at being in his grasp was almost
preferable to the feeling that he was dogging my steps. His left hand
gripped the collar of my jacket and flannel shirt, and instantly I began
to wriggle, twisting my leg about his own in an attempt to bring him to
the ground; but the man was of enormous strength, and, freeing himself,
he shook me as a terrier shakes a rat, until I felt there was little
breath left in my body.

Yet I did not give in without another struggle. I knew that he would
take every penny I possessed, and that there was nothing else on which
to raise any money. I was still nearly ninety miles from London, and
already ready for another meal. I butted my head into his stomach, I
struck out madly with my fists, I writhed and kicked, until, raising his
right arm, he brought down his fist on my head, and after that I knew
nothing for some time.

When I regained consciousness, I lay in the plantation about two yards
from the path, just where I had been flung, I suppose. My head and body
seemed to ache all over, but, on attempting to rise to my feet, I found
no difficulty, beyond a slight giddiness. My bag had disappeared, my
knickerbocker pocket, which had contained my total capital of fourteen
shillings and eightpence, was sticking out empty, and, of course, there
was no sign of the tramp. Walking to the stile, I found that my left
ankle pained me, although not very severely; I could also see in the
lessening light that my clothes were considerably torn.

So hopeless appeared the outlook that I confess I rested my arms on the
top of the stile, buried my face on them and sobbed, until the
increasing darkness warned me that crying would not provide a bed for
the night. A bed for the night! But how could I obtain a bed without
money? Still, it was not practicable to remain where I was, while I
thought it would be better to take my chance through the plantation than
to return to the road, where I might even meet the tramp again.
Certainly, whichever direction I followed, I had no wish to walk very
far. I had never felt quite so worn out in my life, as I continued my
way through the plantation and a field beyond, the gate of which opened
into a pleasant country lane. Here I turned to the right, as the main
road lay to the left, and I had not walked many yards before I reached a
pretty farm-house, standing well back, with a barn on its left, in which
some cows were lowing. The sky was by this time of a dark blue, and one