It seemed, from a short whispering which presently ensued
between them and the vintner relative to the best way of escape, that
they had entered by the back-door, with the connivance of John Grueby,
who watched outside with the key in his pocket, and whom they had taken
into their confidence. A party of the crowd coming up that way, just as
they entered, John had double-locked the door again, and made off for
the soldiers, so that means of retreat was cut off from under them.
However, as the front-door had been forced, and this minor crowd, being
anxious to get at the liquor, had no fancy for losing time in breaking
down another, but had gone round and got in from Holborn with the rest,
the narrow lane in the rear was quite free of people. So, when they had
crawled through the passage indicated by the vintner (which was a mere
shelving-trap for the admission of casks), and had managed with some
difficulty to unchain and raise the door at the upper end, they emerged
into the street without being observed or interrupted. Joe still holding
Mr Haredale tight, and Edward taking the same care of the vintner, they
hurried through the streets at a rapid pace; occasionally standing aside
to let some fugitives go by, or to keep out of the way of the soldiers
who followed them, and whose questions, when they halted to put any,
were speedily stopped by one whispered word from Joe.
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