scarcely so cool as the atmosphere. He was tipsily resolved that he
would have a lodging at Perks's expense, whether that gentleman would or
not; and bethinking himself that if Perks's house were locked against
him, his barn was not, he took thither his unsteady way, and scrambling
up the barley mow, to his own unfeigned astonishment dropped into the
hole on the top of the sleeping conspirators.

Thus roused suddenly in the dead of night, and naturally concluding that
their enemies were upon them, Winter and Littleton sprang up to defend
themselves, and to sell their lives dearly. Poynter, who was quite as
much amazed and terrified as they could be, as naturally fought for his
own safety, and a desperate struggle ensued. It ended in the two
overcoming the one, and insisting on his remaining with them, so that
they could be certain of his telling no tales. For four days Poynter
remained on the mow, professing resignation and contentment, and
lamenting the sore pain which he suffered from a wound in the leg,
received in the pursuit of his vocation as a rabbit-stealer. When
Margaret Perks came with food, and afterwards Burford, Poynter pretended
to be in mortal anguish, and besought them earnestly to bring him some
salve, without which he was quite certain he should die. The salve was
brought, and the wily Poynter then discovered that lying in the hole he
had not sufficient light to apply it. He was suffered to creep up on
the top of the mow, which he professed to do with the greatest
difficulty. But even there the light was scarcely sufficient: might he
drag himself a little nearer the door? Being now quite deceived by Mr
Poynter's excellent acting, and believing that he was much too suffering
and disabled to escape, they permitted him to crawl quite to the edge of
the mow nearest to the light, and of course next to the door. The
moment this point was reached, the disabled cripple slipped down from
the mow, and the next instant was out of the door and far away, running
with a fleetness which made it hopeless to think of following him.

There was still, however, some room for that hope which springs eternal
in the human breast. Poynter's friendship for Perks, and the
expectation that Perks could bribe him to secrecy, weighed with the
fugitives, who had not sufficiently learned that the friendship of an
unprincipled man is worth nothing.

Poynter, on the other hand, considered his chances superior in the
opposi