cold and have not yet forgot them.  And so I woke the gang who were all deep asleep as seasoned contrabandiers should be; but though we knew that there were fellow-creatures fighting for their lives in the seething flood beneath us, we could not stir hand or foot to save them, for nothing could be seen for rain and spray, and ’twas not till next morning that we learned the Florida had foundered just below with every soul on board.  Ay, ’tis a queer life, and you and Block are in a queer strait now, and that is what I came to tell you.  See here.’  And he took out of his pocket an oblong strip of printed paper: 

* * * * *

G.R.

WHITEHALL, 15 May 1758

Whereas it hath been humbly represented to the King that on Friday, the night of the 16th of April last, THOMAS MASKEW, a Justice of the Peace, was most inhumanly murdered at Hoar Head, a lone place in the Parish of Chaldron, in the County of Dorset, by one ELZEVIR BLOCK and one JOHN TRENCHARD, both of the Parish of Moonfleet, in the aforesaid County:  His Majesty, for the better discovering and bringing to Justice these Persons, is pleased to promise His Most Gracious PARDON to any of the Persons concerned therein, except the Persons who actually committed the said Murder; and, as a further Encouragement, a REWARD OF FIFTY POUNDS to any Person who shall furnish such INFORMATION as shall lead to the APPREHENSION of the said ELZEVIR BLOCK, and a REWARD of TWENTY POUNDS to any Person who shall furnish such INFORMATION as shall lead to the APPREHENSION of the said JOHN TRENCHARD.  Such INFORMATION to be given to ME, or to the GOVERNOUR of His MAJESTY’S GAOL in Dorchester.

HOLDERNESSE.

* * * * *

‘There—­that’s the bill,’ he said; ’and a vastly fine piece it is, and yet I wish that ’twas played with other actors.  Now, in Moonfleet there is none that know your hiding-place, and not a man, nor woman either, that would tell if they knew it ten times over.  But fifty pounds for Elzevir, and twenty pounds for an empty pumpkin-top like thine, is a fair round sum, and there are vagabonds about this countryside scurvy enough to try to earn it.  And some of these have set the Excisemen on my track, with tales of how it is I that know where you lie hid, and bring you meat and drink.  So it is that I cannot stir abroad now, no, not even to the church o’ Sundays, without having some rogue lurking at my heels to watch my movements.  And that is why I chose such a night to come hither, knowing these knaves like dry skins, but never thinking that the wind would blow like this.  I am come to tell Block that ’tis not safe for me to be so much in Purbeck, and that I dare no longer bring food or what not, or these man-hounds will scent you out.  Your leg is sound again, and ’tis best to be flitting while you may, and there’s the Eperon d’Or, and Chauvelais to give you welcome on the other side.’