did he refuse to start to
Erith for assistance to convey the prisoner and the wounded man there.
He had been assured by the agent that no harm should come to him,
protected by the powerful influence of the nobleman; and to allow
himself to be captured had been part of the plan from the first. He had
not sense enough to know that the heavier crime of murder, now laying
upon the soul of the unfortunate man, did away with the necessity of his
appearing as a witness, as it had been done in the presence of Mr.
Lambert and the officer, and they were both too wise to undeceive him.
Indeed the wily agent had determined, now that the service was rendered,
to sacrifice his ruffianly tool, as his presence might be troublesome.
Tom soon returned with a posse of police officers and a cart, to convey
the prisoner and the wounded. A surgeon was with them, who dressed Mr.
Lambert's wound temporarily, and pronounced it trifling, and the party
departed--Tom going with them as a voluntary prisoner.

Great were the encomiums bestowed upon the officer by his brother
official, for his conduct and bravery, and the agent also came in for
his share of praise--and the whole party were in high glee at the
result, which brought one poor hunted human being under the dread ban of
the law, while he whose lust had driven him to crime revelled in luxury,
and mingled with the fair and good, courted and caressed by those who
would have shrunk from expressing any sympathy for the poor victims of
his pride. Weep, angels, weep! and devils, shout for joy! Hell has no
minister so powerful as the proud man's lust.

It may be as well to mention here at once, that the agent, pursuing his
plan of getting rid of Curly Tom, much to that worthy's astonishment,
pressed the charge of highway robbery against him, before the trial of
Hunter, which was postponed through the influence of the Earl, which was
indirectly exerted also to procure the condemnation of his base tool;
and so it came to pass, that after a trial, which was a mere form--for
the seaman's bare deposition, which Mr. Lambert had taken, was admitted
as evidence--the good citizens of Canterbury being in want of a little
excitement, that interesting individual performed a dance upon nothing,
in company with a sheep-stealer and a forger, for their especial behoof,
one fine day in September, under the personal superintendence of that
accomplished artist, Mr. John Ketch, in the presence of a highly
respectabl