Indeed, The Tilted Wagon, as a cool establishment on the top of a hill, where the ground before the door was puddled with damp hoofs and trodden straw; where a scolding landlady slapped a moist baby (with one red sock on and one wanting), in the bar; where the cheese was cast aground upon a shelf, in company with a mouldy tablecloth and a green-handled knife, in a sort of cast-iron canoe; where the pale-faced bread shed tears of crumb over its shipwreck in another canoe; where the family linen, half washed and half dried, led a public life of lying about; where everything to drink was drunk out of mugs, and everything else was suggestive of a rhyme to mugs; The Tilted Wagon, all these things considered, hardly kept its painted promise of providing good entertainment for Man and Beast.  However, Man, in the present case, was not critical, but took what entertainment he could get, and went on again after a longer rest than he needed.

He stopped at some quarter of a mile from the house, hesitating whether to pursue the road, or to follow a cart track between two high hedgerows, which led across the slope of a breezy heath, and evidently struck into the road again by-and-by.  He decided in favour of this latter track, and pursued it with some toil; the rise being steep, and the way worn into deep ruts.

He was labouring along, when he became aware of some other pedestrians behind him.  As they were coming up at a faster pace than his, he stood aside, against one of the high banks, to let them pass.  But their manner was very curious.  Only four of them passed.  Other four slackened speed, and loitered as intending to follow him when he should go on.  The remainder of the party (half-a-dozen perhaps) turned, and went back at a great rate.

He looked at the four behind him, and he looked at the four before him.  They all returned his look.  He resumed his way.  The four in advance went on, constantly looking back; the four in the rear came closing up.

When they all ranged out from the narrow track upon the open slope of the heath, and this order was maintained, let him diverge as he would to either side, there was no longer room to doubt that he was beset by these fellows.  He stopped, as a last test; and they all stopped.

‘Why do you attend upon me in this way?’ he asked the whole body.  ‘Are you a pack of thieves?’

‘Don’t answer him,’ said one of the number; he did not see which.  ‘Better be quiet.’

‘Better be quiet?’ repeated Neville.  ‘Who said so?’

Nobody replied.

‘It’s good advice, whichever of you skulkers gave it,’ he went on angrily.  ’I will not submit to be penned in between four men there, and four men there.  I wish to pass, and I mean to pass, those four in front.’

They were all standing still; himself included.

‘If eight men, or four men, or two men, set upon one,’ he proceeded, growing more enraged, ’the one has no chance but to set his mark upon some of them.  And, by the Lord, I’ll do it, if I am interrupted any farther!’