‘Murdered!’ said Lizzy impatiently. ‘We don’t do murder here.’ ‘Well, I shall go as far as Warm’ell Cross to see,’ said Stockdale decisively; and, without wishing her safe home or anything else, the minister turned back. Lizzy stood looking at him till his form was absorbed in the shades; and then, with sadness, she went in the direction of Nether-Moynton. The road was lonely, and after nightfall at this time of the year there was often not a passer for hours. Stockdale pursued his way without hearing a sound beyond that of his own footsteps; and in due time he passed beneath the trees of the plantation which surrounded the Warm’ell Cross-road. Before he had reached the point of intersection he heard voices from the thicket. ‘Hoi-hoi-hoi! Help, help!’ The voices were not at all feeble or despairing, but they were unmistakably anxious. Stockdale had no weapon, and before plunging into the pitchy darkness of the plantation he pulled a stake from the hedge, to use in case of need. When he got among the trees he shouted—‘What’s the matter—where are you?’ ‘Here,’ answered the voices; and, pushing through the brambles in that direction, he came near the objects of his search. ‘Why don’t you come forward?’ said Stockdale. ‘We be tied to the trees!’ ‘Who are you?’ ‘Poor Will Latimer the exciseman!’ said one plaintively. ‘Just come and cut these cords, there’s a good man. We were afraid nobody would pass by to-night.’ Stockdale soon loosened them, upon which they stretched their limbs and stood at their ease. ‘The rascals!’ said Latimer, getting now into a rage, though he had seemed quite meek when Stockdale first came up. ‘’Tis the same set of fellows. I know they were Moynton chaps to a man.’ ‘But we can’t swear to ’em,’ said another. ‘Not one of ’em spoke.’ ‘What are you going to do?’ said Stockdale. ‘I’d fain go back to Moynton, and have at ’em again!’ said Latimer. ‘So would we!’ said his comrades. ‘Fight till we die!’ said Latimer. ‘We will, we will!’ said his men. ‘But,’ said Latimer, more frigidly, as they came out of the plantation, ‘we don’t _know_ that these chaps with black faces were Moynton men? And proof is a hard thing.’ ‘So it is,’ said the rest. ‘And therefore we won’t do nothing at all,’ said Latimer, with complete dispassionateness. ‘For my part, I’d sooner be them than we. The clitches of my arms are burning like fire from the cords those two strapping women tied round ’em. My opinion is, now I have had time to think o’t, that you may serve your Gover’ment at too high a price. For these two nights and days I have not had an hour’s rest; and, please God, here’s for home-along.’ The other officers agreed heartily to this course; and, thanking Stockdale for his timely assistance, they parted from him at the Cross, taking themselves the western road, and Stockdale going back to Nether-Moynton.