As Mr. Jarvis spoke a body of men came running along, peering into the hedges, and looking on every side of them.
The fog was deepening as the darkness came on, and the snow lay thick on road and hedge and tree, so that it was no easy matter to distinguish anything at a distance.
As the men came up with the caravan they stopped, and the leader, an armed warder, addressed Mr. Jarvis.
‘Seen anybody go by here, governor?’
‘What, one of your gents?’ answered Mr. Jarvis. ‘No, that I ain’t. There ain’t ne’er a one passed here.’
The officer hesitated.
‘Perhaps you wouldn’t mind letting us look inside,’ he said presently.
‘Look, and welcome, master! answered Mrs. Jarvis. Then, bridling up, she added, ‘A pretty fine thing, indeed! What d’ye think we should want a-harbourin’ conwicks for?’
The officer, without vouchsafing a reply, searched the two living-vans thoroughly, and then, satisfied that his prey was not in them, apologized, and held a council of war among his followers.
If the convict had not passed the caravan he could not be on that road. The man who had informed him he had seen a convict running that way must have been mistaken. The snow was so hard and crisp on the roadway that no footsteps were visible. It would be better to turn back and try in another direction.