lue one way or the other, and if I were to say Bill wrote it
he might insist upon Bill's being arrested, and he might find it just as
hard to prove his innocence as I do."

The assizes were to come on in three weeks. Ned was treated with more
consideration than was generally the case with prisoners in those days,
when the jails were terribly mismanaged; but Mr. Simmonds had written
to the governor of the prison asking that every indulgence that could be
granted should be shown to Ned, and Mr. Porson had also, before the
lad left Marsden, insisted on his accepting a sum of money which would
enable him to purchase such food and comforts as were permitted to be
bought by prisoners, able to pay for them, awaiting their trial.

Thus Ned obtained the boon of a separate cell, he was allowed to have
books and writing materials, and to have his meals in from outside the
prison.

The days, however, passed but slowly, and Ned was heartily glad when the
time for the assizes was at hand and his suspense was to come to an end.
His case came on for trial on the second day of the sessions. On the
previous evening he received a visit from Mr. Wakefield, who told him
that Mr. Porson, Dr. Green and Charlie had come over in the coach with
him.

"You will be glad to hear that your mother will not be called," the
lawyer said. "The prosecution, I suppose, thought that it would have
a bad effect to call upon a mother to give evidence against her son;
besides, she could prove no more than your brother will be able to do.
If they had called her, Green would have given her a certificate that
she was confined to her bed and could not possibly attend. However I am
glad they did not call her, for the absence of a witness called against
the prisoner, but supposed to be favorable to him, always counts against
him."

"And you have no clue as who did it, Mr. Wakefield?"

"Not a shadow," the lawyer replied. "We have had a man down from town
ever since you have been away, but we have done no good. He went up to
Varley and tried to get into the confidence of the croppers, but somehow
they suspected him to be a spy sent down to inquire into the Luddite
business, and he had a pretty narrow escape of his life. He was terribly
knocked about before he could get out of the public house, and they
chased him all the way down into Marsden. Luckily he was a pretty good
runner, and had the advantage of having lighter shoes on than they had,
or they would have