"But I tell you he hath. One of the turnkeys was found sober enough to unlock the governor's door, and after he woke him, Master Sturgeon told the turnkey that he had been imprisoned by the young stranger from London." "Say that Queen Mary hath come to life again. I tell you, you be all too drunk to know the truth of this." "Not so, Master Jiggins; we have been drinking as men should, but we be not so drunk as that. Besides, Master Fulton--the town clerk, saw a man and a woman together not far from the gaol, but he did not think it could be Master Leslie's daughter, because the man claimed to be the friend of Sir William Bilton, and, as you know, Sir William despises Master Leslie as every Quaker rascal should be despised." At this moment some one must have spoken to Master Jiggins from within, for I heard him say, "The chambermaid hath it that no one is in the young stranger's bedchamber." "Then hath he escaped. But we must find him. The town clerk hath it that ten guineas will be given to him who will lay hands on him." "But where is the warrant for this?" "Master Fulton's word is enough warrant, Master Jiggins. But stay, he hath a horse. Is the horse in the stable?" At this I knew that what I did must be done quickly. I was therefore on Black Ben's back before they could enter the yard by the door of which I had been hiding while they were speaking. "Here he is!" cried the man who had been chief spokesman, and he made a dash at the horse's head. "At him, my boy!" I cried, and the faithful animal darted at the fellow with open mouth. In spite of themselves the crowd made way for me as I dashed through. Partly, I suspect, because they were not sure who I was, and partly because Black Ben careered so wildly that no man dared to approach him. "Your count, you blackguard, your count!" I heard Master Jiggins say, who evidently cared more about that than the recapturing of Mistress Constance. Indeed, I heard in after days that Master Jiggins had a warm affection for Master Leslie, and rejoiced that she had escaped from the hands of the drunken governor. I threw him a couple of crowns as I dashed away. "That is double what you would have asked, Master Jiggins," I cried, and then I laughed aloud, for the whole pack of them--and there must have been at least twenty of them--stood open mouthed even while I rode away. Never did I realize how silly a number of drunken men could be, and how easy one who had kept his head clear could deal with them. Through the whole night I had worked my will because of the king's command that every man should drink his health, and now at the last I rode away unscathed, having accomplished the thing I had come to Bedford to perform.