not pleased with their lying at this loose rate the first night, could not
sleep, and resolved, after trying to sleep to no purpose, that he would
get out, and, taking the gun in his hand, stand sentinel and guard his
companions. So with the gun in his hand, he walked to and again
before the barn, for that stood in the field near the road, but within the
hedge. He had not been long upon the scout but he heard a noise of
people coming on, as if it had been a great number, and they came on,
as he thought, directly towards the barn. He did not presently awake
his companions; but in a few minutes more, their noise growing
louder and louder, the biscuit-baker called to him and asked him what
was the matter, and quickly started out too. The other, being the lame
sailmaker and most weary, lay still in the tent.
As they expected, so the people whom they had heard came on
directly to the barn, when one of our travellers challenged, like
soldiers upon the guard, with ‘Who comes there?’ The people did not
answer immediately, but one of them speaking to another that was
behind him, ‘Alas I alas I we are all disappointed,’ says he. ‘Here are
some people before us; the barn is taken up.’
They all stopped upon that, as under some surprise, and it seems
there was about thirteen of them in all, and some women among them.
They consulted together what they should do, and by their discourse
our travellers soon found they were poor, distressed people too, like
themselves, seeking shelter and safety; and besides, our travellers had
no need to be afraid of their coming up to disturb them, for as soon as-
they heard the words, ‘Who comes there?’ these could hear the women
say, as if frighted, ‘Do not go near them. How do you know but they
may have the plague?’ And when one of the men said, ‘Let us but
speak to them’, the women said, ‘No, don’t by any means. We have
escaped thus far by the goodness of God; do not let us run into danger
now, we beseech you.’
Our travellers found by this that they were a good, sober sort of
people, and flying for their lives, as they were; and, as they were
encouraged by it, so John said to the joiner, his comrade, ‘Let us
encourage them too as much as we can’; so he called to them, ‘Hark
ye, good people,’ says the joiner, ‘we find by your talk that you are
flying from the same dreadful enemy as we are. Do not be afraid of
us; we are only three poor men of us. If you are free from the
distemper you shall not be hurt by us. We are not in the barn, but in a
little tent here in the outside, and we will remove for you; we can set
up our tent again immediately anywhere else’; and upon this a parley
began between the joiner, whose name was Richard, and one of their
men, who said his name was Ford.
Ford. And do you assure us that you are all sound men?
Richard. Nay, we are concerned to tell you of it, that you may not
be uneasy or think yourselves in danger; but you see we do not desire
you should put yourselves into any danger, and therefore I tell you that
we have not made use of the barn, so we will remove from it, that you
may be safe and we also.
Ford. That is very kind and charitable; but if we have reason to be
satisfied that you are sound and free from the visitation, why should
we make you remove now you are settled in your lodging, and, it may
be, are laid down to rest? We will go into the barn, if you please, to
rest ourselves a while, and we need not disturb you.
Richard. Well, but you are more than we are. I hope you will
assure us that you are all of you sound too, for the danger is as great
from you to us as from us to you.