By this time they began to weary; and so, in the back road from Hackney, a little before it opened into the said great road, they resolved to set up their tent, and encamp for the first night; which they did accordingly, with this addition:  that, finding a barn, or a building like a barn, and first searching as well as they could to be sure there was nobody in it, they set up their tent with the head of it against the barn.  This they did also because the wind blew that night very high, and they were but young at such a way of lodging, as well as at the managing their tent.

Here they went to sleep; but the joiner, a grave and sober man, and not pleased with their lying at this loose rate the first night, could not sleep, and resolved, after trying it to no purpose, that he would get out, and, taking the gun in his hand, stand sentinel, and guard his companions.  So, with the gun in his hand, he walked to and again before the barn; for that stood in the field near the road, but within the hedge.  He had not been long upon the scout, but he heard a noise of people coming on as if it had been a great number; and they came on, as he thought, directly towards the barn.  He did not presently awake his companions, but in a few minutes more, their noise growing louder and louder, the biscuit baker called to him and asked him what was the matter, and quickly started out too.  The other being the lame sailmaker, and most weary, lay still in the tent.

As they expected, so the people whom they had heard came on directly to the barn, when one of our travelers challenged, like soldiers upon the guard, with, “Who comes there?” The people did not answer immediately; but one of them speaking to another that was behind them, “Alas, alas! we are all disappointed,” says he; “here are some people before us; the barn is taken up.”

They all stopped upon that, as under some surprise; and it seems there were about thirteen of them in all, and some women among them.  They consulted together what they should do; and by their discourse, our travelers soon found they were poor distressed people too, like themselves, seeking shelter and safety; and besides, our travelers had no need to be afraid of their coming up to disturb them, for as soon as they heard the words, “Who comes there?” they could hear the women say, as if frighted, “Do not go near them; how do you know but they may have the plague?” And when one of the men said, “Let us but speak to them,” the women said, “No, don’t, by any means; we have escaped thus far by the goodness of God; do not let us run into danger now, we beseech you.”

Our travelers found by this that they were a good sober sort of people, and flying for their lives as they were; and as they were encouraged by it, so John said to the joiner, his comrade, “Let us encourage them too, as much as we can.”  So he called to them.  “Hark ye, good people,” says the joiner; “we find by your talk that you are flying from the same dreadful enemy as we are.  Do not be afraid of us; we are only three poor men of us.  If you are free from the distemper, you shall not be hurt by us.  We are not in the barn, but in a little tent here on the outside, and we will remove for you; we can set up our tent again immediately anywhere else.”  And upon this a parley began between the joiner, whose name was Richard, and one of their men, whose said name was Ford.