Looking around he saw a farm-laborer with a pitchfork coming at a distance into view, whose steps seemed bent in a direction not far from the spot where he lay.
Immediately it struck our adventurer that this man must be familiar with the scarecrow; perhaps had himself fashioned it.

Should he miss it then, he might make immediate search, and so discover the thief so imprudently loitering upon the very field of his operations.
Waiting until the man momentarily disappeared in a little hollow, Israel ran briskly to the identical spot where the scarecrow had stood, where, standing stiffly erect, pulling the hat well over his face, and thrusting out his arm, pointed steadfastly towards the Squire's abode, he awaited the event.

Soon the man reappeared in sight, and marching right on, paused not far from Israel, and gave him an one earnest look, as if it were his daily wont to satisfy that all was right with the scarecrow.

No sooner was the man departed to a reasonable distance, than, quitting his post, Israel struck across the fields towards London.
But he had not yet quite quitted the field when it occurred to him to turn round and see if the man was completely out of sight, when, to his consternation, he saw the man returning towards him, evidently by his pace and gesture in unmixed amazement.

The man must have turned round to look before Israel had done so.