noon
I saw a patrol of the King 's dragoons in one of the roads near which I walked . The nets were fast closing in on my master : there were soldiers coming upon him from every quarter save the west , which was blocked too , as it happened , by ships of war in the Channel . This particular patrol of dragoons caught sight of me . I saw a soldier looking over a gate at me ; but as I was only a boy , seemingly out for birdsnests , he did not challenge me , so that by noon I was safe in Taunton . I have no clear memory of Taunton , except that it was full of people , mostly women . There were little crowds in the streets , little crowds of women , surrounding muddy , tired men who had come in from the Duke . People were going about in a hurried , aimless way which showed that they were scared .