At last, when darkness came on, the king, with his personal friends and some sixty others, slipped away down a by-road, and after riding for some hours came to a house called the White Ladies.  Here for a few hours they rested.  Then a council was held.  They had news that on a heath near were some three thousand Scotch cavalry.  The king’s friends urged him to join these and endeavor to make his way back into Scotland, but Charles had already had more than enough of that country, and he was sure that Argyll and his party would not hesitate to deliver him up to the Parliament, as they had done his father before him.  He therefore determined to disguise himself, and endeavor to escape on foot, taking with him only a guide.  The rest of the party agreed to join the Scotch horse, and endeavor to reach the border.  After a consultation with Jacob, Harry determined to follow the example of the king, and to try and make his way in disguise to a seaport.  He did not believe that the Scotch cavalry would be able to regain their country, nor even if they did would his position be improved were he with them.  With the destruction of the Royalist army, Argyll would again become supreme, and Harry doubted not that he would satisfy his old grudge against him.  He was right in his anticipations.  The Scots were a day or two later routed by the English horse, and comparatively few of them ever regained their country.  Out of the eleven thousand men who fought at Worcester, seven thousand were taken prisoners, including the greater part of the Scottish contingent.  The English, attracting less hostility and attention from the country people, for the most part reached their homes in safety.

As soon as the king had ridden off, Harry with Jacob and Mike, started in another direction.  Stopping at a farmhouse, they purchased from the master three suits of clothes.  Harry’s was one of the farmer’s own, the man being nearly his own size.  For Jacob, who was much shorter, a dress, cloak and bonnet of the farmer’s wife was procured, and for Mike the clothes of one of the farmer’s sons.  One of the horses was left here, and a pillion obtained for the other.  Putting on these disguises, Harry mounted his horse, with Jacob seated behind him on a pillion, while Mike rode by his side.  They started amid the good wishes of the farmer and his family, who were favorable to the Royalist cause.  Harry had cut off his ringlets, and looked the character of a young farmer of twenty-four or twenty-five years old well enough, while Jacob had the appearance of a suitable wife for him.  Mike was to pass as his brother.