As the Witch trials progressed and an increasing number of townsfolk were either jailed or executed, nature began to reclaim the town. There were accounts of ,”...cows wanderin’ the highroads...” as Cheever pointed out. Furthermore, the smell of rotting crops began to linger throughout the town, and ,”...orphans wandering from house to house…” explained Reverend Hale in act 4 of The Crucible. Also, uneasiness at the overwhelming evidence homes and farms falling into neglect due to the witch hunt only served to add on to the already substantial public discontent for the trials in both Salem and neighboring Andover. In act 4, Reverend Parris claims to have heard news of a ,”...rebellion in Andover,” and suspects a conspiracy against both him