g these as he stood. He had not finished
when another figure came in just as quietly--his friend in cinder-gray.

'O--you here?' said the latter, smiling. 'I thought you had gone to help
in the capture.' And this speaker also revealed the object of his return
by looking solicitously round for the fascinating mug of old mead.

'And I thought you had gone,' said the other, continuing his skimmer-cake
with some effort.

'Well, on second thoughts, I felt there were enough without me,' said the
first confidentially, 'and such a night as it is, too. Besides, 'tis the
business o' the Government to take care of its criminals--not mine.'

'True; so it is. And I felt as you did, that there were enough without
me.'

'I don't want to break my limbs running over the humps and hollows of
this wild country.'

'Nor I neither, between you and me.'

'These shepherd-people are used to it--simple-minded souls, you know,
stirred up to anything in a moment. They'll have him ready for me before
the morning, and no trouble to me at all.'

'They'll have him, and we shall have saved ourselves all labour in the
matter.'

'True, true. Well, my way is to Casterbridge; and 'tis as much as my
legs will do to take me that far. Going the same way?'

'No, I am sorry to say! I have to get home over there' (he nodded
indefinitely to the right), 'and I feel as you do, that it is quite
enough for my legs to do before bedtime.'

The other had by this time finished the mead in the mug, after which,
shaking hands heartily at the door, and wishing each other well, they
went their several ways.

In the meantime the company of pursuers had reached the end of the hog's-
back elevation which dominated this part of the down. They had decided
on no particular plan of action; and, finding that the man of the baleful
trade was no longer in their company, they seemed quite unable to form
any such plan now. They descended in all directions down the hill, and
straightway several of the party fell into the snare set by Nature for
all misguided midnight ramblers over this part of the cretaceous
formation. The 'lanchets,' or flint slopes, which belted the escarpment
at intervals of a dozen yards, took the less cautious ones unawares, and
losing their footing on the rubbly steep they slid sharply downwards, the
lanterns rolling from their hands to the bottom, and there lying on their
sides till the horn was scorched through.

When they had again ga