The prince, in the meantime, is lured into an old country barn by John Canty and Hugo, his accomplice. He falls asleep on a pile of straw, and when he awakens, he hears many tales of injustice at the hands of the law. Outraged, he declares such laws should be abolished. This, as well as his assertion that he is the King of England, earns him the mockery of the troop of vagabonds who have joined Canty and Hugo. Forced to travel with these vagabonds, the prince nevertheless refuses to take part in their escapades, and he finally manages to escape from Hugo's custody when he tells a man that Hugo is a thief. He then wanders alone across the countryside, driven away whenever he begs for food or rest, until at last he finds an empty barn. Sleeping that night next to a calf, the prince is awakened by two young children who believe his story about his royal claim and take him to their mother. The woman feeds him and sets him to doing a variety of household tasks. As he is working, however, he sees Canty and Hugo arriving in front of the house, so he runs off toward the woods. There, he makes his way until he reaches a hermit's hut. The hermit, who is genuinely mad, feeds the boy and cares for him, but when he hears that the boy is the King of England, son of Henry VIII, he becomes consumed with revenge; he ties up the prince and is about to plunge a knife into him when Miles Hendon arrives at the door. The hermit manages to lead Hendon away, but, inadvertently, his absence allows John Canty and Hugo to take the prince with them.
Once again, Hugo tries to make the Prince Participate in begging and thieving; the prince however, steadfastly refuses to have anything to do with such activities. Hugo therefore decides to put the prince into the hands of the law, which he accomplishes by snatching a bundle, thrusting it into the prince's arms, and dashing away. The appearance of guilt is enough for the crowd that gathers, and the burliest of them is about to beat the prince when Miles Hendon once again appears. To appease the crowd, Miles and the prince must go before the magistrate. The judge is kindly, and the sentence is short. Hendon then manages to convince the sheriff that the wisest course would be to free the boy, and the two leave, headed toward Hendon Hall, from which Miles has been absent for some ten years.
