Stamford increased significantly. Some were traveling entertainers, others had wares for sale. Still others were thieves who preferred to ply their trade among crowds of strangers.
Richard had never run with the bulls and after what had happened to Bromley, had no intention of doing so, but planned to watch the run. He was also curious about the booths and entertainers at the market. Early Saturday morning, he made his way to the plaza near the Saint Mary's church. He thought that would be an excellent place to view the bulls as they came over the bridge and entered the towne. A crowd was already gathering when he arrived, but he managed to work his way to the front. There was a chill in the air, more so than had been recently and it seemed to Richard that it might yet snow, so he pulled his cloak more tightly about himself.
Soon he could see the runners lining the sides of the bridge with sticks in hand. They were all young men, most of them James' age or younger, he thought. He also reasoned that it would not be wise for a man his age to participate in such sport.
The crowd was excited and many were calling out the names of participants that they knew. The excitement of the crowd increased in pitch at the moment the bulls were seen on the bridge. Great billows of breath streams poured from the bulls' nostrils and they pulled at the ropes that held them. Suddenly, the ropes were released and they were off, charging over the bridge, egged on all the more by the sticks of the participants. Then they were through the gates and onto the streets of the towne with the runners in pursuit. In an instant, it seemed, the thundering crowd of beast and man was nearing Richard. He felt his excitement turn briefly to fear and he stepped backward slightly, bumping into the person behind him. The tiny wooden railing that had been put in place as a barrier, no longer seemed as safe as it had moments before. And then they were gone, past Saint Mary's and around the corner to the west. Richard held his position, knowing that the bulls would pass back by him as they would be chased into the towne meadow where they would be slaughtered.
After the bulls and runners had passed, the crowed chatted uncharacteristically freely with each other while they waited for the return of the bulls.
'Do you see me sone?' asked one man of the man next to him. 'Me thought 'e wuld be trampled as they comb over the bridge.'
''e must nay 'ave not'iced the bull that slipped and got be'ind 'im.'
'Aye, 'e is a luky lad indeed.'
'The bulls are nay as large as when we used to rune.'
'Aye, and I 'ave the scar to prove it.'
Richard enjoyed listening and watching the people. He thought it odd that he knew so few. Then across the street from where he was standing, he thought that he caught a glimpse of someone that he should recognize, but did not. The person had reddish hair and beard and a light reddish complexion. Richard had an uneasy feeling about it and was about to fade back into the crowd when shouts could be heard around the corner in the direction that the bulls would be returning.
Soon the bulls were coming around the corner from the east side of Saint Mary's and the crowd near him erupted in cheers. Again, he stepped backward slightly when the bulls neared. It seemed that there were fewer runners now and he wondered whether some unfortunate runners had met with a fate similar to Bromley's.
After the bulls and runners passed, Richard surveyed the people across the street for the man with the reddish hair, but he didn't see him. His uneasiness continued, so he merged back into the crowd and made his way to the market. He strolled among the crowds at the marketplace for a couple of hours and watched the entertainers. He was amazed by the jugglers and enjoyed the music of the minstrels.
As he turned away from the minstrels, he heard a shout, 'That is 'im, sheriff. Seize 'im.' Richard looked to see the man with reddish hair pointing in his direction. Then the recognition set in, it was Simon, the man that he had met in the woods, the thief. Instantly, Richard was seized upon by two of the sheriff's men and roughly pulled away from