As for me, when I saw that, I mingled with the crowd, and shouted, "Stop thief!" with the loudest of them.

Then, when no one thought of me, I slipped quickly down to the water's edge, and flung myself into the first wherry I found.
But by this time the hour was long gone by.

For we had been chasing half-an-hour up and down; up Watling Street, across Cheap, behind the New Exchange, up Cornhill, down Gracious Street, and along the new Fish Street towards the Bridge; so that when, more dead than alive, I struck out into the stream and shot the Bridge, not a sign was there of the _Misericorde_.
I was tempted to give it up then, and let who would take me.

And, indeed, there seemed a good chance of that.

For the owner of my wherry, supposing me to be the thief I seemed, was already out after me, and in another few minutes the hue and cry by water would be as loud as that by land.