"Why are you dogging me thus?" I cried; "come out, and no harm will
befall you."
I rode round, and he shifted as I did, so that he was between me
and the shepherd, and then I called to the latter that this was but
a man, and bade him come and help me to catch him. Whereon the man
looked swiftly over his shoulder and saw that he was fairly
trapped.
"Keep him back, Master," he said in a strange growling voice, which
was not that of a Dartmoor savage either in tone or speech. "Keep
him back, and we will talk together; I mean no harm."
But I had no need to tell the shepherd not to come, for he bided
where he was, being afraid; but I held up my hand to him as if to
bid him be still, lest the man should know that he would not help
me.
"Come out like a man," I said. "One would think that you were some
evildoer."
"Master, I will swear that I am not. Let that be, for I have
somewhat to tell you that you will be glad to hear."
"If that is true, why did you not come openly, instead of waiting
till I had you in a corner? Every one knows that there is reward
for news from any honest man."
"There are those who would take my life if they caught me, Master.
I have been seeking for speech with you alone all this day; I hoped
the shepherd would leave you hereabout for his home, and then I
would have come to you.
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