Upon the white floor of snow , all the shipmen of Shoreby came clustering in an inky mass , and tailing out rearward in isolated clumps . Every man was shouting or screaming ; every man was gesticulating with both arms in air ; some one was continually falling ; and to complete the picture , when one fell , a dozen would fall upon the top of him . The confused mass of sound which they rolled up as high as to the moon was partly comical and partly terrifying to the fugitive whom they were hunting . In itself , it was impotent , for he made sure no seaman in the port could run him down . But the mere volume of noise , in so far as it must awake all the sleepers in Shoreby and bring all the skulking sentries to the street , did really threaten him with danger in the front . So , spying a dark doorway at a corner , he whipped briskly into it , and let the uncouth hunt go by him , still shouting and gesticulating , and all red with hurry and white with tumbles in the snow . It was a long while , indeed , before this great invasion of the town by the harbour came to an end , and it was long before silence was restored . For long , lost sailors were still to be heard pounding and shouting through the streets in all directions and in every quarter of the town . Quarrels followed , sometimes among themselves , sometimes with the men of the patrols ; knives were drawn , blows given and received , and more than one dead body remained behind upon the snow . When , a full hour later , the last seaman returned grumblingly to the harbour side and his particular tavern , it may fairly be questioned if he had ever known what manner of man he was pursuing , but it was absolutely sure that he had now forgotten . By next morning there were many strange stories flying ; and a little while after , the legend of the devil 's nocturnal visit was an article of faith with all the lads of Shoreby . But the return of the last seaman did not , even yet , set free young Shelton from his cold imprisonment in the doorway . For some time after , there was a great activity of patrols ; and special parties came forth to make the round of the place and report to one or other of the great lords , whose slumbers had been thus unusually broken . The night was already well spent before Dick ventured from his hiding-place and came , safe and sound , but aching with cold and bruises , to the door of the Goat and Bagpipes . As the law required , there was neither fire nor candle in the house ; but he groped his way into a corner of the icy guest-room , found an end of a blanket , which he hitched around his shoulders , and creeping close to the nearest sleeper , was soon lost in slumber . BOOK V -- CROOKBACK CHAPTER I -- THE SHRILL TRUMPET Very early the next morning , before the first peep of the day , Dick arose , changed his garments , armed himself once more like a gentleman , and set forth for Lawless 's den in the forest . There , it will be remembered , he had left Lord Foxham 's papers ; and to get these and be back in time for the tryst with the young Duke of Gloucester could only be managed by an early start and the most vigorous walking . The frost was more rigorous than ever ; the air windless and dry , and stinging to the nostril . The moon had gone down , but the stars were still bright and numerous , and the reflection from the snow was clear and cheerful . There was no need for a lamp to walk by ; nor , in that still but ringing air , the least temptation to delay .
Dick had crossed the greater part of the open ground between XXXXX and the forest , and had reached the bottom of the little hill , some hundred yards below the Cross of St. Bride , when , through the stillness of the black morn , there rang forth the note of a trumpet , so shrill , clear , and piercing , that he thought he had never heard the match of it for audibility .
Bagpipes Shelton Shoreby fall first guest-room hiding-place night quarter slumbers