ould see the fire and the smoke, but could not see
what they were doing at it.

After the country people had looked upon them very earnestly a great
while, and by all that they could see could not but suppose that they
were a great many in company, they began to be uneasy, not for their
going away, but for staying where they were; and above all, perceiving
they had horses and arms (for they had seen one horse and one gun at the
tent, and they had seen others of them walk about the field on the
inside of the hedge by the side of the lane with their muskets, as they
took them to be, shouldered),--I say, upon such a sight as this, you may
be assured they were alarmed and terribly frightened; and it seems they
went to a justice of the peace to know what they should do. What the
justice advised them to, I know not; but towards the evening they called
from the barrier, as above, to the sentinel at the tent.

"What do you want?" says John.

"Why, what do you intend to do?" says the constable.

"To do?" says John; "what would you have us to do?"

_Const._ Why don't you begone? What do you stay there for?

_John._ Why do you stop us on the King's highway, and pretend to
refuse us leave to go on our way?

_Const._ We are not bound to tell you the reason, though we did let
you know it was because of the plague.

_John._ We told you we were all sound, and free from the plague,
which we were not bound to have satisfied you of, and yet you
pretend to stop us on the highway.

_Const._ We have a right to stop it up, and our own safety obliges
us to it; besides, this is not the King's highway, it is a way upon
sufferance. You see here is a gate, and if we do let people pass
here, we make them pay toll.

_John._ We have a right to seek our own safety as well as you; and
you may see we are flying for our lives, and it is very unchristian
and unjust in you to stop us.

_Const._ You may go back from whence you came, we do not hinder you
from that.

_John._ No, it is a stronger enemy than you that keeps us from
doing that, or else we should not have come hither.

_Const._ Well, you may go any other way, then.

_John._ No, no. I suppose you see we are able to send you going,
and all the people of your parish, and come through your town when
we will; but, since you have stopped us here, we are conten