Muckleford；　and　other　comrades　of　his　orgies　at　the　hall。　　It　was　a
  magnificent　opportunity；　and　Festus　drew　his　sword。　　When　they　were
  within　speaking　distance　he　reined　round　his　charger's　head　to
  Budmouth　and　shouted；　'On；　comrades；　on！　　I　am　waiting　for　you。　　You
  have　been　a　long　time　getting　up　with　me；　seeing　the　glorious　nature
  of　our　deeds　to…day！'
  'Well　said；　Derriman；　well　said！'　replied　the　foremost　of　the
  riders。　　'Have　you　heard　anything　new？'
  'Only　that　he's　here　with　his　tens　of　thousands；　and　that　we　are　to
  ride　to　meet　him　sword　in　hand　as　soon　as　we　have　assembled　in　the
  town　ahead　here。'
  'O　Lord！'　said　Noakes；　with　a　slight　falling　of　the　lower　jaw。
  'The　man　who　quails　now　is　unworthy　of　the　name　of　yeoman；'　said
  Festus；　still　keeping　ahead　of　the　other　troopers　and　holding　up　his
  sword　to　the　sun。　　'O　Noakes；　fie；　fie！　　You　begin　to　look　pale；
  man。'
  'Faith；　perhaps　you'd　look　pale；'　said　Noakes；　with　an　envious
  glance　upon　Festus's　daring　manner；　'if　you　had　a　wife　and　family
  depending　upon　ye！'
  'I'll　take　three　frog…eating　Frenchmen　single…handed！'　rejoined
  Derriman；　still　flourishing　his　sword。
  'They　have　as　good　swords　as　you；　as　you　will　soon　find；'　said
  another　of　the　yeomen。
  'If　they　were　three　times　armed；'　said　Festus'ay；　thrice　three
  timesI　would　attempt　'em　three　to　one。　　How　do　you　feel　now；　my
  old　friend　Stubb？'　（turning　to　another　of　the　warriors。）　　'O；　friend
  Stubb！　no　bouncing　health　to　our　lady…loves　in　Oxwell　Hall　this
  summer　as　last。　　Eh；　Brownjohn？'
  'I　am　afraid　not；'　said　Brownjohn　gloomily。
  'No　rattling　dinners　at　Stacie's　Hotel；　and　the　King　below　with　his
  staff。　　No　wrenching　off　door…knockers　and　sending　'em　to　the
  bakehouse　in　a　pie　that　nobody　calls　for。　　Weeks　of　cut…and…thrust
  work　rather！'
  'I　suppose　so。'
  'Fight　how　we　may　we　shan't　get　rid　of　the　cursed　tyrant　before
  autumn；　and　many　thousand　brave　men　will　lie　low　before　it's　done；'
  remarked　a　young　yeoman　with　a　calm　face；　who　meant　to　do　his　duty
  without　much　talking。
  'No　grinning　matches　at　Mai…dun　Castle　this　summer；'　Festus　resumed；
  'no　thread…the…needle　at　Greenhill　Fair；　and　going　into　shows　and
  driving　the　showman　crazy　with　cock…a…doodle…doo！'
  'I　suppose　not。'
  'Does　it　make　you　seem　just　a　trifle　uncomfortable；　Noakes？　　Keep　up
  your　spirits；　old　comrade。　　Come；　forward！　we　are　only　ambling　on
  like　so　many　donkey…women。　　We　have　to　get　into　Budmouth；　join　the
  rest　of　the　troop；　and　then　march　along　the　coast　west'ard；　as　I
  imagine。　　At　this　rate　we　shan't　be　well　into　the　thick　of　battle
  before　twelve　o'clock。　　Spur　on；　comrades。　　No　dancing　on　the　green；
  Lockham；　this　year　in　the　moonlight！　　You　was　tender　upon　that　girl；
  gad；　what　will　become　o'　her　in　the　struggle？'
  'Come；　come；　Derriman；'　expostulated　Lockham'this　is　all　very
  well；　but　I　don't　care　for　't。　　I　am　as　ready　to　fight　as　any　man；
  but'
  'Perhaps　when　you　get　into　battle；　Derriman；　and　see　what　it's　like；
  your　courage　will　cool　down　a　little；'　added　Noakes　on　the　same
  side；　but　with　secret　admiration　of　Festus's　reckless　bravery。
  'I　shall　be　bayoneted　first；'　said　Festus。　　'Now　let's　rally；　and
  on！'
  Since　Festus　was　determined　to　spur　on　wildly；　the　rest　of　the
  yeomen　did　not　like　to　seem　behindhand；　and　they　rapidly　approached
  the　town。　　Had　they　been　calm　enough　to　reflect；　they　might　have
  observed　that　for　the　last　half…hour　no　carts　or　carriages　had　met
  them　on　the　way；　as　they　had　done　further　back。　　It　was　not　till　the
  troopers　reached　the　turnpike　that　they　learnt　what　Festus　had　known
  a　quarter　of　an　hour　before。　　At　the　intelligence　Derriman　sheathed
  his　sword　with　a　sigh；　and　the　party　soon　fell　in　with　comrades　who
  had　arrived　there　before　them；　whereupon　the　source　and　details　of
  the　alarm　were　boisterously　discussed。
  'What；　didn't　you　know　of　the　mistake　till　now？'　asked　one　of　these
  of　the　new…comers。　　'Why；　when　I　was　dropping　over　the　hill　by　the
  cross…roads　I　looked　back　and　saw　that　man　talking　to　the　messenger；
  and　he　must　have　told　him　the　truth。'　　The　speaker　pointed　to
  Festus。　　They　turned　their　indignant　eyes　full　upon　him。　　That　he
  had　sported　with　their　deepest　feelings；　while　knowing　the　rumour　to
  be　baseless；　was　soon　apparent　to　all。
  'Beat　him　black　and　blue　with　the　flat　of　our　blades！'　shouted　two
  or　three；　turning　their　horses'　heads　to　drop　back　upon　Derriman；　in
  which　move　they　were　followed　by　most　of　the　party。
  But　Festus；　foreseeing　danger　from　the　unexpected　revelation；　had
  already　judiciously　placed　a　few　intervening　yards　between　himself
  and　his　fellow…yeomen；　and　now；　clapping　spurs　to　his　horse；　rattled
  like　thunder　and　lightning　up　the　road　homeward。　　His　ready　flight
  added　hotness　to　their　pursuit；　and　as　he　rode　and　looked　fearfully
  over　his　shoulder　he　could　see　them　following　with　enraged　faces　and
  drawn　swords；　a　position　which　they　kept　up　for　a　distance　of　more
  than　a　mile。　　Then　he　had　the　satisfaction　of　seeing　them　drop　off
  one　by　one；　and　soon　he　and　his　panting　charger　remained　alone　on
  the　highway。
  XXVII。　　DANGER　TO　ANNE
  He　stopped　and　reflected　how　to　turn　this　rebuff　to　advantage。
  Baulked　in　his　project　of　entering　the　watering…place　and　enjoying
  congratulations　upon　his　patriotic　bearing　during　the　advance；　he
  sulkily　considered　that　he　might　be　able　to　make　some　use　of　his
  enforced　retirement　by　riding　to　Overcombe　and　glorifying　himself　in
  the　eyes　of　Miss　Garland　before　the　truth　should　have　reached　that
  hamlet。　　Having　thus　decided　he　spurred　on　in　a　better　mood。
  By　this　time　the　volunteers　were　on　the　march；　and　as　Derriman
  ascended　the　road　he　met　the　Overcombe　company；　in　which　trudged
  Miller　Loveday　shoulder　to　shoulder　with　the　other　substantial
  householders　of　the　place　and　its　neighbourhood；　duly　equipped　with
  pouches；　cross…belts；　firelocks；　flint…boxes；　pickers；　worms；
  magazines；　priming…horns；　heel…ball；　and　pomatum。　　There　was　nothing
  to　be　gained　by　further　suppression　of　the　truth；　and　briefly
  informing　them　that　the　danger　was　not　so　immediate　as　had　been
  supposed；　Festus　galloped　on。　　At　the　end　of　another　mile　he　met　a
  large　number　of　pikemen；　including　Bob　Loveday；　whom　the　yeoman
  resolved　to　sound　upon　the　whereabouts　of　Anne。　　The　circumstances
  were　such　as　to　lead　Bob　to　speak　more　frankly　than　he　might　have
  done　on　reflection；　and　he　told　Festus　the　direction　in　which　the
  women　had　been　sent。　　Then　Festus　informed　the　group　that　the　report
  of　invasion　was　false；　upon　which　they　all　turned　to　go　homeward
  with　greatly　relieved　spirits。
  Bob　walked　beside　Derriman's　horse　for　some　distance。　　Loveday　had
  instantly　made　up　his　mind　to　go　and　look　for　the　women；　and　ease
  their　anxiety　by　letting　them　know　the　good　news　as　soon　as
  possible。　　But　he　said　nothing　of　this　to　Festus　during　their　return
  together；　nor　did　Festus　tell　Bob　that　he　also　had　resolved　to　seek
  them　out；　and　by　anticipating　every　one　else　in　that　enterprise；
  make　of　it　a　glorious　opportunity　for　bringing　Miss　Garland　to　her
  senses　about　him。　　He　still　resented　the　ducking　that　he　had
  received　at　her　hands；　and　was　not　disposed　to　let　that　insult　pass
  without　obtaining　some　sort　of　sweet　revenge。
  As　soon　as　they　had　parted　Festus　cantered　on　over　the　hill；　meeting
  on　his　way　the　Longpuddle　volunteers；　sixty　rank　and　file；　under
  Captain　Cunningham；　the　Casterbridge　company；　ninety　strong　（known
  as　the　'Consideration　Company'　in　those　days）；　under　Captain
  Strickland；　and　othersall　with　anxious　faces　and　covered　with
  dust。　　Just　passing　the　word　to　them　and　leaving　them　at　halt；　he
  proceeded　rapidly　onward　in　the　direction　of　King's…Bere。　　Nobody
  appeared　on　the　road　for　some　time；　till　after　a　ride　of　several
  miles　he　met　a　stray　corporal　of　volunteers；　who　told　Festus　in
  answer　to　his　inquiry　that　he　had　certainly　passed　no　gig　full　of
  women　of　the　kind　described。　　Believing　that　he　had　missed　them　by
  following　the　highway；　Derriman　turned　back　into　a　lane　along　which
  they　might　have　chosen　to　journey　for　privacy's　sake；
  notwithstanding　the　badness　and　uncertainty　of　its　track。　　Arriving
  again　within　five　miles　of　Overcombe；　he　at　length　heard　tidings　of
  the　wandering　vehicle　and　its　precious　burden；　which；　like　the　Ark
  when　sent　away　from　the　country　of　the　Philistines；　had　apparently
  been　left　to　the　instincts　of　the　beast　that　drew　it。　　A　labouring
  man；　just　at　daybreak；　had　seen　the　helpless　party　going　slowly　up　a
  distant　drive；　which　he　pointed　out。
  No　sooner　had　Festus　parted　from　this　informant　than　he　beheld　Bob
  approaching；　mounted　on　the　miller's　second　and　heavier　horse。　　Bob
  looked　rather　surprised；　and　Festus　felt　his　coming　glory　in　danger。
  'They　went　down　that　lane；'　he　said；　signifying　precisely　the
  opposite　direction　to　the　true　one。　　'I；　too；　have　been　on　the
  look…out　for　missing　friends。'
  As　Festus　was　riding　back　there　was　no　reason　to　doubt　his
  information；　and　Loveday　rode　on　as　misdirected。　　Immediately　that
  he　was　out　of　sight　Festus　reversed　his　course；　and　followed　the
  track　which　Anne　and　her　companions　were　last　seen　to　pursue。
  This　road　had　been　ascended　by　the　gig　in　question　nearl