My father, asking his man what the reason was that he
went not on, was answered, "That there were two men at the horses'
heads, who held them back, and would not suffer them to go forward."
Whereupon my father, opening the boot, stepped out, and I followed
close at his heels. Going up to the place where the men stood, he
demanded of them the meaning of this assault. They said, "We were
upon the corn." We knew by the route we were not on the corn, but
in the common way, and told them so; but they told us, "They were
resolved they would not let us go on any farther, but would make us
go back again." My father endeavoured by gentle reasoning to
persuade them to forbear, and not run themselves farther into the
danger of the law, which they were run too far into already; but
they rather derided him for it. Seeing therefore fair means would
not work upon them, he spake more roughly to them, charging them to
deliver their clubs (for each of them had a great club in his hand,
somewhat like those which are called quarter-staves): they
thereupon, laughing, told him, "They did not bring them thither for
that end.
Pages:
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31