Then I left him and walked out,
jingling the keys. In the dark, no one looked twice at me, even when at
the porter's lodge I went to hang up my keys. 'You be late in your
rounds to-night,' said the porter, who dozed at the fire. I grunted in
reply, and sat beside him till he was well asleep. Then I slipped the
great key from his belt, and bade him good-night, to which he muttered
something. At the great gate stood a young sentry, who, seeing me to be
a warder, asked me where I went at that hour. I told him a state
prisoner was very sick and I was bidden by the leech go to the druggist
for a plaster. 'A pretty errand to send an honest fellow,' said I, 'who
has work enough of his own without being waiting gentleman to every
knave in the place who has a fit of the colic.' The soldier laughed and
said, 'twas a pity they did not keep a supply of plasters in the place.
To which I agreed, and unlocking the gate, bade him guard the key while
I was out, as 'twas a risk to carry it beyond the precincts. 'But I
pray you, comrade,' said I, 'be at hand to admit me when I return.'
'Ay, ay,' said he, with a grin. 'There be some in here who would not
tap hard to get in again.' So we parted good friends, and out I got.
After that I went down to the river, where all was dark, and being
anxious to part with my warder's clothes which might tell tales, I
stripped, and filling the pockets with stones, dropped them into the
tide. Then I set out to swim to the other shore, and you may guess if
it was not brave to feel free once more. 'Twas a long swim, and the
tide carried me far down to Rotherhithe, where, as luck would have it,
as I neared shore I struck against something floating on the stream. At
first I thought it a log, but as I laid my arms upon it, I found it, to
my horror, to be a corpse of a man drowned. I was going to cast off
again, when I bethought me, here was a man whose clothes were no use to
him or any one else, while I went naked. So I dragged him to a desolate
part of the shore. He seemed to be a carrier, and having no wound or
sign of violence on him, I concluded him to have fallen in the water
either by accident or of his own accord. These garments I wear are
his."

I shuddered as I looked at them. They seemed scarce dry yet.

"That was a month ago," said he, "since then--"

"A month," cried I, "and I only find you now?"

"I have hidden here and there, and worked for my livelihood across the
water;