Page:Life and death of Sheffery Morgan.pdf/15



15                       thief finding himself thus deceived and so trapanned that he could no                       ways help himself, was forced to con- tinue in the bucket to save his sweet life; and at last an old woman coming from the next town to draw water, as                       she was winding up, seeing such a                        strange beast in the bucket, shrewdly affrighted, for he stared like a dead pig in a stall; the woman being half dead with fear, in a little time re- covered her senses, and made shift to                       get to town, where he declared how she was affrighted at the well: They asked her what it might be: who re- plied, I cared not to stay to look on't,                       but without doubt it must be the devil; and therefore let us all go forth with what weapons we can get, and destroy him, who would deprive us of                       the privilege of the well, and hath taken possession of the bucket. So                       the rest of the old women and men resolved to fight for their privilege; and armed themselves with such wea- pons as they could get, the men with pitch-forks, and clubs, and such like; the women with distaffs, and swore by their maidenheads he should