eady to fly further inland. Every night, if
one lay awake, one could hear the noise of spades in back gardens where
misers were burying their money. Then, every day, one would see the
troopers coming in, generally two at a time, with a suspected man led by
a cord knotted to his two thumbs. Dorchester gaol was full of suspected
people, who were kept in prison indefinitely, without trial, in very
great discomfort. King James was afraid, he did not really know of what,
so he took measures not so much to prevent trouble as to avenge his own
fear. Mr. Blick used to send me to the prison every morning with loaves
of fresh bread for the prisoners.

At last, after midnight, in the night of the 11th of June, a memorable
day for the West, riders came in with news which destroyed the night's
rest of the town. Monmouth had landed at Lyme the evening before, after
sailing about in sight of the town all day. That was news indeed. It
made a strange uproar in the streets. The trumpets blew from every
inn-door to summons the billeted soldiers. Officers ran about bawling
for their sergeants; the sergeants hurried about with lanterns, rousing
the men from where they slept. All the streets were full of cavalry men
trying to form in the crowd. At last, when they were formed, a trumpet
sounded, making everyone keep silence. Then in the stillness an officer
shouted out an order, which no one, save a soldier, could understand.
Instantly the kettle-drums began to pound; the swords jingled; the
horses whinnied, tossing up their heads. The soldiers trotted off
smartly towards Bridport, leaving the town strangely quiet, strangely
scared, to discuss the great news from Lyme.

I was watching the crowd at my bed-room window when the horsemen trotted
off. While I stood looking at them, Mr. Blick ran upstairs, bidding me
to come down at once, as now there was a chance to get to Lyme. "Come
quick," he said. "The troops are gone. We must follow on their tracks.
It'll be too late later in the morning." In less than twenty minutes we
were trotting after the soldiers at a good pace, passing some scores
of men on foot who were hurrying, as they said, to see the battle. Mr.
Blick wore a sword which clattered as he rode. The people hearing the
noise thought that he was an officer, perhaps a colonel, riding with his
servant. Many of the men asked him where the battle was to be, whether
it would begin before daylight, whether Monmouth was come with the
French,