160 MELTON AND HOMESPUN 



The fair wide road became a lane, and to a cart-track 

 shrank amain — 

 A cart-track, and at that not plain — 

 And fretful men were they ; 

 Each in his glum foreboding shut, 

 Through fields forlorn they filed. 

 And followed till the grass-grown rut, by wains of Early 

 England cut, 

 Was lost in empty wild. 

 And empty, wild, were Harbottle, Sillitoe, 

 Griggs and Briggs and Buller-Brown, and Grumby 

 on the grey. 



And now with caution, now with haste, now South, now 

 North, now East they faced ; 

 Now madly spurring through the waste 

 (For frantic men were they), 

 Anon they thundered unawares 

 Upon a guilty man — 

 A simple rustic setting snares. Image of Evil sowing 

 tares. 

 He leapt, and looked, and ran ; 

 And after him rode Harbottle, Sillitoe, 

 Griggs and Briggs and Buller-Brown, and Grumby 

 on the grey. 



Dark visions of a felon's jail, his wife's despair, his 

 children's wail 

 Were lifted from him as a veil. 

 When questioned, blown, at bay. 

 His red right hand out straight he threw : 

 " Hare Park? " he mused, " Hare Park? " 



