He picked up the pile of clothes that lay beside the millstream, tucked them under his arm and ran after the others.
Lord Wynchingham had an insane desire to shout after him, to call out ‘stop thief’ and then remembered that, whatever happened, one thing he must not do at this moment is to draw attention to himself.
He waited nearly five minutes and then, shivering and blue with cold, he swam to the bank and climbed out into the sunshine.
He would have liked to rest for a few minutes and let the sun warm his body, but it was too dangerous.
Instead he hurried into the bushes, shook himself as dry as he could and then set off in the opposite direction to that which the gypsies had taken towards Wynch.
He looked at the sun, guessed that it must be getting on for nine o’clock and with a l
