
contrivances.

Only shortly before Owen had had a very narrow escape at Stoke
Poges while engaged in constructing "priests' holes" at the Manor
House. The secluded position of this building adapted it for
the purpose for which a Roman Catholic zealot had taken it. But
this was not the only advantage. The walls were of vast thickness
and offered every facility for turning them to account. While
"Little John" was busily engaged burrowing into the masonry the
dreaded "pursuivants" arrived; but somehow or other he slipped
between their fingers and got away under cover of the surrounding
woods.

The wing of this old mansion which has survived to see the twentieth
century witnessed many strange events. It has welcomed good Queen
Bess, guarded the Martyr King, and refused admittance to Dutch
William. A couple of centuries after it had sheltered hunted
Jesuits, a descendant of William Penn became possessed of it,
and cleared away many of the massive walls, in some of which--who
can tell?--were locked up secrets that the rack failed to
reveal--secrets by which Owen "murdered himself" in the Tower!

One of the hiding-places at Hindlip, it will be remembered, could
be supplied with broth, wine, or any liquid nourishment through
a small aperture in the wall of the adjoining room. A very good
example of such an arrangement may still be seen at Irnham Hall, in
Lincolnshire.[1] A large hiding-place could thus be accommodat