VO'55lLoJcL/ck- isr\JLryvocL. iP^^^MJL^^ LI BRAFLY OF THL UNIVLRSITY Of ILLINOIS 823 V71b v.l Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2010 with funding from University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign http://www.archive.org/details/blackbessorknigh01vile BLACK BESS; ALL BOOKSELLKJia n)71 PREFACE f BB Antiaor of " Black Bess ; es, thb Eniort of tbb Roai^" hM on* r«qnest te m&lc*. It u, that these who have, unread, condemned the present work, will take the troable to perasc K An entire change of opinion will be the reiolt ; beeaoae in no place will rice be fonnd oom- mended and yirtae sneered at; nor will any pandering to sensuality, ■nggestiona of impure thoughts, or direct encouragement to crime be diacovered ; neither are there details of seduction, bigamy, adultery, and domestic poisonings, such as are indispensable ingredients of our popular tbree-Tolume noTels. On the contrary, the work will be found full of exciting personal adventures, ouch as can never be re-enacted until Railways are swept away, and Stage Coaches replaced on our High-roads — until, in fine, the present state of things is changed to what it was a century and a half ago. If anyone is weak-minded enough to be carried away by the idea that a highwayman's career as depicted in these pages can be played in reality at the present day, he must be imbecile indeed. Let not the " Life of Robin Hood " fall into the hands of such a one, or, sure as fate, Sherwood Forest ivould be his destination, with a bow and arrows for bis stock-in-trade. Seriously, however, such a state of mind, so produced, would of course work its cure in a little while, before much harm waa done ; and the victim, tho .oughly cured, would laugh heartily at his put folly. To the Public which has received the work with such unexampled favour the Author oegs t« txpress his best aeknowledgmenta, coupled with the hope tbat his next effort will aot be fouoi tiDworthy of their support /»n^M ♦4 "^ * BLACK BESS KNIGHT OF THE R,OA.D. .A ROMANCE. ^ [dick ttjepin stops the lokd mayor's carriage.] CHAPTER I. DICK TURPIN WAYLAYS AND ROBS THE EX-LORD MAYOR OF LONDON ON WIMBLEDON COMMON. The rim of the rising moon was just peeping above the horizon, and a few faint, sickly beams of light shot up from it into the night sky, giring to all objects a dim, spectral-like appearance. Standing in the middle of the high road which skirts Wimbledon Common on the north side was a horse and tider- ., The moonlight shimmered upon both with a strange effect. At first sight it seemed as though a lambent flickering flame was playing over them, from the horse's hoofs to the long feather in the rider's hat. This was caused by the peculiar tint the vapours on the horizon gave to the moon's rays. The horseman was leaning forward in his saddle in an attitude of intense listening. There was something remarkably picturesque and Nos. ] and 2. GRATIS with these Numbers, in New Coloured Wrapper, the SPLENDID CQIiOURED PICTURE: DICK TURPIN LEAPS BLACK BESS OVER romantic about him aa he eat so still upon his steed in the centre of the deserted highway. He was tall and muscular, and sat in the saddle w^f.^ ; an ease and grace as rare as it was admirable. His attira was well calculated to set off hia figure to the greatest advantage ; it was that bo much affected by military officers in the reign of the second George. A three-cornered blaclj felt hat, trimmed with bfoad gold lace, and with a long black feather trailing from it. A cravat of spotlessly white muslin tied in a large bow, with the ends depending almost to the waiat. A crimson-coloured coat, very long in the waist and very stiff in the skirts trimmed and faced also with gold lace. A waistcoat of the eame maiierials and colour, coming low down on the hips. Close-fitting pantaloons of white leather, and large black boots coming up high above the knee. Such was the costume which he wore. We have said nothing of the jewellery upon bis per- son, and which glistened faintly in the moonli^nt. A refined taste would have considered there was a little too much of it. Of the steed which he bestrode, and which was no other than the mare so celebrated in song and story — Black Bess — we feel it is perfectly unnecessary to say a word in the shape of description. Her rider — whom we may as well at once call by name, Dick Turpin — had, at the moment we introduce him to our readers, one hand upon her neck. We have said he was listening intently. So Bess appeared to be, for hor ears were projected forwards. Upon the soft miry road— for it had been raining heavily a few hours before— was an indistinct grating sound. None, however, but the most practised listener could have detected it, or, if they had, could have told what it really was. To Dick the sound was perfectly intelligible. A carriage was approaching, though as yet it was at a considerable distance. Very rapidly, however, the sound grew louder and the trampling of horses' hoofs began to mingle with the grating, crushing noise. Then the light of the carriage lamps flashed through the gloom and cast a dim halo around. It was one of those capacious, comfortable vehicles, in which our great-grandfathers delighted to ride. Two powerful horses drew it along at a rapid rate. There were no armorial bearings upon the carriage, but the gaudy ornamentation about it was sufficient to show that it belonged to no member of the aristocracy. The stout coachman though, who sat on the bos and drove the horses in a dignified sort of way, had some- thing of that appearance. So also had the footman, who sat with bis arms folded before him in the dickey. The occupants of the carriage were two persons, upon whom the sun of glory had risen, shone, and set. And all within the space of twelve months. That period of time had comprehended their butterfly esistetee. ' In a word, they were the ex-lord may. Another cireumsuanco was in his disfavour. The moon which a short time before had only in a dim fashion lighted up the landscape, was now shining brightly, and ^as only obscured for a minute or two as some small vapoury clouds swept over her disc. He paused for a brief moment to arrange some plan of action in bis mind, and it was then the troop of officers came in sight. His resolve was quickly taken. With an exercise ot that surprising agility for which he was so famous, ne sprang like an bailequin through the window of the carriage. He chose the side upon which the mayoress stood for the execution of this feat, because Bess was on that side of the way, and he alighted on the unfortunate Ezekiel with so much suddenness and force, that he fell flat down upon the road at once. The soft, fat body of the ex-mayor broke the violence of his fall, and without even sustaining so much injury as a bruise, Dick sprang in a moment to his feet, and gave the eignal to his mare. She reached his side with a bound at precisely the same moment of time as the officers reached the carriage. Dick placed but one hand upon her neck, and then vaulted hghtly into the saddle. He was seated in the twinkling of an eye. " Surrender ! surrender ! " said the chief of the officers. " There's five hundred pounds for your apprehension, dead or alive. Surrender, or I fire ! " The only reply Dick made to this invitation was to give Bess the reins, and dash off along the road in the direction of the common. As soon as the chief of the officers saw the movement, he cried in a loud voice— " Fire ! " The simultaneous discharge of about a dozen -pistol- shots followed his command. Dick, however, was at rather too great a distance for them to be very effective, and they whistled harmlessly about and around him. Then Bess put forward that speed which could not fail to leave any other horses far iu the rear. After firing the volley, the poUce took no notice of ex- Mayor Funge and his wife, but plunged forward as rapidly as their steeds would carry them. It was exceedingly unfortunate for Dick that the moon was shining ^\-ith so much clearness, as it enabled his pursuers to keep him steadily in view. They were one and all exceedingly well mounted, and pUed whip and spur most vigorously. After the lapse of a few moments, Dick turned his head and looked behind him. He was gaining rapidly on his pursuers, and must eventually, unless some unforseen accident occurred, distance them completely. He was quite sure of baffling them if he could but reach a small plantation, or rather wood, which was only a mile or two ahead. He looked back again, and saw the officers were still farther in the rear, although they were goading their horses to the utmost in their endeavour to overtake him. When he looked back again the next time, it was just as he was entering the wood. They were then completely out of sight. He trotted gently along a narrow glade. A deep silence was everywhere around him , He looked about him on all sides, in quest of some place of concealment in case the officers should, on finding he had disappeared, take \t into tho^.r heads to hunt through the wood. No such place ^et his traze. However, he still pushed steadily onward. ' At that time the wooa was of a tolerable size, though a few poplarf "u-e 5li that remain now to show where it tnce stood- Suddenly Dick paused, for a faint, peculiar «Ottnd reached his ears. It came and ceased so suddenly that, acquamiec as he was with sUght noises of all kinds, he waa unable to determine what it was. It sounded more Hke the shutting oi a floor than any- thing else. He hastened forward in the direction from whence the sound had proceeded, walking Bess gently, so ♦'lat her hoofs should make as little noise as possible. Her tread was almost noiseless upon the soft springy turf. The trees now began to get thinner, and, after proceed- ing some distance farther, he emerged into a small clear- ing of about a quarter of an acre in extent. At the side of this enclosure opposite to where he stood, an unusually dense group of tall poplar trees reared their summits to the sky. In the black shadows which they cast was a rudely-built cottage, or rather hut. It was only one storey high, but it covered a large piece of ground, and its interior was doubtless divided into several apartments. Dick listened tor a minute or two, and then, not hearing any sound, either in advance or behind, rode boldly fonvard to the door of the soUtary habitation. " Hilloa there ! HiUoa ! House ! house ! " he shouted, striking the door some heavy blows with the handle of his riding-whip. He paused, and, as the summons waa disregarded, repeated it. He did so because he felt almost sure the place was tenanted, for a few rays of hght shone through the chinks in the door. He was on the point of applying his whip for the third time, when the door was abruptly flung open, and a man appeared upon the threshold. A huge fire was burning within, and emitting a brilliant light, which brought the figure of this man into bold relief. To all appearance, take him altogether, he was not exactly the individual to inspire a nervous person with confidence if he met him in a lonely place. " Well," he said gruffly, as he saw Dick observing him, .'hat's your business ? " " Yes," said Dick. This was rather an ambiguous reply, and the man favoured him with a long stare. However, without paying any further attention to him, Dick dismounted from his mare, and holding her by the bridle, walked towards the door of the hut, " Here — here — hold hard ! " said the man, putting his hand against Dick's breast, and striving to keep him back, " I should hke to know where you're a comin' to ! " " Inside, my friend, inside. I'm tired, so is my mare, and I want to rest awhile." He pushed by him into the interior of the hut as he spoke. The man appeared so astounded at his coolness that he could hardly make any opposition to him ; and, seeing him once fairly iu, he, with a growl of dissatisfaction, closed the door. A clumsy three-legged stool was the only thing there was in the place which would serve for a seat. This Dick monopolized unceremoniously. " My worthy friend," he said, as the man came towards the fu-e, " I am very soiTy if I have forced myself incon- veniently upon you, but pray understand I will pay you hberally for my shelter and j-our trouble." The man gave a grunt by way of response. Observing this sign of concession, Dick took a g'linea out of his pocket, and handed it to the man. His eyes glistened with cupidity as he received it, and his whole bearing underwent a remarkable alteration. " Your lordship's servant," he said. " ^Vllat can I do for you." " Give my mare a feed of com and a little water — only a little, mind." " Yes, your honour's worship." " And if you have got anything good to dnnk in the place, bring me some. The man rephed by going to a chest at the otner eJ\alight, which was even brighter than when he had looked out a short time before, revealed theic figures with great distinctness. Looking straight before them, and without pausinpr for a moment, these men apnroached the door behind which Turpin stood, ( From their confident step tney evidently antioips-f-^ no difhculty in opening this door. When they tried it they found it firm and immoveable. Dick stood a little on one side, for he thought it not nnlikely they would, in their disappointment, fire a bullet through that door as they had through the other. The men, nowever, drew back to a short distance, and spoke in a low tone to each other. "I wish! could hit on some plan of scaring these scoundrels. I'll warrant they are as arrant cowards as ever put shoes on their feet. What can I think cf ? Surely I ought to be able to think of something." He rubbed his head in a perplexed, absent sort of way. It was no use, though, he could not rub an idea into it. The act of keeping his eye upon what the men were about prevented hia elaborating any plan of action. He now saw two of the men withdraw, leaving the other as a kind of guard. " They have gone round to their friends in front, I suppose. I wonder what they think of it P" The robbers appeared to be alarmed about something. They seemed to dread taking any vigorous steps. No doubt they were puzzled how to account for the hut being barricaded against them. From some reason or other they appeared to be aware that their hut had been taken possession of by some one, but, of course, whether by one person or twenty they could have no idea. Then Dick saw the two men who had just left return, ftccompaniod by three others. All six then entered the shed. " Shaw is right," said one. " Well, it's quite certain, whether he'a right or wrong, that if the bar is really up behind the other door, there will be little hope of forcing it, for it waa made pur- posely to resist any attaf't that might be made upon it." " Yes, yes." " Some one must have entered this place, and, no doubt, discovered all. Aa the doors are all fastened, he must be inside." " Comrades," said another, " it is some spy, and we are lost. Are you agreed that ho shall die ?" " All — all !" they cried. " Thank you," said Dick to himself. " But it strikes me you are counting your chickens before they are hatched." Then the man who had bo logically concluded that there must be some one inside the hut unfriendly to them, spoke again — "This door before us, and the existence of which no one would suspect when standing in this shed, because it is made of the same materials as the walls, is by no means so strong, and if we all strive with a will we shall easily enough force it open, and then death— death to the intruder." "Yes— death!" said the others. " You make a mistake," said Dick, mentally, " if you think you can frighten me by any such threats " He was interrupted by the man who had taken so prominent a part in the council saying rapidly^" "The trunk — the trunk '." To the intense surprise of Dick, no sooner weioitiese Words spoken, than they dashed rapidly into the wood. This furnished him with matter for speculation. " The trunk i" he repeated. " Whatever can they mean by saying, 'The trunk— the trunk!" and then running off lilie a parcel of madmen. I can't make them out at all. I think the very best thing I can do is to be off !" Ho put his hand on the fastenings of the door. "Stop, now," he said, as a second thought entered his head. " I may fall into a snare of some kind. Never Jnind, here goes." He waa too late. He heard the sounds of men's footsteps approaching. "Here they are back again. I wonder '/hat they aeaot by ' trunk ?' " It was a great puzzle to Dick, and he wag aaslous in the extreme to know what it was. They did not keep him long in suspense. The six men made their appearance again in tiont of the shed, carrying the trunk of a small tree uuou their shoulders. " Oh, I see now," said Dick ; " how ever ^>a3 it I did not think of that before ? It was the trunk of a tree that they meant. It looks as though it hs,d been cut down some time, and laid on tlie ground in the wet. They are going to smash the door in with it." The intention of the robbers was now only too appa- rent. With a ready thought, that had struck theui all at once, as soon as the word " trunk " was utto red by their jomrade, they one and all remembered t'ao trunk of a tree which had lain for many a day in th q clearing in the front of the hut. Then all, aotun*ed by one impulse, darted off to fet'bh ft. Ihat was the moment Dick should have seized upon to make his escape ; but while he was cudgelling hia brams to think what they meant, the opportunity was The trunk which the men carried waa quite denuded of its branches. No doubt they had, from time to time, been lopped off for firewood. It was about ten feet in length by two in diameter. i.1 J -^ ^®°' ^^^^^ °° ®^°^ ^''^^' "'^de a pause, and set- tled it firmly upon their shoulders. The thickest end was turned towards the door, and when the men carrying it rushed forward and used it as a battering-ram, there were very few doors that could have held upon their hinges. Dick's position was getting critical, for at close quar- ters six to one is rather long odds. " Forward ! forward !" shouted the man nearest the large end of the tree. Encircling it with their arms, the men ran forwards, and the rude battering-ram came with a terrifio crash against the door. Still, it did not give way completely. It was strongly made, and kept its place bravely ; but another such a blow as that which it had just received must inevitably demolish it. " Back ! back ! mates ; back ! One more blow, and the door is open." The men gave a cheer aa they drew back, and pre- pared for another charge. They rushed forward with great impetuosity, with thrice as much as was required indeed, for the door gave way in a moment ; and as they had prepared to meet with a much greater amount of resistance, they, as a natural result, went sprawling into the hut, with the tree on top of them. They did not appear, though, to have sustained much damage, for, in an inconceivably short time they had risen to their feet. All cast a rapid glance around them. The bright moon lighted up the place in almost every part. The hut waa empty. Dick had immediately after the first blow retired to the other apartment. The door which connected the two rooms opened in- wardly, so he stood a better chance of securing it than he would if it had opened outwards. His eye lighted upon the chest from which the man had produced the bottle of brandy. It waa large and heavy, and Dick dragged it with difficulty along the floor and placed it against the door. Of course it would not form any great obstacle, but still it would hinder their entrance for a moment or two. He had just finished placing it in its position when he heard the men dash up against it. " If now," he said, " I could only have a peep outside this door to see wliat is going on in front, but, as I can't I shall have to take my luck." He unfastened the door, so that it would at any mo« ment swing open. Then he mounted his steed. Crash — crash came the blows upon the inner door. Feeling there waa not a second to lose, Dick guided Bess to the front door of the hut. By leaning forward in hia saddle he conid take hold of its edge. BLACK BKSS: OB, He bent down his head to a level with Bess's ears, and held the reins firmly with his left hand. Then he pulled the door quickly open and dashed out into the clearing. A loud shout from several men in front minglea with that uttered by those who were within as he did so. "The spy! the spy!" they cried. "That's him! Stop him ! Stop him !" Several men darted out from the shadow ci the trees and endeavoured to seize Bess by the bridle. They might as well have tried to arrest the flight of an eagle Several shots were fired by those in the r'x.r, and a sudden shock, like a stroke with a stick, unaccompanied by pain, made Dick aware he had been hit in the shoulder. It was his left one. He pulled up and turned round upon his foeOo Their numbers had increased to near a score. They stood huddled together in a dense throng, They had all paused on seeing Dick suddenly wheel round. He had a pistol in his right hand. " Fall back into the hut," he cried in stentorian tones. " Fall back all, or I fire." Instinctively the men retreated a few paces. " Forward — forward ! let not the spy escape. Are ye Buch cowards that ye shrink from one man ? He has learned our secret and will betray us. Capture him, alive or dead !" The man who pronounced these words appeared to hold the post of captain to the troop, for, though he gave such valorous orders, he himself very prudently kept in the background. Dick laughed as he said — " I hold here the life of one man. Which of you is willing to be that one ?" None stirred. They were cowards as it was, but Dick's resolute bear- ing, and the conviction that one of them must receive the contents of the pistol, did not enhance their valour. They drew back yet further towards the door of the hut. "On! on! After him! after him!" again shouted their prudeiiC captain. "Capture him, my gallant hearts !" Dick could not help feeling amused at the idea of twenty men holding back from attacking him. An open kind of glade was before him, so, firing his pistol at random in the midst of the banditti, Dick turned his mare's head and galloped away. As soon as they saw his back the men hastened to pursue him, and Dick heard them give a loud shout, iu- tejded no doubt to buoy up their courage. " What a ridiculous termination to so horrible an ad- venture. They are the rankest cowards I ever met with, and no mistake. I suppose their achievements consist for the most part in plundering a henroost. I am, how- ever, far from being satisfied ; I would give a great deal to hear the story of that poor fellow whom I found in the underground cell." Full of tliese thoughts Dick reached the laTJO which bordered the wood. He looked behind him, but no traces of his pursuola were visible. CHAPTEE VI. THE MERTING WITH THE SPECTRE EOESEMAN li IHE LANE. j " What a glorious night !" said Dick, as he looked up ' and down the quiet shady lane. The mooi' '^as at the full, and had just passed the meridian. Far and ,vi06, ever hill and dale, tree and meadow, hill and streau., ^eV ''ha flood ot silvery lustre which she poured f ortb. It lighted up, too, witn a rare brilliancy and beauty, the numerous objects in the fertile landscape. Dick stood upon a piece of slightly rising ground which commanded a splendid view of the surrounding scenery. Reposing on the northern horizon, like some giant cloud, was the mass of buildings of which the city of London is composed. Above them all towered the mighty dome of St. Paul's Cathedral. The gilding on the summit of the monumeatglisteUQd faintly in the mellowed light. But not for long did the highwayman remain gazing at the beauty of the scene. He was anxious to reach London, and turning Bess's head in that direoticyi. he gave her the rein freely. And now, as both horse and rider are for i, Ji uouum in comparative safety, we will rest fcr afew moments from the recital of the varied incidetls which occurred on this most eventful night. We wish, if possible, to combat in the space of a few lines the oh^ctiona which have been raised to making a highwayman the hero of romance. We feel sure .ome of our readers viUl be willing to listen to our arguments. First, then, it has been urged, and with sv^me apparent reason, that the narration of such romantic incidents as pertain to a highwayman's career would tend to make the thoughtless endeavour to imitate them. Before we consider this question, it ought to be clearly borne in mind that no small amount of the interest which such a tale excites is due to the fact ihat the Knight of the Road is essentially a thing of the past. It is well known how the influence of time softens the asperities of all things, and it has not omitted to throw a gloss over the highwayman's exploits. Now we ourselves cannot for a moment think it pos- sible that anyone, let him be ever so unrefleotive, could be ridiculous enough, in these days, to attempt to imi- tate their deeds. In fact, the bold highwayman who cried " Stand and deliver 1" upon the road, has got to be considered in the light of a species ofkuight-errant, whose chief business was to redress such social wrongs as came under his immediate notice in the course of the many adventures among high and low, which must necessarily fall to his lot, and this is why we follow him with pleasure. Were scenes of violence alone depicted, the only feeling that would be called into existence would be disgust at his atrocities. " Such, then, being the case, it must be self-evident that it is not his obnoxiousness to the laws of the land nor the crimes of which he may have been guilty, thatriF.*is the attention of the reader, but his courage, addrr^v, single- mindness, and opposition of all kinds of opp.ft^Jsion^ When we carry the fancy back a hundred years, we picture society as something very different to w'/iat it is in the present day. Law and justice were not so impar- tially administered them as they are now, and it must be conceded that there is yet ample room for improve- ment. But nothing causes so ^reat a change in manners and customs as increase in the speed of locomotion. The lumbering stage-coach, with its bluff coachman and thick-headed guard, has given place to the railway train, so his occupation having gone, the day of the high- wayman has passed away never to return. Besides, the person who was weak-minded enough to think he could achieve the feats ascribed to heroes such as ours, would be just as likely, after reading some romance of chivalry, to don a suit of armour, and set out in quest of adventures, like Don Quixote. Now no one thinks of stigmatizing as improper the romances in which mailed warriors and crusaders take a part, and yet it appears to us, the obionWon raised applies to them with equal force. The truth is, that those persons whoso ordinary life is monotonous and void of incident devour with avidity all tales of wild and wonderful adventure, for the simple re^on that they present so vivid and remarkable a contrast to the routine of their own existence. To all of these we promise in our pages a rich mine of entertainment ; but we wish them ^o remember the work is a romance— nothing more. Meanwhile Dick has trotted swiftly down the lane in the direction of London. The high road is gained and crossed, and down ano- ther narrow lane, which will abbreviate the distance to be travelled, he takes his way. Soaking slowly through his coar ^nd trickling down on to Bess's flanks, came the blood from tht, wound in his left shoulder. It was scarcely more than a mere scratch, iud buiiet, which had been fired by the robbers in the wood^ £«d THE ENiaHT OF THK ROAD. plonghed np the flesh on his ehonlder, but had not touched the bone in its passage. • It bled freely, and to this circumstance may be attri- , bated the total absence of pain . He heeded it not in the least, and had even forgotten he ha^ been wounded. But slowly and constantly welled forth the current of life, and fell with a faint, almost inaudible, drip upon the ground in the country lane. •' Not for long, howevr, can ho remain insensible to the fearful loss of blootj Still he galloned oiiward. All was beautifully calm. No sound, save the beat ot Bess's hoofs, and the rustling of the foliage on each side of him, broke the delicious silence. Before him, and high up in the heavens, was the bright, full moon, travelling apparently at the same rate as him- self and ever keeping the same distance in advance. Occasionally a light fleecy cloud would sweep over her disc, obscuring her brilliancy for a moment, and then pail away across the sky, but that was all. * It was a night which could not fail to make a deep impression upon any reasoning being. The deep silence and repose around seemed to steal into the mind and create a corresponding influence upon the soul. It seemed to chasten and soften down the thoughts as the moonlight chastened material objects. Then the aspect of the lane changed. The low hedgerows gave place to high ones, while here and there a thick group of elms and poplars cast a deep black shadow on the roadway. Dick still pressed on. Once or twice he felt a strange sensation of weakness, and a kind of mist floated before his eyes. A slight smarting from the wound in his shoulder now attracted his attention, and he placed his right hand upon it. To his surprise, he found his coat sopping wet. He withdrew his hand with a puzzled air. Oh ! I remember now," he said; " one of those rascals scratched me with a bullet, and I suppose it has been bleeding ever since." He moved his arm about to ascertain whether the joint had been injured in any way, but he felt nothing more than a little stiffness. " Oh! it's all right," he said. " I must manage to bind it up in some way ; I wish I had discovered it earlier." While speaking he untied his voluminous cravat, and, though it was rather an awkward job, succeeded in ban- daging the wound and staunching the blood. " That's better ! I shall get on now, I fancy." But he had lost more blood than he imagined, and he felt his head swim, and he reeled in his saddle. " Woa ! gently! holdup!" he said, clutching Bess's mane. " Woa now !" He recovered himself by an effort, and pricking his mare gently with a spur, continued on his way. A dull red mist seemed to obscure his vision, but by iegrees it cleared away. Then, as he looked in advance of him, he fancied he could see in the far distance something in motion, but he could not determine what it was, for it was so confoun- ded with the shadows at the end of the lane that it was hardly distinguishable. Presently, however, it began to assume the form of a horse and rider. It looked, though, strangely dim and undefined. It approached with a peculiar gliding, undulating movement. What puzzled him most was, that though he bent for- ward in the saddle and listened, and though all around was so profoundly silent, no sound of the horse's feet striking against the road came to his ears. And still onward, nearer, nearer, with the same glid- ing, stealthy motion, came the mysterious steed. Dick felt a vague feeling of alarm — it could scarcely be called terror— creeping over him. This was in a great measure, no doubt, produced by the great quantity of blood which he had lost. He made a strong ■>ffort to shake it off. It was in vain. Then he became nnnscious that Bern was trembling violently. His hands wandered to the holsters. Andnowthe speotral-looking horseman reached a spot where no shadows fell upon the lane, and was piarply. revealed by the pale moonbeams. The misty, shadowy look had disappeared. Both horse and rider were defined with extraordinary clearness. Involuntarily, as his eye rested upon them, & cry of astonishment issued from his lips. And well there might. He fancied he must be dreaming. The mysterious rider was a perfect reflex of himself. The steed of his own mare. Black Bess, a He saw the whole as plainly as if he had stood before a gigantic looking-glass. He closed his eyes, fancying for a moment *.hat what he saw was but the creation of his own brain ; and when he opened them again it was with the [firm conviction that when he did so the apparition would have vanished. But no ; there it stood, and apparently ten times more palpable than before. He ran his eye over the costume. ^ There was the same rakish-looking hat, with its long trailing feather, the same gold-faced scarlet coat, the same high boots — all was most exact. In a moment, all that he had ever heard respecting the appearance of such an object being a foretoken of death flashed through his mind ; and, although it could not absolutely be said that he placed credence in such stoi-ies, yet, when he saw approaching, and at no great distance from him, a form which he was convinced was no illusion, a cold chill crept over him, and the blood seemed to gush back suddenly to his heart. His breath came short and thick. " What can it mean ?" he said, faintly. As he spoke, the mysterious horsman suddenly leaped the hedge, and sped over the meadows until he reached a little knoll, where he stood still and immovable. As for Bess, she seemed as if changed to stone. Her neck was outstretched towards the spectre steed, and her eyes seemed bursting from their sockets. Her mane was erect and her sides wet with perspiration. How long Dick gazed he knew not, but suddenly a cloud passed over the moon's face, and cast a temporary darkness around. When she peeped forth again the spectre horseman had disappeared. Dick gave a sigh of relief. " This is very, very strange," ho said. " What can be the meaning of this assumption of my own form and features ? I feel sick and faint. My brain is heavy and my arms paralyzed. Can it be possible that I have bled to death ?" His heart pulsated at twice its usual speed as this question crossed his mind, and he leaned forward heavily upon the neck of his steed. In a few moments, however, the deathlike faintnesa which had come over him passed away, and as he settled himself properly in the saddle, he passed his hand two or three times over his brow, and looked in a bewildered sort of fashion about him. All was still and silent. No other living, moving ob- ject could be anywhere distinguished. He urged Bess forwards. Filled with strange thoughts and sensations to which he had hitherto been a stranger, Dick proceeded on hia way to London, nor did he draw rein again until he stood upon the old bridge at Blackfriars. A cool, refreshing breeze came from the surface of the water, and Dick paused for a few moments in order to enjoy it, for it came very gratefully upon his fevered brain. There were a few vessels even at that hour moving lazily on the river. _ He watched them for some moments. It was wonderful what a difference the cool breeze made to Dick ; he felt himself revive rapidlv. Then he spoke — " I am better now — much better. I feel, though, very, very weary, and am glad I have reached London. I will make my way at once to where I oan-*">ve »in hour or two's repose." He proceeded at a gentle pace up Bridge-street and no on across Fleet-street into Farringdon-streCt, and past the gloomy old Fleet Prison, BLACK BESS ; OE, Thea he plunged into the mass of narrow streeta and courts which lie betwoon Fleet-street and Holborn-hill. To-day it is by no moans an enviable locality, bat a hundred years a;^o we may reasonably conclude it was at the very least a hundred times worse than it is now. Ho threaded his way into Cbaucery-lano without meotinLT with a soul. Ho made his way tu the corner of Carey-strsoi. Here a watchman had his Btation, rho was supposed to watch over the n6'<».hbourhood and protect the houses from ths burglar ! Suppose, indeed ! The box was there, but it was cmrty. Doubtioss, the Ruardian of the night was solacing himself some- where near at hand. At almost any other time Dick would have played him some trick, but now ha was so thoroughly exhausted he could thiukof nothing but reaching some place of rest. Soon, then, he emerged into Drury-lane by way of Princes-street, and, turning to the left, pulled up at the White Horse. No traces of thia ancient inn are left now. It was pulled down many years ago, and the present gin- palace ereetod on its site in the south corner of a pas- sago called Wliite Horse-yard. It was famed all over London as being the resort of all the criminals in town. The landlord was always too well paid by his customers for any reward, however great, to be an inducement for him to betray them, and any of the " family " was sUro of finding a safe refuge in his house. Altliough it.'^aa at an hour when everybody would bo supposed to be in bed, yet, when Dick drew up before the old inn, a light was burning in the tap-room. He alighted, and, instead of entering by the door, led Bess by the bridle down a narrosv alley until be reached a small door. Here he paused, and pressing hia thumb against the lintel, waited patiently. The door swung silently open, and a stout, red-faced man appeared upon the threshold. He held a lantern in his hand. " Hullo !" he said, gruffly ; then, as ho recognized his visitor; he said, in a cordial voice, " Why, Dick lad, is it you ? I have not seen you for an age. How mortal pale you are, to bo sure ! What's the matter P" Dick smiled languidly as he replied — " I am wounded, Matthew." " Eh ! wounded ?" " Ob, only slightly, only slightly. A mere scratch; in fact, nothing to speak of." " Come in, come in, and let mo attend to it. Bring your mare with you. I'll see to stabling her all right. Come in, come in." Dick led Boss over the doorstep as desired, and Matthew, the landlord, carefully closed the door. It was rather a strange place in which Dick stood, and it well deserves a line or two of description. In appearance ic more resembled the bottom of a well than anything else, only it was square ins-tead of round. Tlie only roof it had was the sky. It was about eight feet square. That side of it in which the door was placed was a plain brick wall of the Bamo height as the house itself. The other three sides were simply thg external walla of the inn, in which were several windows. But the strangest tiling of all was that a number of pieces of iron, ab )ut twelve inches long b? one in dia- meter, were stuck at regular intervals from the floor to the roof, so that a person might by their aid ascend to the housetops. These bars were besides arranged so that they passed near every window which looked ia to thia square place. Their use was obvious. A person could leave any of these rooms without difficulty through the windo-,7, and either go up or down as circumstances might require. There was a small low door opposite ij the one by which Dick had entered, leading into the inn. and another on theJeft hand leading by a circuitous route to the stablee It waB tkrougn tins last-mentioned door that the landlord passed, followed by Dick and hia mare. Tired and faint as he was, Biok would not forego his invariable custom of seeing his mare safely iodged and fed. This done, he accompanied old Matthew through a maze of wooden corridors, and up a flight of rickety stairs into a small chamber. '"f'here," said the landlord, putting his lantern on the broad window-sill, and carefully closing the abutters, "you may make yourself perfectly comfoi-t" able for twelve hours at least. Here is the bed." Dick threw himself upon the bod with a^ air of in- J tense satisfaction. " Shall I leave the light ?" " No ; I shall not want it." " All right ; good night." " Good night, landlord," replied Dick ; " mind you look after my mare." " Don't trouble about that, my boy. Won't you have something to eat and drink ?" " No, no, thank you," replied Turpin, drowsily. « Stay till I wake up. That'll do." " Good night, Dick," said the landlord again. • He waited in vain for a reply. Dick was fast asleep. " Ah, well," said old Matthew, as be approached the bed, and cast the light of the lantern upon his face. " He's helpless enough now, and no mistake. However, he shall come to no harm under this roof so long as I am alive. So rest in peace, brave heart, rest in peace." The landlord slowly left the bedside, and closed the door carefully behind him. The dawn of the coming day struggled through the triangular-shaped holes in the window shutters, and a faint, leaden-coloured beam of light fell upon the ex- hausted, slumbering highwayman. CHAPTER VII. THE ENCOUNTER WITH THE POLICE OFFICER ON THE. EOOP OF THE OLD INN IN DRUUT LANE. " EousE up, Dick ! rouse np, lad ! Wake up ! wake up, come ! Here's a couple of redbreasts dropped in. Wake up !" It was old Matthew Gale, the landlord, who spoke. it seemed to Dick as though he had only just closed hia eyes when these words sounded in his ears. He started up iu bed. " What is it, Matthew, eh ? Is the house on fire ?" " No, no ; only I saw a couple of ofBcera come in. I didn't stop to see what they wanted, but thought I would wake you up, so that you might be prepared for action if necessary." " Thanks 1 thanks ! And Bess ?" " Eight as a trivet. She's got all her traps on, and you can have her at a moment's notice." "That ia well. Why, dear me, it is getting quite daylight." " Daylight ? Ha ! ha li He ! he ! he ! Ha ! ha !" The landlord fairly held his sides. "Hilloa! what's up? Why do you laugh ?" "Ha! ha! Why, at you, to be sure. The idea of fancying it was getting daylight. Night ia closing in quick !" "Nonsense!" " It's a fact." " Then do you mec.n to Bay I have been eleepingr twelve hours ?" " Well, that's somewhere about the figure, I guess." " I can scarcely credit it. I thought I had only just closed my eyes when you called me." " That waa because you slept sound. How is your wound ?'" " Oh, I fancy it's all right. 1 feel nothing of it." " I wouldn't move the bandage yet if I were you," said Matthew, after examining it. " Let it alone, and it will soon get right. Try a glass or two of this ; it is the finest old port in my cellai«'~ It will put new blood into you." " You are thoughtful, my friend. I do feel just the least bit faint." " I shouldn't wonder. Now, if I were ycu, i would try a good meal." " I feel very hungry, I can tell you; but hew About the officers you were mentioning i" THE KNIGHT OP THE ROAD. ''Oh! dear me, what a head I've got! I have been rattling on like this, and quite forgot all about them." " I can soaroely think they are after me. How could they tell I was anywhere in the neighbourhood ?" " Oh ! I didn't nay they were after you, only I thought you ought XJot V.O "sleG'D while .the Philistines were abroad." " They can't be afto; me. If they had eeen me last night wo should have had a visit long before this. ' " No doubt, no doubt." " Just run down, will you, then, and find out their object; and, as soon as you can, come back and let me know." " I will, jJon't be afraiil, Dick, lad ; you are safer here tlian you could bo anywhere. I'll promise you if the grabs are in search of you I can baffle them without any trouble. So rest iu security where you are. You have nothing whatever to fear." " Well, then, Matthew, I should like you to run down again, and find out, if you can, what it is these officers want." " All right ; but on no account leave the voom until I return." Dick opened the door himself, and allowed the land- lord to go out, and, leaning over the balusters, watched him as far down the stairs as he could, and then stood Btill and listened. He lieard the landlord's footsteps for some moments, and then a door closed, after which all was still. Then a long. pause ensued, when, hearing the door open again, Dick withdrew into his chamber. In a moment or two afterwards the landlord returned. " WelK'" said Dick, inquiringly. " It's you they're after. They've got some suspicion you are here, but of course I denied the fact, and told them to search the old place from top to bottom. It will take them some time," he added, Complacently. "No doubt of that." "The ' White Horse ' is fuller of odd nooks and cor- ners than they fancy." " Have they begun their search ?" " Yes ; and as they no doubt think in a very cunning manner. You must not suppose that this staircase is the principal one. It is quite a secondary one, and thoy may not discover its existence. However, thoy havall gone straight up to the top of the house, iuteudine' t ) commence their search on the roof and end in the celitr^V ' " All, do you say ?" " Why, not all, of course. They have left one cr tw > downstairs as a kind of guard; and, no doubt, several more are looking out in the lane and the court, and they would of co:;r8e raise an alarm if they saw you attempt- ing to leave the premises." A great hubbub from somewhere above now reached their ear. " God bless me !" said the landlord, " what's that ?" " They had made some discovery or other, I should fancy. Wliat can it be ?" Old Matthew changed colour a little as he replied— " I have no idea. However, it appears they have been up to the roof, and come down again. I must leave you now, to go and see what they are after." " Very good ; but how shall I manage if they tako it into their heads to come here while you are away P" _" I'll show you. Bess is safe enough, and wher'' ^hey ■will never find her, so don't let that trouble you.'' " Well — well !" said Dick, uneasily. "Don't putyonrself about. Beleaguered as the house is, it would be impossible for you to leave it with your mare. I know you don't like to be off her hick, but it can't be helped." " What do you propose, then ?" "Just this. When I go out, shut the door and lock it after me. If the officers don't come, well and good. It they do, look here !" The landlord went to the window as he spoke. " Now," he said, " there is something very peculiar indeed about this window. You see, to all appearance, it is nailed up." " Yes— yes." ''.^^ell, it is only in appeaie.3C9, Those nail-heads, which stick out so ostentatioasly all round the sash, are hku a good deal of ostentation in this world— all sham. Ibav are jaat intended to miBloaaany one, and nothing more. The window opens with a hidden spring, 'jj thia way." He pressed on the headof oneof tue irianyi^ails round the sash, and the window rose silently in the groove made for it, and continued to rise so Inno; as> the head of the nail was pressed upon. ^ "Now, of course, you will say," continued tlio land' I lord, "that it is just possible, as the spring which opens the window is not concealed, that it may be discovered. But there is not the slightest ground for such a thought. On the contrary, it is more likely to prevent its being found out. You must bear in mind that there are at least fifty nail-heads here altogether, which diminishes tiie chances of discovery fifty times. Then, if the nails were tampered with, no one would think of driving them iu further, as you saw me do, but, on the contrary, would try to pull them out." There was so much logic in this reasoning that Dick was convinced at once. " But you haven't seen all of this yet," said old Mat- thew, with a certain degree of pride, " though the other part is simple enough. Look outside." Dick put his head through the window, and saw that he was looking into the square, well-like place which he had entered about twelve hours before. " Those bars," said Matthew, "are mortared very firmly into the wall, and you need not fear their giving way. As soon, then, as you hear the officers at the door, press on the nail ; it is the eleventh from the sill, and the window will open as I showed you. Then climb out, and take hold of the bar nearest to you with your right hand, and putting your foot on another one, close the window with your left ; you will find it shutdown with ease. It will then be immovable, and present to the officers the appearance of having been nailed up for a length of time. An active man like you will, of course, be able to reach the roof without difficulty, and when yon iiavo, I must leave you to your own devices." "And fear not for me, then," said Dick, pressing the landlord's hand ; " I shall be right enough, never fear," " I will leave you, then, for I am full of anxiety to know what the redbreasts are doing, and my longer absence might be productive of suspicion." " Do so — do so." " 1 hope," said Dick, " you" will bo able to lead them off the scout, for I can feel I am dreadfully weak. I must 'jave lost an immense quantity of blood." "Keep yourself quiet, and don't got excited. I would advise you to lie down on the bed again. You can, if necessary, easily make it appear as though it had never been slept on." " To be sure. I wish " ■ "What?" " You will smile, but if you will believe me, I am never contented unless Bess is close to me." ' " Oh ! now don't, I beg, trouble about that. I, as I said just now, may take the officers quite oif their scent ,• and if I do, as it is only a little after nine, you can, as soon as they are gone, make your way down the court into Clare-market, and so gain the open country." " I shall be glad to do so, and I fancy when once Lon- don is behind mo, I shall bo some time before I return." " Oh ! your wound makes you down-hearted. You will soon be all right." " Well, leave me now, leave me now. Try and spare me the task of climbing over the roofs, for I feel quite unequal to it." " Trust to me, I'll do the best I can," eaid the land- lord, leaving the room. With a wearied air, Dick threw himself upon the bed, and pressed his hands over his temples. There was a throbbing sensation in liis head which was distracting and painful in tho extreme. His system had been aU most drained of blood. Time passed, andnearly half anh ur elapsed after old Matthew left the room before Turpi.) l-->ard a^'fthinf; to indicate the coming of his foes. Thon, as ho lay in a half unconscious Btat" hob«?at^ 'he sound of footsteps on the stairs. A minute more, and the hum of many ^^oioeC mineled with them. He rose to a sitiing posture on the bed- The different objects in tbe room seemti? chasinir ea^r oi-.her round and round tiioi. ''ic was in a strange, dreamy state. Sudd'5nl >", the familiar tonee of old Matthew's voice struck vpon his ears. He was speaking loudly. " Of course, of course. Go w&ere you like ; » do»v*t care. I only hope you'll find him, that's all." "Tour conduct is very eugpicious, Mr. Gale; "^ry suspicious indeed," said a gruff voice. " As how, I should like to know ?" rejoined tbo laiK*.* lord. "As how, I say? Have I interfered with you in the least, or said a word to you about turning my ' house upside down, and ruining my trade ? Just aij- swer me that." • " Why, I think your trade would take a good deal of ruining, Mr. Gale. It's no good you putting on an air of injured innocence, for your house is celebrated all over the kingdom as being the resort of the worst of characters." " Be careful what you're saying, be careful what you're Baying. Recollect you're in my house, Mr. Officer." "I know that," wafl the reply, given in an irascible voice. " But you just let me catch you out in harbour- ing or abetting any one, and see if I don't make you smart for it. I shall be sure to do so, sooner or later." " Oh ! indeed, Mr. Clever ; oh ! indeed. Perhaps ,VOu'd like to find me out to-day ?" " I shall, too, or it's very odd to me, so I wouldn't advise you to crow so loud. What room does this door open into, oh ?" They had reached the threshold of the one in which Dick stood. While this little conversation was going on, and which, from its rather artificial character, was doubt- less got up by old Matthew with the intention of put- ting Dick on his guard, the latter had, in a great mea- sure, succeeded in shaking off the feeling of faintness which had so weighed upon him. He smoothed over the bed, and unlocked the door silently, so that the suspicions of the officers should not be aroused by finding it fastened on the inside ; and then, rushing to the window, he pressed the spring, and passed quickly out of it. Taking hold, then, firmly of the bar, as the landlord had directed, he closed the window with his left hand. As he hung thus suspended, he felt himself seized parapet, and rolled over into the gutter, which sur- rounded it on the inner side. It was not a very pleasant place to fall into, for it was filled with black slimy mud, which had from time to time accumulated there, and Dick rose up very much the worse for the contact. lie did not, however, rise immediately to his feet, but lay 3till for a few moments, and then»»"<^i8inp >iia head, looked carefully around him. An angular roof of dark red tiles was on "his left hand, and up this he began to climb. The ascent was rather steep, and he slipped once or twice before he reached the top, along which he crept a few feet, until his farther progress was stayed by a huge stack of chimneys. " I must get round this," he said, " and on to the roof of the next house, in case any of the officers should make their appearance, then I shall be all right." Very carefully now, for the attempt was full of peril, Dick crawled round to the other side of the chimneys. " Now I've caught you, Mr. Dick ; now I've caught you," said an exulting voice at this moment; and, be- fore he was aware of it, Dick felt himself clutched tightly round the throat by some one. It was a Bow-street runner, who had been left there by his superiors to watch if the highwayman made his appearance, and with instructions, in case he should do so, to give an immediate alarm. But this man did not want for courage, and he resolved, should Dick get out on to the roof, to try his best to cap- ture him single-handed, which would entitle him to the very large reward offered for his apprehension. He was sitting very composedly on the roof, but yet keeping a sharp look-out around him, when his atten- tion was arrested by hearing a slight sound. It was the crumbling of the coping as Dick sought to obtain a firm hold of it. He withdrew instantly, and hid himself behind the chimneys, for he was well aware how great an advan- tage you have over your enemy if you can pounce upon him unawares. The officer, too, was also aware how difficult it was to keep a foothold on the tiles, especially during a struggle, AS ne nung tnus suspenaea, ne leit niraseit seize.i ^^ ^,g cunningly had got over the ridge of the roof with a sudden fiddiness and it was by little short o-; I ^^ ^q ^^^^ opposite side, where he held himself in readi- miracle he saved himself from falling into the yard bel; ^c j,ess to catch Dick by the throat. He looked up, and saw the edge of the roof about ten 5 feet above him. He sighed as he saw it I can never do it," he said ; " I never in my life felt 80 deadly faint. I must make the effort, though, or they may see me from the window." ,He climbed up three or four steps, and 'paused ; he felt that for the moment he was out of danger. The cool night air blew refreshingly upon him, and every second seemed to bring with it a fresh accession of strength. No sound reached him from the room below. How they were getting on of course he could form no ^rt of idea. " It will be best for me to ascend the rest of the dis- tance. \ shall be able to rest much better on the roof, and I shall no doubt be perfectly secure ; for, having searched it once, they will not be likely to look for me again ; and, unless I am mistaken, they will leave a man On every staircase as they go on with their search to prevent the possibility of any one making their escape by ascending. lie proceeded to the execution of his design. The re- maining bars were ascended with but little difficulty, lor he felt he had regained much of his wonted strength, nnd he found himself in a^i-^'-her moment at thp edgp of the parapet. To climb ovev thia vvouia oe the most dangerous part of the business. He would have to relitquish his hold or the iron bais, and, grasping the stonework, drp,w him- self over. But the stone had been there exposed to wind end rain for many a long year, and was much decayed ; and as he, with his left hand, strove to take a hold, he &s often Ilound a fragment come away in his fingers. They fell with a slight sound into the yard beneath. Dick shuddered at the time they took to reach it. riowevor, making a vigorous effort, h:^ scaled the He knew, while he kept his hold Uj^on the highway- man, he could not by any means fall dov^n. But Dick was accustomed to sudden Sdrprises, and he very quickly recovered from this one. He was in a moment alive to the fact that unless he speedily overcame this officer, and that before he gave any alarm, his comrades from below would come to his assistance, and then, in such a place, opposed to such odds, escape would be hopeless. All this flashed through his mind with the rapidity of lightning. Feeling, then, the necessity for instantaneous action, he summoned to his aid all the strength which he pos- sessed, and taking a firm grip of his opponent's throat, he endeavoured, by main force, to drag him over the ridge of the roof on to the side on which he was. Now this officer, full of the hope of being able to cap- ture the redoubtable highwayman single-handed, dis- dained to call for help, as he might have done, and at tacked him in a courageous manner. It was a singular combat. If there had been a spectator of it, though, he wcr.'.A have noticed that Dick was by slow degrees drawing the officer over in spite of the strenuous efforts which he made to prevent it. The wound in Dick's arm, which, now that his blood was hot, he thought not of, was, nevertheless, a disad- vantage ; but this was more than compensated by his superior weight, for the officer, though muscular, was slightly made. Slowly and surely he felt he was beinf7diawn upwards and over. Neither spoke. Their heavy breathiiy ; Wf>.^ iliQ only sonnd whiot' issued from them. With ^ight and main did the officer strive to maint«a^> THE KNIGHT OF 1'ttE ROAO. V TVBFHf'S STBUOOLB WITH THSl OFFICER ON THE BOOF-TOP. bii position on the slope ; but in vain. He made frantic attempts to insert the toes of his boots in the crevices of the tiles and the brickwork of the chimneys ; but in vain likewise. Feeling, then, that it was imperatively necessary to change his tactics, he ceased suddenly to oppose any resistance to being dragged over, and gave himself an impetus forward. This had the natural effect of causing Dick to lose his balance, and both, without relaxing their hold, rolled over and over down the slanting roof. Had it not been for the old stone parapet, which was about eighteen inches high, and which had given Dick 80 much trouble to surmount, they must inevitably have been precipitated into the yard below. It stopped their further progress, though with more force and suddenness than was pleasant. A broad gutter, filled with the accumulated mud of many years, surrounded the parapet, anilt i^as intr/ this delightful bed they feU. Diok was undermost. The police-officer placed his knee on Dick's breast, and paused a moment to regain his breath ; then, in a moment after, the struggle recommenced on both aidai with redoubled fury. They rose to their feet. There was just room for them to stand in that narrow gutter, but that was all. Dick was an experienced wrestler, and a cold chiU crept over the officer as he felt himself in the grasp of one who was evidently a practised hand. "Surrender!" said Dick, between his teeth — "Sur- render, and I will spare you." The only reply the officer made was to oling yet tighter to his foe. "Take your fate, then !" shonted Dick, and he threw him violently down. The unfortunate officer fell with a dull, eickehing «cand upon the top of the parapet. No. 3. Paiow Of»h HAiiFPisrwr. 18 BLACK BESS; OIL, His body was half over, but ho still kepthia hold. He /elt in that was his only ohanoe of preservation. With a sudden wrench Dick freed himself from >.tj 4jut at the expense of some portion of his apparel. With a hideous rush the body of the officer fell «aok ^aiu, and plunged headlong down the abyss er« "Hiak oonid put out his hand to save him. He placed his hands to his ears so that he buuuxu sunt otrt the Biokening orach of hi=< body falling on the stows below. He hea.d it th.. .gh plainly enough m his imagination, and he withdrew his hands with a horrified expresaioT' upon his oounfcenance. He stooped do'srn and peered over— 0.II was dark calow and profoundly still. " Poor fellow !" said Dick, as he rose ; " it'« »)1 over with him. I'm sorry, for he was a brave man, but it was his life or mine ! Where shall I make my way now ?" He looked all round as he spoke. It was dusk, and the gloom was momentarily increasing. | An apparently solid mass of roofs and chimneys of every imaginable shape and description environed him. From one or two of the queer-shaped attic- windows came a faint gleam of light. The moon had not yet risen, or if she had was not sufficiently above the horison to shed her light upon the roof-tops. He crawled along the gutters until he oame to that part overlooking Drury-lane. An ever-moving throng filled the pavements, and then in another moment Dick's eye fell upon the form of an officer who was standing in a doorway on the opposite side of the street and regarding the front of the inn attentively. Dick slunk down still lower in the gutter, though when he peeped over he had not exposed enough of his body to be visible in the darkness. Along the gutter on to the next house, and then on to the next, until he reached t&e corner of a street, he slowly crept. He halted. " I must make my way down by one of these attic windows," he said, "and through the house into the street below." He made his attempt upon the one nearest to him. It was securely fastened. Just at that moment his eye fell upon a trap-door in the roof which was slightly displaced from its position. " That will do it," he said. " All is easy now." He advanced to the trap as he spoke and lifted it off in a moment. It seemed to cover a square patch of darkness. Before be trusted himself to descend, he took a coin from his pocket and let it fall through. For aught he knew the trap might be immediately over a steep stair- ease, or so great a distance from the floor as to prevent his dropping down with safety. Besides, were anyone about the sound would inevita- bly attract their attention, but had he shown a light, it would have called notice to him. The coin fell on a floor a foot or two below him, with a'ringing sound. He listened to see if any notice was taken of it, but all was silent as before. Then he lowered himself carefully through the trap, holding firmly by his hands. He stretched out his feet and ifound they just grazed the floor, bo he reached it without making the least noise. CHAPTER Vni. Dies, BT HIS TIMELY PEBSENCB, INTBBBUPTS THE PSRPBTBATION OF A DEED OF CBUEIiTY. — THE TOUNO CHIU.'S GEATITUDE. For a minute or two Dick stood perfectly still, in order that his eyes might become accustomed to the gloom. He dared not exhibit a light, and besides if ha did it would only have the effect of making the darkness eeom greater by the Qontrast. for, of oowso, he could not keep it burning. Yery gradually toe IJgbt from the aperture lu tht, ceiliag above appeared to increase in brightness, and as it didt the objenta "iironnding him began to be dimly visible. It was oa MaioaU wooden laadiag wbiob he Btood, and from which one door opened. It was well he had the precaution to stand still, for the top staircase was only a few inches from him. He extended his hand and rested it ,pjn the baluster. It was large and massive, and such as may be found in London in old houses, at the present time. With slow and careful steps, and walking ..ooo to the wall so as to make the least possible noise, Dick deseendgd the flight of stpi'-n, and found himRolf upon another landing. He could see with tolerable ease about him, roritwaa lighted with a long window. Hearing no sound, and seeing nothing Indicative of the presence of a living creature, Dick did not pause, but commenced the descent of the second flight. His foot was on the sixth step from the top, and he was feeling hia way round the tarn in the staircase, when his ears were saluted with a succession of short shrieks of BO shrill a nature that he almost lost his balance. It was evidently from a female that they proceeded. "Good heavens!" said Dick, "whatever can have happened. I never heard such frightful screams before. Some poor girl is in trouble, I take it !" As he uttered these words, he sprang hastily down the remainder of the stairs, nor did he pause until he found himself in the passage close to the frontdoor. The horrible shrieks still sounded in his ears, but they oame from some depth lower down. Guided by the cries, he found his way to the head of the stairs leading to the kitchen, and up these they came in full force. Without a moment's delay or hesitation, Dick ran down them, and seeing a bright light iasuing from a partially closed door, he pushed it open, and with the hanger, which he wore by his side, in his grasp, burst into the apartment. A horrifying sight met his gaze. Cowering on the floor, and divested of almost every article of attire, was a young girl of about seventeen years of age. She was dark, and had long glossy hair hanging disorderedly about her. Her hands were clasped together tightly, and her face, under happier auspices, was doubtless beautiful, but now it was con- vulsed with agony. Her lips were apart and bloodless, and tears were streaming from her eyes. Standing over her, and flourishing a broad, heavy belt or strap, was a being in the shape of a woman. She was old and gaunt, presenting indeed more the appearance of an animated akeleton than aught else. Her eyes were bright and reptile-looking, and a ghastly expression of delight and fiend-like malice lighted up her counte- nance as she struck the girl brutally with the strap. Close by was a short, thin, insignificant-looking man, but there was a world of pity and commiseration in his looks. He held up his hands in a deprecating manner, as though he would fain, if he had the power, interpose and shield the young girl from the violent attack the woman made upon her. Dick saw all this at a glance. " Help ! help ! Save me ! save me !" shrieked the young girl, as her eyes fell upon the new-comer. " Oh ! sir, whoever you may be, save and help me !" She sprang up on her feet, and reaching Dick's side with a bound, flung her arms round him and clung with the intensity of one who feels she has found a saviour. Unmitigated surprise at the sudden appearance of a man in so hostile an attitude, deprived the old hag for an instant of both speech and motion, and she glared np'jn Dick as she held the strap in the air, as though she had been suddenly confronted with a spectre. Diok passed his arm round the slight form of the young girl and drew her towards him, endeavouring by thia means to reassure her and calm her terrible agitation. "Oh! save me, sir! save me!" she sobbed, "take me away from here ! Pray do, for Mrs. Brattle beata me nearly to death every day. Oh ! do tat^ me away ! Will you, sir ?" She ckmg to him still more closely, as she asked this question, and looked up into his face with so much appealing earnestness, that Diok felt thp teara snring uneontroUably into his eyes. • " Save you, my poor girl !" ho said, in his deep, wanly tones, which thrilled through every nerve of the girl'« body with a feeling of exquisite delight wbioh she had THS llirtaKT 09 THS ROAS, befora experi'enoed ; "of cottirse I will, aad take yoa where yoa please, but not till I havo Donishod this ba;; for hor cruelty towards you." ' A happy smile lighted up her face line » aantJeam when she heard his promise, but it was suddenly clouded over, and a look of deep dejection usurped its place. , " Why do you look so sad all at once ?" asked Dick. " I'll let you know, Mr. What's-your-name !" burst (n the shrill tones of tho old woman's voice at this mo- ment, and before the girl could frame a reply. " I'll let you know, Mr. What's-your-name, whether you can iome rumpagiug into a lone woman's house in this way. And interfering between her and her apprentice aa be- longs to her, leastways as she took out of the work- house at St. Giles's ''•x weeks ago come Easter Monday. I'll let you know.'* , '• Apprentice ?" said JJick. "Yes; apprentice!" repeated the old woman. "I should like to know whether there's a law in the land, or whether there isn't ; and if a lone woman is to have her house broken into because she chooses to give her parish apprentice a lesson. That's what I want to know." As for the miserable-looking man, he said never a word, but stood looking from one to another aghast. Disdaining to say anything further to this woman, who, now that she had recovered the use of her tongue, would doubtless be terribly abusive, Dick bent down his head, and looking into the girl'a face with an air of perfect ease and confidence, said — " Is it true, my dear, what this — woman, I suppose, I must call her — says ? Are you her apprentice f " "Alas 1 sir; yes." " What is she ? I mean, what trade were you ap- prenticed to learn ?" " Cap-making, sir." " And — forgive me if what I ask hurts your feelings — from what has been said I gather you are alone in the world ?" " Quite— quite alone, sir !" said the girl, sobbing and weeping afresh. " I have no father, no mother, nor have I friend in the world." "Oh! yes, you have," replied Dick, cheerfully. " Providence has sent me here just in time to be a friend in need to you, and I will take care you are no longer subjected to her brutality." He pointed with his finger towards the woman whom the girl had called Mrs. Brettel. " Oh ! indeed ; oh ! indeed, Mr. What-d'ye-oall. How much longer are you going on with your highty-tighty nonsense ? I know what's law if you don't. That's my apprentice, and if you don't give her up at once, and leave my house, I will send for a constable, and pretty soon make you. Things have come to a pretty pass, indeed, when you can't do as you like in your own house without some bully or " " Silence, hag !" shouted Dick. " Were it not for your sex I would bestow such a summary chastisement upon you as should serve for a lesson for the rest of your life. There are too many like you, who fancy when you take a poor orphan apprentice into your clutches you can commit what outrage you choose upon her. Why does she beat you ?" asked Dick, in kinder tones, as he turned again to the young girl. A vivid flush of crimson in a moment overspread her face. " Do not ask me that, sir ; do not ask me that," she replied, bending her eyes downwards. " Indeed ^ ""i- not tell you. It is something very wrong." Dick's eyes blazed ominously as he heard this an- swer, and when the old woman again saw his oounte- nanoe, it wore ao terrible an expression that she invo- luntarily fell upon her knees and yelled for mercy. The girl sobbed as though her heart would break. "Cheer up!" said Dick, " cheer up. You have nothing to be ashamed of, and I will take cace yoa are no longer loerced by her in any way. But who ia that man?" ho added, indicating the man who was present- " That, sir, ia Mr. Brettel." " Her huphand ?" "Yea." I* And does lie sanction such cruelty ?" Oh ! no sir. He is kindneaa and gentleness itself. He would not hurt a fly, but his wife treats him almost «e bftdly as she does me, and ba ia quite powerlesa to lielp me, and if he even said a word of remoustranoa she would beat him almost to death with the strap''," Dick regarded Mr. Brettel with a look in wbioh sur. prise, curiosity, and pity were strange)'' blond'"'. " Is it possible ?" he said. It is true, sir ; and I have t* bhauk 'bfm for man> Httle kindnesses which he has done me." " You have, have you ?" screamed the wiie, rising suddenly from her abjeot position. '' So that'a how you set me at defiance in my own house, you tyrant, is it?" she continued, addressing her husband. "Take that and that !" i_ As these last words >f»sned from her lips she rushed upon him like some wiid animal, and struck him over the head and face with the strap. " She's a delightful female, certainly," said Dick, ac he released himself from the hold of the young girl ; " but I must put a stop to this." Suiting the action to the word, he seized the furious woman by the neck, and, brandishing his hanger in her face, compelled her to desist, Mr. Brettel rose with difficulty to hia feet, and wiped the blood from his neck and face. Now, sir," said Dick, aa hia eye fell upon a clothes- line that was stretched across the room, " I will render you a service. Pull that rope down, ^nd give it to me." Mr. Brettel tremblingly obeyed. " On second thoughts," said Turpin, as he handed it back to him, " you shall bind her yourself." " I — I !" said the husband, with genuine terror in hia tones. " Yes, you," said Dick, laughing. " You needn't look so frightened about it. You will have no danger. If she makes the least resistance, I will have her head off at a single blow." He flourished hia weapon in a formidable manner. Mr. Brettel's hands shook so much that no one would have fancied for a moment that he would be able to do such an act ; but after awhile hia wife's apathy en- dowed him with courage, and he bound her strongly. Dick sheathed his hanger. " That's over ; and now, Mr. Brettel, if you'll take a piece of friendly advice, you will keep her just as ahe is until she's half dead with hunger. She will be sub- missive enough then. Never heed her threats. So long as you do not unloose her she can do nothing. It will be your own fault if ahe ever ill-treats you again." Mrs. Brettel ground her teeth with rage. Her husband ventured to smile, and rubbed hishanda over one another with feeble satisfaction. I will do it !" he said ; " I will do it 1" Well done !" said Dick, patting him encouragingly on the back. " Well done ! I shouldn't advise you— -^ Hullo !" " What'a the matter ?" " Why, Where's the young girl gone ?" " Who, Ellen ?" " If that is her name." " I am here !" said a gentle voice, and the apprentioa entered the room, but ao altered that Dick scarcely re- cognised her. She had taken the opportunity to slip out while they were so busily engaged in binding her mistreaa, and had put on a bonnet aud a shawl. She walked quickly towards Dick, and placed her hand in his. " Take me with you, sir!" she said, pleadingly. " Do take me away from here ! I don't care where I go, so that I leave this hateful place ! You are brave aud gentle, and I feel that I cau trust you, I have no on© else that I can ask to assist me. Will you take me ?" Dick hesitated. He waa in a rather dangerous situation, and might have aome difficulty in getting his mare and leaving London were he by himself, but encumbered by thia girl his hopes of escape were diminished tenfold. Then, besides, he asked himself if he did escape with her, what waa he to do with her eventnaJlj. The girl noticed his hesitation. She withdrew her hand, and hf > ^yea jiuironged -^th tears. "Don't think wrongly of me for asking yoa," oho said. " I did not mean to offend yoa ; only I though* yoa would be able to——" k StiACS BBSS • OB, Tears and Boba oheoked her utterance. " My dear girl," said he, drawing her towards him, " I wish I could take you away from here, and I will, too. But I Bhall only invoWe you in fresh perils, and perhaps worse ones than those from which I have rescued you." " No, no ; that cannot be !" " The curse of Cain is on mo ! uxy hand is against every man's, and every man's is against mine !" " What do you mean ?" asked the girl, aniioUoiy. " I am amenable to the lawu — I am a. felon ! Even at this moment the officers are no doubt on my track. You are innocent, but I &m guilty !" " I will not believe it," said Ellen, dashing the tears from her eyes. " You are all that is good, all that is noble !" There was eviaent admiration in her gaze. "My dear girl," said D:ck, again drawing her to- wards him, for he felt that this joung girl's trusting confidence had kindled a warm feeling in his heart. " I would take you with mo, you do not know how gladly, only I know so well I sliall but involve yon in fresh difficulties and dangers." " I shall not fear them if you are by, because 1 nave Been that you are bold and strong enough to overcome them all. Do let me share your perils. I would dare everything to be taken away from here !" " But if you go 1 can fetch you back again. Thank poodneas! there is law for that!" screamed Mrs. Brottel, who had all this time been tugging at her bonds in a vain effort to free herself. " I tell you, you are mine — mine, and the law will bring you back !" The accents of her voice, although she was powerless to do her harm, filled the apprentice with renewed terror, and she again clung to Dick's arm. "Don't be frightened, my dear," said he, "I see I ehall never be able to leave you here exposed to her tender mercies. I will take you where you will be in safety, and where she will never find you, or perish in the attempt," he added, mentally. Ellen gave quite a scream of pleasure as these words fell upon her ear. " Come, come, you must learn not to be so excitable as you are There, put your arm in mine, and we will be off." How gladly the peor apprentice complied with his words ! She looked up in his face with the same trusting einile which he had twice before seen upon her coun- tenance, and which became her so well. As he gazed upon her, the bold highwayman forgot all about his present dangerous position, and pressing her hand to his side, left the kitchen. A volley of abuse from Mrs. Brettel followed him. " I Bay, Mr. B.," eaid Dick, returning, and popping Jiis head in at the door. " Do not you forget my advice. Treat her like they do a wild animal ! Tame her with hunger. It will be all your own fault if ever ehe ill-treats you again. Good-bye, old fellow !" He shut the door as he spoke. " Now, my dear," said Dick to the young girl who had been so strangely thrown upon his protection, " as the place is so confoundedly dark, perhaps you wouldn't mind showing me the way to the upper regions f" Ellen laughed lightly as she held his hand, and led him up the staircase into the passage above. The poor orphan was happier than she had been for many a year. Her past sufferings were already forgotten. " Hero we are," she said, pausing at the front door. There was a fanlight over the top, and through this an oil lamp shed a feeble light. It fell upon Ellen's face, and tinged it with a rare beauty. Dick sighed, and thonght he had never seen anything so lovely. CHAPTER IX. »ICK PINr)S A PLACE OF REFUGE FOR THE POO^ ORPHAN APPRENTICE. " Stop !" said Dick, as the young girl put her hand on tie lock o't the front door preparatory to opening it. " What for f" • *• Why, although you said you did not believe it, it is nevertheless true that I have seriously transgressed the la>v3, and it was to elude llio pursuit of the officers, who vwre uiuc me, that 1 dropped through the door in your roof, intending to make my way out at the front door. But I heard your Boreams, and I forgot all about myself in remembering that a female was in trouble." "And so," said Ellen, in a grave voice, "you have perhaps, by saving me, given your enemies an oppor- tunity of ascertaining your whereabouts, and time to take fresh measures for your capture." " I hope not ; but I fear bo." " Oh ! I understand now why you saia you oould not take me with you. I should be an encumbrance to yon, and you would have to look after me when you ought to be looking after yourself. I did not know of this, indeed I did not, or I would never have been so selfish as to ask you to take me away with you. Farewell ! I will remain, and leave you at least the prospect of making your escape." She held out her hand, and repeated the word " Fare- well!" " How you run on to be sure. Of course I am all that you say, and a great deal more, perhaps. But I am quite resolved now-to take you with mo and chance the danger. It is probable enough the officers are thrown quite off the scent, and have relinquished pursuit of me. If so, we shall get off without any trouble." Ellen shook her head. "No — no," she said, "I canuof be so ungenerous. " Fly, fly at once, and leave me to make my own escape." " And where are you going to, my poor girl ? Do not think of that, but render me a service." " Render you a service ? Oh ! what can I do ? Tell me, tell me." " Well, you understand, of course, that these enemies of mine are police-officers ?" "Yes — yes." " Do you know one when you see him ?" " To be sure ; because of their large red waistcoats." " Just so. It is very possible some of them may be waiting outside the door here to pounce upon me as soon as I get into the street." " What can I do ?" " Why, I want you to open the front door, and go out as if upon some ordinary business, leaving me here in the passage." " Yes— yes." " Well, when you are out, go a little way up Drury- lane, looking carefully all about you, yet not seeming to do so, and come back and tell me whether you see any lurking about." " Yes. I shall not be long." " Be cautious, Ellen. If you see no one, then I can regain my mare, which is close by, and take you to a place of safety." The young girl took his hand again, and, pressing it affectionately, opened the door and went out. Dick stood quite still in the passage, patiently await- ing her return. He took a couple of pistols from his coat-pocket and examined the priming, so that they might be in readiness for immediate use. A hum of voices oame up from the kitchen where he had left Mt. and Mrs. Brettel. The couple were, no doubt, in high, disputation. Several minutes passed, but Ellen did not return Dick began to be uneasy. He took a watch from his pocket, and, holding it close to the fanlight, looked at the time. It was close upon twelve. His impavience rose to an unbearable extent. He did not for a moment think the girl had played him false, but dreaded she had fallen into some fresh trouble. He was just about to open the door, and sally out for confirmation or dispersion of his *'o«r8, when soma one taj. ped lightly at it. lie flung the door opeu"'in a mouicnt. It was Ellen. " Did you not think me a long time ?" she asked. " I thought you would, but I have been all round and cannot see an officer anywhere." " That is well. Then we may get off iu perfect safety. AVe will not delay another moment." Dick, as he spoke, passed out of the house with his companion, and closed the door after him. All was still ia the street, or rather court, into wtuoh he omgi'gedt TBE SNIOBT OV TSS BOAS. A dozen or bo Bteps brought them into Drory-lane Moat of the shops were shut, but here and there an Ofea one oast a beam of light on the pavement. The miserable oil lamps that were stuck here and laere flickered feebly, and soarnel" dinoelled ♦he darkness for 4 foot around them. " I think," said Diofe, "yon had oetier go in at the tont door of the ' Whito^^Horse,' while I go round into the court by the stables. Walk straight up to the bar, and ask for Matthew Gale, the landlord, and then tell him I am round the corner waiting for the mare." With the alacrity of genuine gratitude, the young girl did hia bidding, f The old inn was full of rude, noisy people, "fend she shrank back a little. For herself, she would never have dared to enter, but, for her preserver, she felt sho coald do anything, so she walked up to the b&r iind asked fot Matthew Gale. " That's me, miss," said the person she addressea, leaning over the window-sill, " what do you want ?' A man was standing at the bar window drinkmg a glass jf gin, and the hasty glance which Ellen flung ppon him did not prepossess her in hia favour. " I want to speak to you, sir, if you please. I have a message to deliver." The man with the gin assumed an indifferent air, and raised hia glass to his lips ; but his sense of hearing the while was stretched to its fullest extent. " Come in ; come in here," said Matthew Gale, in those jovial tonea which were really a pleasure to hear, and opening the half .glass door that led into the bar. " Come in here, and tell me what you have to say." " It is a secret," she said, in a whisper. " A friend of yours who has his mare here is waiting for it in the court, and wanta you to bring it out to him." Old Matthew looked at her distrustfully; for a moment, but her ingenuous oountenanoe bore upon it no traces of treachery or deceit. " Very well," he said, in a whisper. " Go back and tell him hia mare will be ready in a moment." " Thank you, sir." She rose from her seat and left the bar, and as she passed the man at the window, she saw him empty his glass, and after saying a word or two to the landlord, follow her to the front door. Her position was rather embarrassing. The man might be, and probably was, a police officer whose snspiciona were aroused and who had determined to follow her. She knew not how to act. If ahe heaitated she would ooiivert the man's suspicions into certainties. A confectioner's shop was just on the opposite aide of the way , and the idea for a moment crossed her brain that she would go in there and make some trifling purchase, wlien she recollected with a pang that she had no money. What waa to be done ? She availed heraelf of the only resource that waa open to her, and ahe turned back and went again to the bar- window. Old Matthew had vaniahed. She looked up the passage. The man had evidently gone into the street, but whether he had turned to the left or the right of course she could form no sort of conjecture. Time was speeding on. The mare was doubtless ready, and her preserver anxiously waiting for her to make her appearance ; and every minute he stayed she knew to be full of danger to him. Without saying « word to a Boul, she made her way again to the door. A tipsy woman on the other side of the way, and who was endeavouring to keep on her feet by clutching the window-shutters, was the only person in sight. She darted round the corner of the court in a moment. "^iiSott : Ellen !" she heard a voice say, io »i»{»|?t?8sed WiMu. "• i-rtien ! fifBen «' " 1' am here," she said, hastening forward. At the corner of. Stanhope-street was a man on horse- back. « '^ She recogniaea her preserver instantly. " You must mount and ride before me," said Dick, as she reached his side. "I have no other means of con- She held out her hands to him. and he swung her into the saddle before him. Just at that moment a shrill whistle souuued throagh the court, and the man whom Ellen had seen drinking at the bar sprang out of the shadow of a ^teway and grasped Bess by the bridle. It waa no time for compunctious hasitatlon, for Diak knew that the signal he had given would quickly bring others to the spot ; so, seizing one of the holster-pistoU by the barrel, he sisuoV the man a terrible blow on the h^ad. Down ne went like a shot. " Off and away !" said Dick, giving hia mare the reux^ "on Bess, on.'" With a loud ohout, a desultory throng of persons came rushing down the court from the direction of DruTy-lane. " Siop aim ! stop him!" they cried, "A thousand pounds reward ! Stop him ! stop him ! Dick Turpin the highwayman ! A thousand pounds reward !" A cry of terror came from Ellen's lipa as she heard the sounds, and she clung yet tighter to him. "All right, my girl," said Dick, "they are on foot. We shall soon be safe. Don't be fiightened." Bess went round the corner of Duke-street, and into Lincoln's Inn-fields with a rush, and then the loud re- port of several pistols rose upon the air. " Are you hurt, Ellen ?" said Dick. " No, no ; I am quite safe and unhurt. And yon ?" " Without a scratch." The young girl gave a sigh of relief. " The danger is over now," said Dick, as he trotted quietly across Holborn, and saw no signs of his pursuers. " Your troubles will be over now, I hope. I have just recollected an old friend of mine who keeps an inn near Hornsey-w^od, and who will, I know, only be too happy to find a shelter for a friend of mine." " Oh ! thanks, thanks," said the girl. " How shall I be able to repay you for all thai you have done to-night on my behalf ?" " Why, forget all about it, and n^ver mention the subject. You will be wise if you banish all thoughts of Mrs. Brettel and her cruelties from your recollection." The poor girl shuddered. " I will try to do 80," she said, "but I feel I shall never be able to be sufficiently grateful to you." " Pho ! pho ! nonsense ! say no more on that subject, I beg you ; let us talk about something else. Look there is a nice level piece of road before us. I will show yoa what speed bonny Black Bess can make !" CHAPTER X. THE ARRIVAL AT THE " HAND AND KEYS," NEAR HORNSET WOOD.— THE MURDER. " And are you really," said the orphan apprentice, aa Dick, after a hard gallop, slackened speed a little, while traversing a narrow lane, " are you reaUy that brave, true heart whose name is in every one's mouth, and to whom such generous actions are ascribed ?" " Well, I don't know about that," replied Dick, with a smile; "but I am Dick Turpin, the highwayman, whose delight is to cry, ' Stand and deliver !' to a pas- senger on the road ; and this is Black Bess, without whom he would be nothing, if that's what you mean." " You underrate yourself, as generous natures always do. I have heard so much of you, and so longed to see you, but I never thought I should meet with you. I am so happy." Turpin whistled. " I wish you would change the subject," he said. " I never feel comfortable when anyone praisea me, because I know very well I don't de-serve it." "You do ; you do mdeed." " I am afraid you are prepoaso'sed in my favour. If JOB vM insiSiiWS loa, it would roo^uire a vast amoacsd sai good >t» nciiirTtiirrwimnrn the eni wBioh i do. i 'muu )Km would tafk about something else, or, if you like, we will take another gallop," - *' I am willing." Once more, after this brief dialogue, the trees and Ledges seemed to fly past them, ris Besa put forth her marvellous speed, and very soon the old inn known as the " Hand and Ivtis-s " waa ia. jt^~iis^ OH, " That," said Turpin, as he pointed it out to bis com- panion, " ia the place I intend yoa to take ehelcer in, Qatil some further arranf^aienta can be made for jfonr future course of life.' It was a very large, o^i-tashioned b ui l din g. The walla were of wood, and the iiomease roof, though tiled in plaoea, was, for the most part, thatohei It stood some few yards hack from the road, having a spacious yard in front, which was used in summer as a bowling- greea Somewhat to Turpin'a surprise — for it was past oao o'clock, and the inn wa,3 noted for closing early— lights were shining from almost all the latticed casements, and when he halted cIosb to the horse-trough he conald plainly hear the strains of some musical instruments, and the sound of jollity and merry-making within. " Whatever can be the occasion of this ?" he asi^ed himself. " I am quite sure it must be something extra- ordinary to keep Tom Davia and his wife up eo late. Hi! Jabes, Jabes!" It was the ostler he canea, and who rejoiceu in the name of Jabes, but, contrary to an hitherto unvarying custom, no Jabes made his appearance. After waiting a moment Dick sprang off his mare, and assisted Ellen to alight. " I suppose he is too busy indoora to pay any attention to us to-night ; so come, I am sure you must be tired, and we will make our way in at once. We may think our- selves very lucky in having found them up. I should think such a thing never happened before." They reached the front door of the inn, which was closed, and Turpin tapped at it io a peculiar manner. It was opened in a moment by the stoutest man that Ellen had ever in her life beheld. " Well, Tom, my boy, how are you? What, in the name of goodness, ia in the wind, that you are all up at this hour ?" " Bless my stars !" ejaculated the landlord, " if it ain't Dick. Here, walk in— walk in. I didn't think I should have the pleasure of seeing you to-night. I am more pleased than if anybody had given me a hundred pounds." " Whatever for, Davis ?" " Why, you see, it's just a hundred years ago this very night since the old place was built. A century, mind you. So I have invited everybody that I could think of, intend- ing to make a glorious night of it. Now, I would sooner have you than anyone else, provided," he added, in a more serious tone, " you have not been up to your tricks in the neighbourhood, because, if you have, I should advise you to be off." " Oh ! that's all right enough. Don't let that trouble you a bit ! I haven't been near here for months. But, I say, first of all, how about my mare ? Where's Jabes ?" '• Oh t he's indoors, and half-dmnk by this time, I'll warrant. Never mind. I'll stable the mare myself." " All right. I'll go too." " Yes— yes. You always do that. But, I say Dick ?" "What?" " Who's that you've got standing behind you ? It's a petticoat. Oh ! Dick, you're as bad as a soldier !" The landlord chuckled gleefully at what he was nleased to consider his own wit. " Hold, your row, fatsidea, and let's stable the mare. I do not want to stand on the doorstep talking all night . Make haste. I have something particular I want to say to you." " All right — all right. Here, come along. Yon know the way. You had better lead Bess yourself." The little party crossed the yard, sind made theur way round to the back of the inn, where Bess was parefuUy fed and lodged. " Now, Dick," said'f om Davis, the landlord, as they stood in the stable, " if you've got anytiiing prirate you want to say to me, why you can't find a better plaoe '^ a better opportunity than the present." " No, I was about to say the same thing." " Well, then, let's hear it ; because the sooner 1 get( back into th^ ronni agsan along with the compf«ny the better I" " Just txj, and I will out what I have to say as short as posaibie. I met with a very singular series of adven- tures last night, and was wounded in the shoulder, I sought refuge at Mafctliow Qaie'a crib in White Horse- yard^ Drury Lane. Yoa know jid Matthew ?" " 0£ coiu'fid I d^ 1 Who dosttn't ? Ouu aiaau I" '' He found me and my mare snug quarters, and I had a comfortable nap for about twelve hours, when old Matthew woke me up and told mo the grabs were dov»-ji. stairs. I had stolon the golden cup from tho ex-lox-i mayor, as he was on his way home, and he made, I sup pose, a grsknd fuss about it, so the officer" were searoa- iug everywhere for me." " But -what in the world made you take such a tbing as that ? Why, it's no good to you, and would, of coarse, bring you into trouble !" ^ " Well, I should never have done it for the sane of the cup itself, only I ought to have told you I made a bet of fifty pounds that I would take it, and produce it within three nights, which will bo to-morrow night, so I must get back agaip t-» London." " And b^i»^ l^u" the cup with you ?" "Yes'- " I sh'iUia uncommonly like to see it. Here, hold it up while I hold tho lantern," " All serene," said Turpin, complying with his request. " Very pretty ; very pretty, indeed. I should think the old bloke is savage." "No doubt he is." " Did you have much trouble to get it !" " Scarcely any ; but just before I got away up oarne a body of officers. Some one must have split on the job, and set them on the watch. However, I got off all right." " I should not like to be the cove that did it !" " You may depend if I find him out I will make him suffer for it." " Serve him right!" " However, I'm not telling you what I intended. It's this. The Eedbreasts, as I said just now, were after me ; so, by old Matthew's advice, I got out of the window of the room I was in, and on to the roof." " And then got off, I suppose ?" " No, not altogether. They had stationed one of their men on the roof to see that I did not escape that way, and he pounced upon me. We had a desperate struggle, in which he fell over the parapet, and into the yard fifty feet below !" " God bless me !' " I felt sorry for hiC He was a brave fellow !" " Well, what happened next ?" " I crawled over the roofs till I came to the corner of Clare-court, and then I got into one of the houses through a trap-door in the tiles," " Go on—go on!" " I was hadf way down the second flight when I heard such a sudden succession of shrill screams that I was almost stunned. I rushed down stairs like a shot," " I suppose you forgot all about the officers ?" "Quite. When I got to the kitchen-door, I did not hesitate ; but still hearing the terrible screams, dashed the door open, and sprang into the room I" " What next ?" " There, on the floor, I saw this poor girl, who is an appreatioe, and her barbarous mistress was standing over her, and flogging her with a strap !" " A strap ! Now, d " "Now, don't be rash, Tom, and hear me out to the end," interrupted Turpin, selling the landlord's hand, which he had clenched as if about to inflict condign chastisement on some one, " Don't be rash !" " Very well. Go on, then ; but if that wouldn't make a man's blood boil, I don't know what would !" " Nor I." " And you saved her, Diok ?" " I did. She was a poor orphan, without a single friend to fly to for protection." " Then God blesa you for such a good deed !" " And this," said Dick, as he took Ellen by the hand, and lad her a step or two forward, " tins is the boauti- fol girl who was the victim of so mnoh oruel'^v." "No!" " She is, though ; and now, Tom Davia, tins ia wha»; I want to say to you. No one knows my wsy of life better than you dio, and how impossible it would be for me to take charge of this poor girl. Now you, Tom, have neither chick nor child, aa the-saying is ; so I waut yon to find a home for her for a little while, until arrange< ments can be made for getting her employment and THS KNIOHT OS TUB KOAD. •' That wants no deciding," aaid the warm-hearted luntnord, with a tear in hia eye, " leastways, if she's willing to accept what I propose. Now, my dear," he aaid, turning to Ellen, " do you think you could make yourself happy and contented at the old ' Hand and Keys ' along with me ? If you do, why all I oaa say is, there's a home for you as long as you like to have it, and ril b© yonr father. Do you consent ? If yon do, I shall be happy indeed, for yonr sweet face, and the troubles yon have gone through, have quite won my heart.'' The tears thronged so tiiickly into Ellen's eyes astne hmdlord made this generous offer with so much tender- ness and kindness that she could not say a word in reply, but, leaving Turpin's side, where she had stood during the brief dialogue, place'' her arms around his neck, and kissed his cheek. "There, there, dou t tako on like that, don't taSo on like that," said Tom Davis, his own voice husky with emotion. " The idea of anyone, now Turpin, I tell you plain, I can't believe it." " Can't believe what P" " Why, that there ever could be anyone baroarons enongh to harm a poor, loving, beautiful child like this is. It's altogether impossible, and quite against human natur' !" " One would think so," said Turpin ; " but I am sorry, for the sake of that same human natur', to say there are plenty of people who are more cruel than wild beasts." " So it seems, so it seems." " But, Davis, when I had saved this young girl, I was fairly puzzled to know what to do with her." " You were ?" " Yes, until, all at once, I thought of you, and then I felt sure that I had found this poor girl a refuge." " And so you had. Now, my dear," said Davis, " are you willing to stay with me ? because, if you are, we will get back to the house at once." " Oh ! sir, how can you ask me such a thing ? You must not think me foolish, but I have for so long heard nothing but unkind words that your kind ones make me weep in spite of myself." She laid her hand again upon his shoulder. She already felt for him tJ"* affection a daughter feels for a father. " Now may ——" began Davis, again, and no doubt, in the height of his indignation, he was going to pronounce some terrible anathema, but Turpin stayed him. " Come," he said, " I think we understand each other now, so the best thing we can do is to get under the roof- tree of the old inn. Poor Ellen, here, after all she has gone through, must, I am sure, be wearied to death. As for myself, I feel I require no rest at present, I had such a long, sound sleep at Matthew's ; so, while you find her a bed-ohamber, I will, if you are willing, join the company in the kitchen. There is no one there who knows me, is there, Tom ?" " No one that I am aware of. Bess is all safe until you want her, so we will go in at once. They will wonder what has become of us. Take hold of my arm, my dear, and I hope now I have got charge of you, you have seen all your troubles." So saying, the trio made their way back to the inn, and entered it by the back door. The landlord's wife was called, and Ellen's story related to her. Her dispo- sition was as open-hearted as her husband's, and, as they were childless, she received the orphan with delight. After a few minutes' more conversation Ellen, bidding her preserver and protector an affectionate good night, left the room in company with busom Mrs. Davio, CHAPTER XI. 'fBB BZTBAOBDINABl' SEQUEL TO THE iaXJKS>ZiB, AT THE BOAD-SIDE INN " I SAT, Davis !" said Turpin, as he looked down at his attire, which was most certainly none the better for the many incidents he had gone through ; " I say, Davis, my boy, it is quite impossible for me to go into company in this plight. Suapioion would be immediately excited. WhatshaflldoP" "Why, change you? areas, to oe sure. Here, come up stairs alonp with me. and I can show yon a well-stoeked ( wardrobe, from wHiou yqn cajx aeieot at pleaaui€." t "That's the ticket. I sha'n't be long, for I am anxious to join the fun that's going on." And Turpin was as good as his word, for in a few moments he came down apain, presenting a very different appearance indeed to what he did before. There were two large rooms on the ground-floor of the " Hand and Keys ;" both of these tvere filled with company. In the one, younar f'^'lks for the most part asEembled, who amused themselves with the dance; while in the other a good number of guests were seated round the enormous fire, which reached half up the chimney, telling tales, jokes, and remarkable adventures. It was into this latter room that Turpin went. He was hardly in a huiuour for dancing. His appearance attracted immediate ati^atiou ; for his manners, carriage, a.-^'\ attire were those of a most refined gentleman. Ho bowed lo^v to tlie assembled company as he en- tered, and old Davis, the landlord, as soon as he saw him, sprang from his seat with a deojree of alacrity very unusual for him to exhibit, and, seizinar his hand, said — " Friends and neighbours all, I have the pleasure to introduce you to a very old and particular friend of mine, Mr. — a — a " "Richards," said Turpin, seeing the landlord was rather at a loss what name to call him by. " I am very happy to see you all, gentlemen, and hope we shall very soon be better acquainted !" He took a seat in the chimney-corner, which was offered him by the landlord, as he spoke. "Fill up another bumper!" cried Davis. "Don't spare, but drink to the prosperity of the ' Hand and Keys,' which is a hundred years old to-niglit !" AH rose, and the toast was, for about the twentieth time, drank with loud applause. " I say, Davis !" cried a tall, thin man, as he resumed his chair in the front of the fire, " I have only just this moment remembered that to-night is also the anniver- sary of another event connected with the old inn. It is the eighth, I think !" " God bless me, so it is !" said Davis, with a slight shudder. " I did not think of it before ; but just eight years ago to-night a most horrible murder was com- mitted upstairs !" " In this house P" " Yes, in No. 3, on the first-floor." " I never heard anything about it before, landlord," said Turpin, as he poked the fire, and made the bright flame shoot up four feet at least. " How did it happen P" " It was a very sad affair, neighbour Groves, wasn't it?" said Davis. " It were ; it were, indeed !" " Let us hear it, Davis ; let ns hear it!" cried several voices, animated by that love of the horrible which seems an almost natural instinct. " Let's hear it !" They drew nearer the fire as they spokn. " Well, gentlemen," said Davis, settling himsplf in his chair,'and pulling three or four tremendous wtiifls from his pipe, " I shall be most happy to oblige you, of course, though I can't help thinking it is rather out of place to-night, when we met to be jolly." " No — no !" cried a number of voices. " Go on !" " All right. I dare say most of yon here know some- thing of the occurrence " " Very little." " Then, perhaps," said Davis, inquiringly, " it will be best for me to begin at the beginning, and tell the tale. all through ?" "Of course — of course. Now don't k^p us in sus- pense any longer." " I won't. You must know, then, it is just eight years aigo to-night, and as one or two were sitting round the fire hero, as we might be now, telling tales and talking about the old house which had defied the wind and weather for so long — it was almost as late ai it ia now — when we were every one startled " " Yes— yes ; make haste !" they cried, impatiently. "Now, gentlemen, if yon interrupt or bother me, I sha'n't be able to get on at all, ajid it won't take ye^ long. As I was saying, it was almost as late as it i» now, when we were all startled by hearing a ♦T-emendoug knock at the door. " I didn't know how it was, but juat then we all hap- pened to have left off Bp«ftkiag when this very load bjjo- BBosion of knooks were given at the front door. There .*aa something very peculiar about them, and I never could make out what they were done with. I have never heard any knocks like them either before or .since ; and bl«s8 my heart alive ! what's that ?" A rapid succespion of blows upon the door, of a x^y peculiar nature indeed, reverberated through the old building, and caused ♦^^he landlord to utter his involuu- tary exclamation. " It's some one Knocking !" said the thin mau in front of the fire, " and knocking, too, just like ■' A repetition of the omumona at the door drowr«d the rest of his speech. Turpin rose to his feet. " You really don't mean to say you are all Si,«ilarmed at such a simple cii:cumstanoe P Bun, some one, and open the door Nobody stirred. Then, for the third time, came the terrific knocking at the door. Now the prominent idea in Dick's mind was that this noisy summons was given by some body of police, who, likely enough, had tracked him to his present shelter, so, of course, he naturally hesitated to open the door himself. Then he remembered the change he had made in his dress, and thought that the likeliest means of averting suspicion from himself was to go in person to the door, and see who was there. No sooner had he made this resolve than he opened the door of the kitchen, and passed out into the passage beyond. Before, however, he could reach the front door, it was fiung open, and a tall man wearing a roquelaure cloak strode in. The occupants of both rooms in the inn had rushed in a body to the doors, and stood still, gazing at the stranger. " Well ! what now ? what now ?" said the new comer, with a strange mixture of assurance and nervous agita- tion ; " what kind of place do you call this P Are vou all mad, or did you never have a visitor before ?" « "I am very sorry, sir," said Tom Davis, forcing his way into the passage, and making a bow to the traveller, " I am very sorry we kept you waiting^ *»ut you happened to arrive at a very curious time." " I don't see that. It is not as though you were all a-bed. However, it ain't worth making a bother about." " Thank you, sir ; thank you. Be kind enough to step into the kitchen, and we will make you as comfortable as we can. You see the old inn has been built just a hun- dred years to-day, and we are celebrating the event." "Oh! indeed, landlord !" said the stranger, seating himself in the chair which had been placed for him, and looking around at the time-blackased walls with an un- interested air ; " I suppose you n-ere all too much occu- pied to hear me, and yet I thought I knocked loud enough too." " It wasn't that," said Davis. " We heard you plain enough ; but, as I said before, you happened to arrive at a very curious time." " How ? What time ?' " Why, just before you arrived, neignbour Groves hap- pened to remember that it was exactly eight years ago to-night that a shocking murder was committed in No. 3 bedroom upstairs !" The stranger prave a sudden start, and paled slightly, " What place is this, then ?" " Why, the old ' Hand and Keys,' to be sure !" " The ' Hand and Keys !' " repeated the stranger, in a trembling voice. " It is very cold," he added, drawing his cloak still closer round him, and almost burying his face in its folds, " I quite shiver with it !" " Yoa don't say so, sir ! Here, Jabes ! Jabes !' " Here you are ! what do you want ?" said a surly ?©)ffle ; and the ostler, whom the knocking and the recent to£yi> "^l had aroused frc** ^is slupjber, got slowly off his ieat. " Somb uiuro -..ood on *-^e fire, Jabes. Quick aow, the gentleman is cold i" " Oh ! never mind, nevov mind. Don't troubio, don't trouble," said the traveller, who had a strange way of repeating his words. " I shall do, I shall do !" Wevorthelesa, jabea took his departure, and quickly eturned with three or foor ohamps, which he threw o» the fire. By this time the guesta, wbo had been soa.ed by the knocking, following so close on to Farmer Groves'a nar- rative, had sat down in their respective places, one and all bestowing the whole of their attention on the man who had just arrived. A rather embarrassing silence followed, which the landlord broke by saying — 'Have you travelled far, sir ?" " Yes — yes ; a long way — a long way," replied tht stranger. " I suppose I can have a bed here i" " Oh ! yes." " Then get it ready at once !" " Should you like a fire lighted, air ?'• " By all means." "Very good, sir." " And while you are doing that, just bring mo a glass of brandy— a tumbler, you understand ; and let it be strong — strong !" Old Davis executed his orders ; and when the large (quantity of raw spirit was placed before the stranger, he drank half of it off at one gulp. Then again followed a pause, which every moment seemed to grow more and more intolerable. It wa« remarkable that those who had been talking so freely just before should now be at a loss what to say. There was something about this stranger which attracted the whole of their attention. Turpin had taken care to seat himself in the shadow on one side of the grate, and he leaned back against the wall almost shrouded from observation. A continuity of perilous adventures made himj suspicious of the slightest circumstance that had anything unusual in it The dead silence continued. Tom Davis looked from one to another and coughed vigorously. It was no use, he could not break the stillness which had fallen on the company like a spell. Then he seized the poker and Btirred the fire reck- lessly. If the truth mu^t be told, he felt quite as dis- concerted as the others did. At last, in sheer despera- tion, he said : "Now, Farmer Groves, why don't you go on with your story ?" Farmer Groves looked askance at the stranger ^^ he said: " If the gentleman has no objection ?" " Oh ! no ; none in the least — none in the least. Go on — go on !" The words were jerked out rather than uttered, and appeared to have a discomposing effect upon Farmer Groves, from which he only recovered by swallowing a huge draught of ale. " Then the best way will be to begin again, for I almost forget where I left off." " Very well — very well !" they all cried, glad of an opportunity of opening their mouths. " We are all listening !" " Bight years ago this very night, as I and a few others were sitting with Tom Davis, the landlord here, as I might be with you now, chatting and laughing and the like, when all at once there came a most terrific knocking at the front door." " You understand sir," interrupted Tom Davis, ad- dressing the stranger, " that friend Groves had got jasc this far into his tale, and the words about the knocking were scarcely out of his mouth, before we heard some I one begin hammering away, so we were all of us rather skeared like." The stranger made no reply, but looked steadily at the fire. Tom Davis turned away with au c^ftonded «'>•, while Groves continued his narrative. " As it was nearly one o'clock in the morning and a, most unusal time for any one to come, seeing that an any other night the inn was closed at ten to a moment.-* as it was bo late, I say, we wondered who it could b^, and hesitated before we went to the door." "Just as we did to-night," said the landlord. ' When we unbarred it, to our surprise, who should we see on the threshold but Reuben Simms, the steward to Sir Herbert Burrows, of tlio old Manor Houq?. " 3e was a very disagreeable mun, and var^ iwia iiO I'UE KNIGHT OF TUE UOAU. So [dick TURPIN cries " STAND AND DELIVER ! TO THE TRAVELLER ON THE HEATH. J deal with, as many of Sir Herbert's tenauts found. It was a sad pity things were left so muoli under his con- trol; however, he's dead and gone now, though when he lived I question whether any one could have been found who would have said * I like him !' *' ' Didn't expect to see me here to-night, did you ?' be said, in his sharp voice. ' Shouldn't have come, only Sir Herbert kept me so long, and I did not like to go so far by myself at night for fear 1 should be set on and robbed. I s'pose you can let me have a bed ?' " i ?T^ ' ^®^' °^ course ; you will walk in and join us ?' No, let me have a light,' he said, ' I want to go to bed and not sit up sotting with you.' "This was quite an uncalled-for remark for him co make in reply to our civility,— at least we thought so ; but none said a word, because the old man was of a most revengeful disposition, and because we knew he had the power to spite any of us ; so he took a light and went upstairs, down which he never came again alive." i'-^ J *u ^^'^ ^'^^ ^''® ™® * candle, landlord," ex- claimed the stranger, rising to his feet, and apparently much agitated,— "if you will give me a light, I will go upstairs, for I hate blood and murder stories, and I can guess what's coming." " Certainly, sir, certainly, sir ; you can have a light in a moment. If we had known you had any objection, why, of conrse, we would have deferred the tale-tellin? to another time." "Oh ! never mind, never miud. Are you ready ?" *' Quite ; be good enough to step this way." Jom Davis showed the traveller into his room, and lojoined the company in the kitchen. All this time Turpin sat in perfect silence, judging it was more prudent so to do. ''Now, Groves," said the landlord, "let's have the tost of the tale." " There's not much of it to tell now, except that wo all went home aboVit daybreak, and the next morning, about twelve o'clock, thinking it strange Simms, the steward, did not come down, his bedroom was broken open, and there ho was found weltering in his blood, and the apartment in the greatest disorder," No. 4. P.niCE O.VK Halfpenny. StACK BSSB; ov- "And waa bis murderer never discovered ?" aaked several. . . ' *' Never ; i\ uu/berless people were had up on suspicion, but it could uot be brought home to any of them, and from that day to tliis it has remained an inexplicable mystery. Sir Herbert offered a very large reward for the apprenhension of the murderer or murderess. It was five hundred pounds, I think, but no '-no was found ou*-' , " How strange !" said one. ' "Yes; in moat cases the murderer leaves some trases behind him ; but in this they had been too cautious." ^^ "And did auyous know the nntivo for the murder?" "Not exactly ; old Simms had many enemies, but on ihat particular night he had received a large sum of money from Sir Herbert, for some purpose which we aever learned ; but it as all stolen from him." " it's my belief it was theft, not malice, that was the motive," said Davis. "And mine," said Groves. "Sir Herbert had him buried, for the old man had no kindred. It was rumoured however that he r.ud a Jou who had been guilty of some crime, and who was always a ne'er-do-well sort of chap, who had gone abroad, but that was a many years ago, end no one knew for certain." " Has the son over turned up since ?" "Never, but " The remainder of the farmer's sentence was drowned in the loud explosion of a pistol which seemingly had been discharged just over their heads. It was succeeded by one terrific, piercing shriek, after which all was deathly still. " God bless my life !" said Davis, turning very pale, and staggering to his feet. " Surely another mnrder has not been committed." Turpin also rose much agitated, for he had recognised ti'.e voice of the young girl whom he had befriended. The remainder sat as if rooted to their seats. " Follow me all!" said Dick, hastening to the door ; and then, without waiting to see if he was obeyed, sprang lightly and rapidly up the staircase. 'No sound of any description reached liis ear as he paused for a moment on the landing and listened. He was joined immediately by the landlord and about lialf-a-dozen of the most courageous of the company. "iQuick — quick, Davis !" cried Turpin. " Show mo the room in which the young girl was placed." The landlord pointed with his finger to a door nearly opposite, and without ceremony or hesitation, Dick flung it open, though his heart beat as he did so at a painful rate. A niglit-light was burning in the room, and by its aid Dick saw a huddled-up mass of white upon the floor. Instinctively he knew what it was; and whila the others sto«d in a dense throng upon the threshold, he stepped forward and raised the form of the p-^or ap- prentice in his arms and placed her upon the bed. She was either insensible or dead. A glass of water stood upon a table close at hand, and he lost not an instant in sprinkling some of its contents upon her face. Her eyes opened, and she looked around her with alarm and dread. " What is it, Ellen ? What has happened ?" asked SHck, tenderly. A smile played upon her lips as she heard his words, &ld then her eyes slowly closed again. " Ellen— Ellen !" cried Turpin, " what has happened ? Why did you scream ?" " I cannot tell," she replied, now perfectly aroused. *' Yet stay ! I remember how ; I woke with the sound of a pistol-shot in my ears." "I thought as much !" said Dink. " I must lea,ve you 10-^.. There is no danorcr, and nothing to apprehend. iJepose in pea.ce. "The traveller's rc^m !" ^^ed Diok. liurryfnf;' out again into the passage. " Let us go there at once !" Davis led the way, and then they all paused in a body in front of a door oo'^^irj from the opposite side ofc- the passage. Their numbers had been greatly Increased w'li'ilo iJick waa speaking to the young girl, and several o2 those wno h&A coma last carried lights in their hands. ^ iLl Qotioed that a figure of 8 waa painted on the " Why," said one, in rather a shaky voio»" that Is tSs very room old Simms was murdered in. i^in't it?" " Yes." A disposition to draw back manifestea itselt instantly. Dick placed his hand upon the lock. The door was fast. " Have you a key ?" he asked. " No. The door fastens on the inside with a boit." " I think we are justified ia bursting the door open ?" " Certainly— certainly." " I think," suggested Groves, " it would only be right to knock first," " So it would." Some heavy blows were struck upon the panel. There was no response. " We are wasting time when every moment may bf- of the utmost value," said Dick. " Right," replied the landlord ; " force the door." A simultaneous rush was made, and the door &e^ open in a moment. " Lights— lights !" Those who had hastily snatched up candles made their way into the room. "The rest, who were somewhat timid, remained outside. It took a moment for the candles to dispel the darkness in the room, and then they saw partly lying across the bed the man who had at so late an hour sought shelter. Blood was guhhing from his breast at a fearful rate, and it fell with a sickening sound upon the floor, where it collected into a huge pool. " Good heavens !" exclaimed the landlord, while those who were with him yet stood aghast with surprise. " Goo5 heavens ! what a frightful eight ! The idea of it occurring at my house at all, let alone upon this particularnight !" " Does he live still r" asked one. _ " I should scarcely think so," said Turpin, taking a candle from a man who was standing near him, and approaching the bed as he spoke. " I should scarcely think so ; he appears to have shot himself through the heart!" A faint sound, half-moan, half-sigh, ca-me from the traveller's lips, and gave the lie to Turpin's supposition, , "By heaven!" they cried. "He is not dead yeti Eaise him up a little !" As Turpin had all through taken the initiative in the matter, he put the light down beside him, and, passing his arm under the body of the stranger, slowly raised him to a sitting posture. The flow of blood was checked a little by this process, but a look of intense and unutterable suffering over= spread his features. Then he opened his eyes and glared around him as he muttered in a half-audible voice — " Horror— horror ! Why did they put me in this cham- ber above all others ! Justice! justice! the old man ia avenged at last 1 Off ! off ! You are blood ! blood — nothing but blood ! Father, father, I did not know you ! How should I ! how should I have done so ! Do uot look at me so awfully! Keep away— keep away ! I was im. polled by want to do the deed! Father, father, pity me, forgive me ! Your form has haunted me sleeping and waking ever since that frightful night, eight years ago, when, in this room, I found on whom I had used my knife. What guided me here P What horrid fascination dragged me to this spot ? Fate, for — I " A gasping kind of sob issued from the stranger's lipa, and suddenly doubling together, his body, face down- wards, reached the floor before Turpin could save him. Horror— intense horror— was depicted upon the facea of the guests as they looked at each other, deprived by the fearful nature of the reveiati^n of the stranger of the faculty of speech. It was Turpin who broke the silence : " Friends all,' ' he said, in grave tones, " this is in itself a terrible spectacle, and enough to overcome the most callous heart. Let us leave this room, for we can do no good by staying rn it, or we shall never be able to drive the appearance of this sight from our brains." " Yes," added Tom Davis, with blanched cheek and lip, but yet in an authoritative voice. "Iietus goaway at onoe, for I feel sick to death !" "And I — and I," responded many voices, «u hashed accents, as they left the scene of bloor" , and resumed their places in the lower apartment. The landlord w^ut himself to the b&r, s»bd oiav m, THE KMIOHT OF THE ROAD. Mich of the company a small glass of neat brandy, which was gratefully accepted by all. There seemed to be a general disinclination to uom- menoe a conversation, acd each seemed busy with Jiis own thoughts, "I say, neigdoonrs," said Groves, at last, shifting about in his chair, " it appears to me that yeu ought to send o£E to Sir William at once, '*ad let him know what feai taken place." ' '" lYae," said Davis, wno seem**'^ anaerved by Avhat had happened. " I am in suon i st&'eo that I am only half conscious of what ia going on." " It is truly awful." " It would be if it had been a simple suicide, but how horrible to think the murderer of Kalph the steward should be thus discovered !" " And that it should turn out to be his own son, for such I take it was what the man meant." " Frightful in the extreme. I remember him when he was a boy, and then it was prophesied by all that he would come to a bad end i" " And so he has. I can imagine his terror and dis- may when he found himself in the chambor in which he had murdered his own father !" " Yes, and how the thought would drive him to suicide and madness!" " Ay, indeed ! It would be most strange if it did not. What must he not have suffered during the past eight years \" " From what he has said though, I gather he had no idea when he committed the murder, doubtless for the sake of the money he had about him, that it was his own father !" " Clearly not, or, at any rate, let us hope so." " But," persisted Groves, " had not one or two of ns better start at once for the halJ. It is close upon day- break, and surely Sir Herbert will pardon us for arous- ing him at so unreasonable an hour when he learns our errand." " By all means !" exclaimed several, rising. " Do you go, and we will accompany you !" "Agreed," said Groves, and in a few minutes after- wards a little party of about a dozen persons was on its way to the hall. Turpin remained benind. He had many urgent reasons for doing so, but he went to the front door of the inn along with Davis to see them off, and there they stood watching them until they were out of sight. "Tom," said Turpin, in a whisper, as they both lin- gered on the steps, " of course you know very well 1 don't wish to be mixed up with the proceedings at the inquest which will have to be held, because of the danger which would result from calling me so publicly forward ; but still it would be equally dangerous for me to set out for London at sunrise. Tlie officers just now are more than usually on the alert after me." " What do you propose to do ?" " Just this. My evidence, as there are so many wit- nesses who can depose to the same facts as I can, will be of little or no service, so I need not be mentioned in the matter at all. Find me some snug little place where I can remain until nightfall, when I must be off to London." " As you like, Dick, my boy. I see no obstacles what- ever ; I will find yor a comfortable berth, and as you say there ia no need — although you did take rather a pro- minent part in the affair — for you to run the risk of giving evidence. There can only be one verdict returned." CHAPTER XII. DICK BIDS FAEEWELIi TO ELLEN, AND SETS OUT FOR LONDON TO SHOW THE LORD MAYOR'S CUP TO THE "family" AT THE "THREE TUNS." The shades of evening were just beginning to dusk all objects, rrlien three persona stood at an old-fashioned bow- window on the ground floor of the " Hand and Keys." These three pemona were Dick, Ellen, and the land- iord. DioK was speaking. ) EUen," he said, " yon will then stay here along with my friend Davis so long as you may choose to do so. I am certain you will find him as kind and affeotion'vte to yoa as tboogb you were hia daughter." The poor girl could not trust herself to speak, for so much kindness touched her to the heart. Her eyes filled with tears, and she took a hand of each, an ' pressed them in token of her thanks, ^ " There, there — it is all lis&z^it la all right," said Tom Davis. " Don't take on so ciuoh. I oan only say, BO long as the old roof is above my head you e;r^ very welcome to share it with me." " And mow," aaid Turpin, " it- witi seoa fee ilme tos me to set out for London." s "London?" repeated EUea. "Ok! no ^ do not go. Why run into so much damger ?" " Danger !" replied Tmrpin, with a laugh. " 1 never think of it. I must visit London to-night, in order to receive the money I have won by taking the mayor'' cup." " How much is it f" asked Davis. "Fifty pounds!" " Then it is hardly worth the risk.'' " Not for the amount of money certainly. But having half won the bet it would be foolish to lose it by not complying with the other part of it." Davis shook his head. " I know you are sure to go," he said ; " but it strikos me you have the most difficult part to perform." " Why ?" " Why ? Did not you tell me some one had split upon it, and set the officers on the watch ?" " Well, yes. That was my supposition frcm finding them so close at hand." " And you were right ; 30 rely upon it, now that at- tempt failed, knowing you intended to carry the cup iu person to the ' Three Tuns,' they will so surround you with enemies that it will be impossible for you to make your escape with your life." " Oh ! how can you tliink of blindly rushing into so much peril ! You cannot be in earnest." Faiu would the young girl have persuaded herself so, for she could not help feeling a deep interest in her pro- tector; but the next words that came from Turpin's lips dispersed her hopes. " I will do it," he said, " and defy the danger ! The more of it th«re is, tho greater will the achievement bo." " I see yon are bent upon it, Dick," said the landlord, " and I know before to-day that when you take a thing into your head there is no turning you, so I sha'n't say more." " I am bent upon it," replied Turpin, " and I must say I feel none of the apprehensions which you do." "I suppose not." "But I do," replied Ellen. "And now that I have found a friend and protector, do not let me lose him 80 soon. Don't go, for my sake." " I see you are even more timid than Davis is." " I am always timid when there is much danger." " And I am bold, and on this occasion I feel an assurance that I shall come off all right." " I hope you may," said Davis. " When do you want your mare ?" "Now," said Turpin, looking through the window, and observing the aspect of the night. " It ia full early yet, but a fog seems to be rising rapidly. I hope it will be a denae one, forif it is I shall stand a much better chance of success." " Then," said Davis, " I will go round to tho stables, saddle Black Bess, and bring her to the door myself." " Do so, do so." The landlord departed on hia errand. "And now, my dear," said Turpin, drawing Ellen towards him, " pray dismiss from your mind all foolish feeling of alarm for my safety. I have returned unhoEfc from many a more dangerous expedition. , Be happy, Davis and his wife will try their best to make you so, and do not let them fancy you ungrateful by showing them they have not succeeded." " I will try to be happy and content." " And," added Turpin, if I should not i-etura, do not be alarmed. " 1 1 is impossible for me to say at any time where I may be in three honra afierwards. Let me desire it ever so much, I maj be weeka before I pay another visit here." "Weeks?" « " Yea ; and in the meantime yoo wiil fifiCi the© ''W* pleasantiy enough here." BLACK BESS ; OB, Ellen shook her head. " Not in your absence," she sa:d. " Mare's waiting at the door," suld Daris, as he re- entered the room ; " so I should advise you to be off as Boon as possible, for you are well aware Bess never stands anywhere long together without attracting observation." ■ " And who can wonder at it ?" asked Dick, proudly. " Her equal has never yet been found, and nev^r wJH be I fancy !" " Be off then ! N'o one suspects your presence in this neighbourhood now, but they soon would if they sai" her at the door." 'I am off. Gooa-bye, Ellen ! Don't be alarmed about mt/. I shall be safe enough, don't fear. Expect me when you see me ! Good-bye, good-bye !" Ho hurried out of the room as he spoke. A moment sufficed to take him to the huge front door of the " Hand and Keys," and there, just a few paces off, he could distinguish Black Bess. The fog however was getting denser each moment. " You will have an ugly journey, Dick," said Davis, as the highwayman mounted his mare. " I fancy it will Boon be too thick for you to find your way." " Not a bit. I could almost do it blindfold." " I shouldn't wonder. You have been times enough." " Kather ; and I trust more to my mare than I do to myself," said Turpin, patting Bess's neck as he spoko. " I am not surprised you are so fond of her." " I should think not. And now, Davis, as it may ba Bome time before I see you again, I should like to have a serious parting word with you." " Speak out, my boy !" " I allude to the young girl, Ellen." " I guessed as much." "And" " Now, don't let that trouble your mind at all. I will take care of her, and mind, as well, that she cornea to no harm through you." "Ah! ah!" " You needn't laugh. I can see thi^ongb a ladder before the rounds are knocked out" " I don't doubt it." " She has taken a fancy to you — more'a the pity." "Pho! pho!" " There's no disguising the fact," "Then, to put an end to all jesting," said Turpin, gathering the reins in his hand, " I will promise you she Bhall never be wronged by me." " I am glad of it, Dick, very glad ; for I already feel as though she was my own daughter." "Good-bye, then, Davis, old fellow, tre^t her as a daughter, and I am sure you will find her all that you As Turpin spoko these words he waved his hand, and, gently pricking Bess upon the flank, was in a moment out of sight in the thick fog. "It's a sad pity," soliloquized the landlord, while he stood for a uaoment on the door-step, " a sad pity, that a man like him should have taken to tlie road. He is a brave heart, and I don't believe he would do an un- generous action for the world. If he had only had the opportunity many have, what a great man he would have become. Now what is he ? Perhaps going to is death. It is a sad pity." " It is indeed," said a gentle voice at his elbow, and, turning round, Tom Davis saw the young girl whcm he had so soon learned to love standing by his side. CHAPTER XIII. TUEPIN ROBS SIR THEODORE HOUGHTON OV HIS '' WAT TO LONDON. "Gently, Boss; gently, mare;" said 'lur'^.u, to his steed. " i'here is no hurry, lasp. We have a good four hours before us." IBess subsided inco a geni/ie trot. -"Well," thought our hero, as he carried his hand toliis Rooket to make sure the cup was all right, " a few things have happened, certainly, since I took this cup out of the fat mayor's carriage ; but the strangest thing of all, and *he one I cannot banish from my imagination, is the /pentral shadowy form which I feel convinced 1 saw in me hue. What could it be ? What can it portend ? i*I was a fool not to have ridden forward." he mut- tered, after a few moments' thought. '■ I will not believe it was anything supernatural. I was wounded. Mybrain was confused and giddy, and I had not that ready com- mand over my actions tha+, I generally have. Let me catch sight of it again, and \ pfill chase the fisrura until I discover what it is." His ruminations and resolves were cf.uickly ^tut to flight, for, indistinctly and mufl3ed by the (ipaque a^>mosphere, came the tramp of a horse's hoofs upon hia curt,. He paused to listen. ' He had reached a small open spac e, but across which he could not see. He only knew that he was not in the roadway by feeling that Bess was 1 reading upon turf. The sound of the approaching footsteps came from the rear. " It is a single traveller," said Dick, " and ho cornea most opportunely. My pockets are almost empty. It is to be hoped he carries a good booty." The traveller was approaching slowly and cautiously, as though he was by no means sure of his footing. Turpin wheeled round Then he quietly waited until the unsuspecting rider should be close to him. At length, when he judged from the loudness of the sound that the solitary horsema'? was at about fifty paces distant, ho gave Bess the rein*, and swept swiftly down the lane. " Stand and deliver !" h^ cried in loud tones, and at the same time holding a pistol to the astonished rider's breast. " Your money or your life !" " Neither, you villain !" said a voice ; and, before Dick anticipated any such event, the rider fired a pistol point plank at his face. Turpin shook in his saddle. The bullet had been well aimed. It struck his hat from his head, and ploughed up hia scalp in its passage. Before, however, the traveller could follow up the ad- vantage he had so undoubtedly gained, Dick recovered himself, and, rapidly bringing his weapon to a level, pulled the trigger. There was a flash and a report ! The shot was seemingly effective, for the traveller uttered a loud cry of pain. He did not, though, fall from hia seat, but preserved an upright position. " Quick !" said Dick, "your money, watch, and trin- kets ! You have only yourself to thank for what you have got!" No reply. "Come, come," added Dick, " hand them over, or I shall be forced to take them, and, generally speaking, I am not over gentle when I do 1" " You have shattered my right arm," replied the traveller, " and I am powerless ! Were it not for that, and the excruciating pain it occasions me, I would struggle with you to the last ! You can please yourself how much you maltreat a wounded man who cannot struggle with you l" "Use your left hand !" said Turpin, leaning forward towards him. " I will, and do !" cried the traveller, in an excited voice. At the same moment Turpin heard the click of another pistol. It simply flashed in the pan. " You are a treacherous rascal !" shouted Turpin. "Take that." He doubled up his fist, and struck the traveller a terrific blow in the face. He swayed from one side of hia horse to thootuot-, and then losing his balance, fell on the ground. " I hope that's a settler !" said Turpin. " I do hate treachery above all things. I wonder if ho has got much in his pockets ?" As he asked himself this question, he dismounted aHrepar- ing to remount his steed. " Why, we will just have a little bit of retributive or poetical justice upon you Eemember. you <"-e wholly in my power." Tlie worthy magistrate glared around in some diV may. No living thing was either within siglit or hearing, and he rather anxiously waited to hear what Turpin said next. He was not long kept in suLrpt4.! attempt his rescue. ^Sir Theodore Houghton was, of course, weilknowuto all the offioere, toy hia oovere eentcKiga had made «:|'/ THB KNIGHT OP THE BOAD. [the OPPICEBS chase TtJEPlN THROUGH SOHO.] everywhere notorions, and, as soon as they recognized him, half a dozen rushed forward to cut him down. They were too late though to save his life. The fall was very sndden, and the magistrate no in- considerable weight, the effect of which two circum- stances was that his neck was dislocated. The o£5cers were not long in discovering this, for when they set him up so that he should have a chance of reviving a little, his head lolled about in every direction. So soon, then, as they ascertained that life was really extinct, they left him, and turned towards those who had sprung upon Turpin. They had every neeid of their aid, for they found it a most diflScult task to keep their hold upon their prisoner, and defend themselves at the same time from the violent assault that was made upon them. Already had Turpin got one of his arms free, and WM dealing heavy blows, which made his captors shripk, when the other body of oflBoora reached the excited, struggling mass. The numbers were about equaL No. 5.— Bi^cE BBSS. The yelling, shouting, and swearing were tremendous. " Give him up ! Give him up !" shrieked an officer, mounting on to the table. " Give him up and you shall all go free ! It's only him we want, and we're bound to have him, so give him up at once !" No notice whatever was taken of this speech. Then this oflSoer, who was doubtless one of those in command, grew furious when he found himself disre- garded, and ran towards the end of the table near which the struggle was now taking place. We have before had occasion to remark that this table in the thieves' kitchen was composed simply of one plank. This was supported on three tressels. When the officer rushed forward so suddenly to its extremity his weight tilted it np, so down he w^t on the floor in a moment, and was buried nearly uiider an avalanche of pewter pots. Blood was trickling from his head anfi fi-joe when he again rose to his feet, but, heedless of tl;« hurts he had sustained, he dashed like a maniae iato the thickest, of the fight, Paioa BLACK BSSS ; OB, Torpm, too, ms^ injured in many places, but struggled desperately, f c be resolved not to be taken alive without an effort. He got his cifaer arm free. Upon seeing this, the offioera redoubled thei. endea- vours. " Turpin ,r<.o lui i mmense favourite with all the " family, " and there was soarcely one of them who would not wil- lingly have laid down his life to render him a service. Therefore ttiey fought most gallantly in his behalf. They knew the motive which had brought him there. Feeling that the issue of the conflict was very un. certain, Turpin oommenced slowly to retreat backwards to the door, intending, if once he oould get into the passage, to make a bold rush for escape. The " family" divined his intention immediately, and BO, too, did the police officers ; but the former made such a sudden attack upon the latter, that they had much ado to defend themselves. Two men only interposec^etween Turpin and the door he was so anxious to reach. Turning round sharply upon his heel, he, by a well-directed blow, laid one prostrate, and sprang past the other, who, however, grasjwd him tightly by the skirts of his coat. Dick placed his hands behind him, and plunged for- ward. Many rapid footsteps followed him. " The door is guarded !" exclaimed Dick, involuntarily, aa his eye fell upon four men standing near it. " Surrender, or we fire !" they cried, upon seeing him approach. "Never!" eaid Dick; and aa he spoke he ran up a narrow flight of stairs which were close at his left hand. The next instant several of the officers who had dis- engaged themselves from the fray which was still going on in the kitchen, came along the passage, and sprung up the stairs after Dick, who, however, had made good use of the brief start which he had obtained. He was already at the top. He saw then several doors, all of which were closed. Without pausing to choose, he placed his hand upon the fastenings of one just opposite to him, and opened it. All was profound darkness within. Very dimly, though, and as if a curtain had been drawn Qoroas it, Turpin saw the outline of a window. He hastily secured the door. He heard the officers stamping up the staircase. Eejoiced at having successfully eluded them so far, he orept forward on his hands and knees towards the window, for he judged that to be the likeliest means of avoiding a collision with whatever furniture there might be in the room, which, for aught he knew to the con- trary, might be a bed-chamber, and occupied by some one. The room was limited in its dimensions, and he very quickly reached the window, and drew the curtain from before it. "Bang ! bang ! bang ! bang!" came four heavy blows upon the panel of the door. Dick flung open the window. It was one of those diamond-paned casements opening like a door, and permitting easy egress. Just below him Dick saw the roofs of some outbuild- ings, and he dropped down upon them. " I fancy," he said, " I shall be able to mak,, / y way into some of the courts, and then very likely I snail get free!" While speaking he slid down the tiles, and, as he expected, found himself only about ten or twelve feet from the ground. Grasping the gutter with his hands, he quickly, but yet carefully, lowered himself, and then dropped to the earth. No sooner did he reac^ it than the window through which he had j ust passed was dashed open, and several persons scrambled out of it on to the roof. Turpin found himself standing inanarrowallej-, but, hearing his pursuers so close behind him, did not pause for breath, but hastily wiped the perspiration from his face and set off at full speed. A half -shodt— half -yell — from the rew told him he was already seen. He quicl-euod ma speed. The alley he was traversing he knew would take him into Dudley-street, and he wa? io hopes, ooold he gain it, that he would, by the intimate knowledge ot thfe locality he possessed, succeed in baffling hia pursuers. Oh ! how he wished for his bonny stued when he did reach it, andf looked up and down to assure himself that no enemy was in sight. How easy, then, would have been escape ! But now thore was every prospect <^'f hia being hunted through the streets on foot. "Stop him! Stop him !" he heard his pursuers cry. ■^Stop him! A highwayman! A thousand pounds reward!" The sounds came upon his ears' with greett distinctness. He ran across the street and down another turning iuto Soho, but the shouts of the officers had aroused the neighbourhood, and there was quickly a crowd at his heels which increased in numbers every moment. In as direct a line as he could, Turpin made his way towards the Oxford-road, as Oxford-street was then called, the vague idea of reaching the country filling hia mind. He had trusted by doubling the corners of the streets suddenly to get out of sight of his pursuers, and then seek shelter and concealment in a house. But they were too close upon his track for this hope to hold possession of him long, and the whole of his energies were bent on running at a swifter pace than they. A considerable distance had been already passed over, and Turpin began to show signs of exhaustion. Hia breathing was painful, and he staggered more than ouco. He felt quite sure that he could not much longer main- tain his present speed, and unless succour of seme kind presented itself, and that quickly, he must abandon all idea of getting free from those who were hunting him. He passed by many a turning on his route down which he was afraid to turn lest it should be a yard and have no outlet. If he once went down one of these he would b» caught like a rat in a trap. Presently he saw a street which he recognised with a throb of delight. It was a very short one, and he plunged down it, and round the corner to the right and then to the left. His pursuers were out of eight. He redoubled his efforts. Half-a-dozen turnings more, and he was in Oxford, road. It Cs a very difficult matter to imagine one of the principal and most crowded thoroughfares in London a quiet country road, bounded by trees and meadows, and yet such was Oxford-street at the time of which we write. Dick oould hear the voices and footsteps of the crowd, but he could not see their forms. On the other side of the way, and near a gate in a garden wall, was a servant in livery, leading a horse by the bridle, and apparently waiting for some one. " A godsend !" said Dick. "1 shall be free now I" He rushed across the road aa he spoke, and before the servant knew at all what was going to happen, he found himself sprawling on the ground. Turpin was seated in the saddle in an instant. He doubled up the reins, and struck the horse sharply across the shoulders. It was a thoroughbred animal, unused to blows, and it reared and plunged voilently for several moments, tlien set off at a tremendous gallop. The foremost of his hunters, though, were fairly in the Oxford-road before the horse started. They set up a loud shout of anger and disappointment. To their surprise, as well as Turpin's, who happened just then to turn his head, ten or twelve officers who had been chasing him on foot swept round the corner well mounted. They had passed some livery stables on their way, and from thence obtained the cattle. Their stoppage was what had caused Turpin to gain upon them aa he did. They were in full sight of their prey. Very fortunate, indeed, was it for Turpin that he had been lucky enough to obtain possession of a horse. The odds now were, if anything, in his favour. The officers came along at a good rate. It was a beautiful steed upon which Turpin v"** mounted, though of course very inferior to hia own ny**"*. and was, no doubt, highly priaed by its owner. ' He made his way due west. At length, after a gallop of about four mllea, luspia TBE KNIGHT OF THE ROAD. rwned up his ate3d apon the brow of a hill, and looked behind him. The mounted polioo ^vere ju3t at ita base, and good' as was the speed he had made, he had not apparently gained a dozen yards upon them. ( , "The fellows must have gdt hold of some first-rate cattle ; this one seems already to show signs of distress. Oh ! for my own mare, Black Beas ! Were she beneath me, I would laugh at all their efforts." While speaking he had urged his horse to fre^h exertion. CHAPTER XVI. DICK IS A WITNESS TO A VERT SINGULAR SCENE IN THE OLD COUNTRY CHURCH Thick black clouds had hitherto wholly hidden the moon's face, but now through a large straggling rift she looked down upon the earth. " Confound it !" said Turpin, as the bright rays fell upon his countenance. " I could have done very well without any more light. Now they will be able to see me a mile off." The road was very straight ; indeed, it must have been remarked by many, what a great distance it goes without makingr a bend either to the right or the left, so there was little or no exaggeration in Turpin's words, when he said the officers would be able to see him a mile off. " I must get out of this, that's certain," he added. •* Let me see ; a httle further on I shall come to what I call the Dark-lane, for want of a better name, and down that I will take my way. Ah ! here it is '." Even while he spoke, Turpin found he had amved opposite the entrance of the lane, and he turned down it like a shot, disappearing from the gaze of the officers with a suddenness that must have appeared to thein almost magical. Turpin had very appropriately designated this lane by the adjective dark, for the trees on both sides grew to •uch a great height, and so very thickly together, that ■oarcely a ray of light of any description penetrated through them, and it seemed more like riding into a cave than aught else. Turpin dashed onwards without suffering his norse to relax its speed in the least. A few minutes when a horse is at full gallop willcarry a rider over a great deal of ground, so in a very short time Turpin emerged from this lane into the high road again. He could not see them, but he could hear the clatter of his pursuers' footsteps. "Now for it," said "Turpin. " I can't get clear by riding, so I will give them the slip. Ah ! now that wiU do first-rate ! Capital !" He flung himself off his horse as he spoke. He took the reins and tucked them tightly under ifie front of the saddle, then with the palm of his hand struck the horse a smart blow on the flank, which caused the high-mettled creature to gallop swiftly along the road. Turpin passed over to the other side, and crawled through a gap in the hedge. He found himself in a meadow, on the west aide of which, over another hedge, was an old country church. A loud shout, and apparently of gratification, let him know that the officers had reached the road. ".What can they be so pleased about, I wonder?" asked Turpin. " I will take a peep, through the hedge." He did so, and was so astonished at what he saw that he almost betrayed hia place of Concealment by an ex- clamation.' » . The officers were standing in a throng near the end of the lane, looking attentively at something. Turpin followed the direction of their eyes, and saw, for the second time, that spectral resemblance of himself. The officers saw it, too ; so it was clear there was no delusion about the matter ; or rather, if there waa j they were subject to it as well as himself. "» The figure was standing in the middlc^f the highway, at about half a mile distant, looking back over his shoulder at the officers, and seemingly in such an attitude as to be able to start so soon as any sympiom of motion showed itself upon their part. Turpin was bewildered, and he looked first from .^he officers and then to his second self. " What, oh ! what can it be ?" kf ggteftgi • *' What am I I to think of this strange assumption of my own form ! It would be perfect madu isa, or 1 would, as I resolved! rush forward and solve thja mystery. Now I am com- pelled to inanition !" By mutual consent, both parties seemed lu nave come to a halt for fne purpose of resting their steeds, and so long as that distance was preserved between them neither could obtain the advantage of the other. Turpin was full of curiosity and wonder to know what would happen next. ,Suddenly the chief of the ,>ohce uttered a few words to his companions, and then the wholeof the troop, clapping spurs to their horses' sides sped quickly down the lane. The spectre horseman, and whom theyno doubt beheve'd .vas Turpin himself, was not apparently at all discen- cer ted at this proceeding on the part of the officers, for he too, gave the reins to his horse, and set off at full speed! The officers gave a loud shout, as they commenced an immediate pursuit. " 'I"his grows stranger, and more and more inoompie- hensible, said Turpin, as he rose from his recumbent position in the meadow. " Whocanthis mysterious being be who so closely simulates my form and dress, for that it is anything supernatural I resolutely disbelieve, and will do, yet the whole affair is most perplexing and mysterious. It is quite evident, though, that the officers are labouring under the impression that it is me. So far it 13 very good, since I have an opportunity of escape wliich I should not have had under other circumstances. Until, however, I find it out, I am quite certain I shall know no peace. I feel exceedingly desirous to know how the chase is getting on, and whether they have caught my double. Is there a tree anywhere I can climb ? No I" He looked all round as he spoke, but no tree of any magnitude, or from which anything like a view could be obtained, was in sight. " Stop now," he added, as his eye fell upon the old church to which we have alluded. " Stop, now. That church seems to have a tolerably high spire. Now if 1 could only get up that I should see for miles round, first-rate." No sooner did this thought enter his mind, than he hastened across the meadow to put it into execution. He soon reached the hedge, which he surmounted, and then rolled down a grassy bank into a very narrow, but picturesque-looking lane. He was on his feet in a moment. " Who'd have thought, now," he said, " that I was going to miss my footing in that manner ? Never mind, it's all right. I suppose this narrow path leads to the ohurch ?" Turpin was right enough in this supposition, and in a few minutes he reached the entrance to the graveyard. As is often the case in country places, there was a right of road through the churchyard, so Turpm had no other trouble in entering than that of pushing through a turnstile. He hurried up the broad, smooth, gravel path, and ascending a short flight of stone steps, stood beneath the porch. A door was facing him, which he naturally enough supposed led into the church, and there was another on his right, which was, beyond a doubt, the one he wanted, namely, that leading to the belfry. The almost lull moon lent him sufficient light to u.^ke an examination of the door. It was fastened, but that was a circumstance of no importance, for it creaked open in a moment under the application of Turpin's finge^^ The blackness and silence of the tomb were before him! Dimly though hi could see by the faint light that straggled into the place a circular flight of steps. He pulled the door after him, and, as it dragged a little en its hing"s, it remained close shjit, and '■/Ti have looked at it from the other side no one '"''ula b«va dreat. d it had been forcibly broken open. There were loopholes in the stonework oi the stair- case at regular intervals, and ihrougk these the moon'a rays shone with an exceedingly beautiful effect Diok peeped tiirough one or two of these on his way up the stairs, but the view through so narrow an aperture was too circumscribed for hia purpose. In less time than would liave been believed, considering the strangeness and darkness of the place, Turpin reached the top of the steps, and withdrawiiii; alarge ruat.x fe«^B. ei>AOK BBttS; Oft, pushed open a trap- door just over his head, after pass- ing through which he found himself standinp' "" '•'■le square^ leaden roof of the ohuroh tower._ The beautiful prospect of many a mile of iboon-iit country would have been quite sufficient to recompense anyone for the trouble of the ascent, and JOict looked around him with deep pleasure. ' The perfect silence and repose that eveiys^bre pre- vailed lent, too, a great charm to the scene. Dick scanned the whole of +he horizon with his keen eyes, but no traces either of oursuer or pursued were visible. ' >*' The broad, nigh road could be defined with grc;:,t dis- tinctness as it wound about as sinuously as a river, and as the earth in it was of a whitish colour, it looked like a band of silver winding among the bright green trees. Turpin made a lengthened examination of all the land- scape, but still being unable to see what he sought, pre- pared to descend again. Yet he lingered upon the roof- tower of the old ohurcL ; lie knew not why he did so, unless it was the extreme beauty of the scene, to which no words of ours could do adequate justice. Presently there came upon hia ears a faint muffled Bound, and placing one hand upon the stone battlement, he leaned forward in order to hear the sound better. It gradually increased in loudness. " Horsemen !" said Turpin, " that's certain, and going at a tremendous pace, too. It must be the offi- cers. Surely they will be in sight directly." The faint, muffled sound grew plainer and plainer, until the clatttering of horses' hoofs could be heard. Just over the tall edgerows, but at a considerable dis- tance, Dick could see a number of riders' hats gliding rapidly along. " There they are— there they are !" exclaimed Dick, greatly excited ; " wl^, they are coming back ! Have they caught him, I wonder, and made him a prisoner P" The horsemen had now, within a short distance, reached a bead in the road, after turning which they would be in full sight of Dick. " It won't do to stand up like this." he said, " foi- some officious personage is sure to see me. I must be quite a conspicuous object up here !" There was in reality no ground for apprehension, for Dick, when he spoke, quite forgot the height to which he had ascended. Still, he crouched low down on the roof, and peeped over the stonework anxiously. He found his view was not in the least impeded, and he had the gratification of seeing a horseman sweep round the corner and come at a rapid pace along the road. Although he was quite prepared, Dick could not help feeling a little agitated whenthis horseman came in sight. His resemblance to himself was perfect. He came along the road at a rapid pace. In another moment the officers came round the bend, and catching sight of the flying horseman, with many gesticulations urged forward by whip and spur their almost exhausted cattle. The interest with which Dick regarded them was most intense. " I can't understana," he muttered, " how they have turned back and preserved the same positions, unless my personator has ridden bodily through them, and I should hardly think he would be foolhardy enough to do that. It is a thing I should think about twice before I did !" He lost sight of them all at this juncture, as the road took aaother sudden turn, but he knew in a moment or two they must reach that part of it which passed by the church, and which for a distance of half a mile or more each way was in nearly a straigrht line, while from his elevated position he would be able to see over the hedge- rows on each side of the lane. Dick's double, for so in his mind he oaiied him, very quickly made his appearance. " He is gaining on them !" said Turpm, a tone ta-'batis- faotion in spite of himself tinging hia voice, " He will Boon distance them completely."" The officers now came in view. Their horses seemed all but knoolted up. It was a most exciting race to Turpin, and he watched it with aa much interest as folks do the Derby when chey Lave some very heavy bets depending on the issue of it. He forgot all about the caution which had induced him I to crouch down behind the coping., but rose to hia fee* and waved hia arms, almost uttering a shout in hia ex- ) citement. He became conscious of the risk ha haa run by seeing one of the officers in the road below turn round and point I to the tower. ' Turpin dropped down like a shot. Still he ventured to look over. The man was evidently from his manner saying something ^ij earnestly to hlB companions. " Confound the fellow," said TurjJin, as he looked at him. " I wonder now whether he saw me. What a fool I must have been to have stood up in thwt absard fashion!" It would appear that what the officer said was simply relative to the edifice itself, for the whole of them turned round in their saddles and gazed at it, but they did not slacken speed while doing so. Five minutes more and they were out of sight. Turpin turned away. " I can't make it out," he said, as he felt his way down the steps ; " can't make it out at all. Who can this man be who bears bo remarkable a resemblance to myself, and dresses so much the same. I must wait patiently, I suppose. The mystery will be cleared up some day. It must unquestionably have been he I saw when mounted in the lane, only my excited fancy just then magnified him into a spectre !" This was a very probable supposition, but whether it was a correct one time only can determine. Turpin groped is way down the belfry stairs, and reached the bottom in what seemed to him to be an in- credibly short time. However, there, by the faint light of the moon through a loophole above, he oould see the door plain enough. He pushed it open. Instead, however, of passing into the porch aa he expected, he found this door opened into the gallery of the church. ' The interior, in contrast with the dark belfry staircase, was quite bathed in light, and a vague undefined feeling of curiosity caused Turpin to pass through this door, and after walking to the edge of the gallery he sat down upon one of the front seats and looked below him. He happened to be facing the large stained glass window over the altar, and through this the moon's rays streamed with full force, lighting up all the body of the church, and leaving the remainder in deep shadow. Scarcely even in the many scenes which he, in the course of a long career, had met with, had he found one so imposing as this. A rapt repose, such as can exist only in a sacred edifice, everywhere prevailed ; and ua« consciously and despite himself strange and solemn feelings filled his breast— feelings of whose existence he had hitherto been in ignorance. It might be that he sat five minutes, or even ten, leaning his head upon his hands, and his elbow on the railing of the gallery, with his eyes fixed upon the beauti- ful stained window, and his mind abstracted from all things present, when a slight rattling sound made itself heard, and immediately recalled his energies. Ho started like one suddenly awakened. The rattling noise continued, and he listened in a vain endeavour to make out what it was. In that old silent church it came upon the hearing clearly, though probably elsewhere it would have been unnoticed. Although somewhat startled by the circumstance, Dick retained sufficient presence of mind to remain per- fectly still. In another instant he heard a aharp click, which was followed by a grating noise. Then he heard a voice. " Confound the old door !" said eome one. " What a trouble I had to open it, to be sure ! I must have that keyhole seen to to-morrow ; it kept jumping about in a very improper manner ! It must be bewitched ! How- ever, I knew it would have to yield to mo in the end ;. me, Solomon Goggs, as has been beadle and sexton here a matter of forty years ! That's why I had patience- 1 — I knew very weU, when it kept bobbing about so, that if I took a careful aim the key would sure to go in, aad so it did. Holdup!" The s.j.:-iiker bhiiadcred iwaiiist something! in ni5 aatk. THE JCNiaHT OF THK ROAD. The words, howeTer, which he had uttered, ucnde tbiiigs quite iiitelligible to Turpin. It was the rattling of the key in the locic that nad disturbed the highwayman's ruminations, and thethiolc tones in which the old man had spoken, and who hail named himself Solomon Goggs, proclaimed pretty loudly that he was some distance gone in intoxication. What was his motive for paying a visit to tho church! at 80 unusual an hour he had yet to learn, so Turpin re- mained quite quiet, and listened for him to speak agaic. As he fully anticipated, he had aot long to wait, for Mr. Solomon Goggs, beadle and sexton, had reached that point in his potations %t which extreme loOnacious- cess began. " Oh ! I see aow ; It's om> of the bencnes oeiorfging to the free seats. Confound the free seats '. There had no business to be such things m the church, leastwise of all, down stairs. To be sure, they're close to the door ! I should like to know who it was pulled the bench out. Some of the low-minded mobocracy sort of p^'Cple. It's ]ust like their imperance, making me break my shins agen it ! Come up, will you !" The last words, apparently, ,were addressed to the bench against which he had stumbled, and which might be supposed to have been somewhat refractory, for the words were followed by a rumbling, creaking sound, which echoed and re-echoed through the building. " That's right at last ! What a night of adventures, to bo sure ! It's infernally disagreeable to have to come here — infernally disagreeable. I am well paid though, so I ought not to grumble ! Still I am always aggravated when I have to leave pleasant company at the ' Well of Content !' The sooner this job's over the better, and then I shall stand a chance of getting back again before they have all gone !" Thus speaking, the old man, in a deviiua, uncertain kind of way, made his way along the aisle of the church. CHAPTER XVII. THE MTSTEET OF THE SPECTKE HORSEMAN UNRA- VELLED TO dick's unqualified satisfaction. A PEELING of mingled curiosity and interest to know what errand it was that at that unusual hour brought Mr. Solomon Gogga to tlie church took possession of Turpin's mind, and he waited very patiently to find out what it was. Judging, however, that if he occupied hia present position in front of the organ he would run a gr it risk of being discovered, he took the opportunity, while Mr. Gogga was busily moving the bench, and talking to him- self, to step round to the right-hand side of the gallery, which happened to be shrouded in deep shadow, for the moon was not shining quite straight into the church, but rather obliquely ; consequently, one side of the gallery was quite light, while the other was in dark- ness that seemed all the greater by the contrast it pre- sented to the other. Here Turpin felt he waa eeoure from discovery by any chance observation. " How uncommonly bright the moon shines," con- tinued Mr. Goggs, who was now not far from the chancel ; " uncommonly bright it shines. Ha ! ha ! that's a good line — a musical line — ha ! ha ! Uncommonly bright, uncommonly bright, uncommonly bright it shines !" Mr. Goggs, the beadle, chaunted the words to the tune of some pothouse ditty with which he was doubt- lesa familiar. He ended with quite a loud " shines," which, in.ljhe stillness of the churoh, he considered came with a capital effect. " Bravo ! now, there's a stave ! \ -sf onder where any- one else is to be found, of my time of life, who could come that sort of thing. Uncom— uncom — uncommonly brigV*; it shines ! I am decidedly in voice to-night, and | that' makes the shame all- the greater th^^j I should have to leave my friends.'" " He seems a nice sort oi article," said Tai-jrfm, to himself. "I must certainly wait until I know what he is going to do. I have a presentiment tl"** it will be something worth hearing. Hark !" Mr. Solomon Gogga was speaking again. " What's the good, too, I should like to knovr, of send- XOfT me here on such a bright night as this to light up ~-aA church ? No good at all. No one would be able to see them, the moon shines so. I suppose, as it's no sort of concern of mine, I may as well light them." With a tremulous hand, Mr. Goggs began to light, with a lamp which he carried with him, a number of tall wax candles on the altar. As he said, it did seem useless to light them, for the rays of the moon quenched them utterly. I ^ It took Mr. Goggs some time to accompliBh his task, and he kept muttering and grumbling all the while. " I have no patience with such humbug, not I ; why the deuce could not thaj" aome at a respectable hour, and not when the church ought to be left entirely to — ahem ! those individuals who live underneath it !" " Hang it ! why don't he say wl>at it is that has brought him here ?" said Turpin, impatieiitly, " and not keep gabbling like that. I suppose if I «">Jit to gratify my curiosity I must wait." " There, now," said Mr. Goggs, with an air of satis- faction, as the last candle took light, — " there now, that's all right, and I suppose they will be here directly^ and I shall just have the place ready when they come.' Mr. Goggs now proceeded to dust and arrange some cushions, and this job seemed to require all his breath, for he did not utter a word while he was doing it. "Ah!" he sighed, as he rose up and straightened hia back, " that's done. It kill's me a'most to knock them cushions about. I'll take a walk down to the door and see if they are on their way." "The deuce take it !" said Turpin, as the beadle tot» tered down the aisle, " why don't he say who's coming ? I almost fancy, from his preparations, it's only going to be a marriage, and yet who can it be at this hour in this out-of-the way place ? There's something mys- terious in it, that's certain, and I will stay to see it out." At this moment, Mr. Goggs opened the church-door to have a look out, and, as soon as he did so, the grating of carriage-wheels reached Turpin's ears. He leaned over the balcony of the gallery and tried to see who waa coming. He waa unable to account for the intense curiosity he felt. The grating of the wheels ceased. Then there was a murmur of voices, and a party of five immediately entered the church. The firat who made hia way up the aisle waa attired in clerical robea, and, by the pure light which streamed in, Turpin could perceive he possessed a remarkable, oily- looking countenance, and a portly body to correspond. Next came two persons, and these, in a mom«n1« riveted the whole of his attention. They were male and female. The former was a fair-haired, good-enough»iooking young man, though many would have been displeased with several traits in his physiognomy ^ they had been consideiad apart ; but in their entirety they would, by any but a T«ry keea observer, have been passed o'ver unnoticed* He waa bareheaded, so Dick had a good opportunity of studying hia features ; not, however, that he did so par- ticularl;, foe he had recognised him at the first glance. It was the afterwards Earl of Bristol, though at that time the chancea of his succeeding to the title were very remote, and he was known only as the Honourable Mr. Hervey. With an increasing interest, Turpin turned hia gaze upon the fair companion at his side, but aka was shrouded from head to foot in a rich white laoe x^Mf so he was unable to see her countenance. From her form and carriage there could noi kf 1^ slightest doubt that she was both young and be^^i^al. Behind them, again, were two females, one of whom walked a step or two in advance of the other, aa if to show, even in God's temple, where all should surely be alike, that she who followed v«»aB an inferios. Neither of these where known to Turpin. The rear was brought up by Mr. Solomon Goggs, the beadle, who seemed to have shaken off a great deal of his intoxication, for he walked along in a v^tj pompous manner indeed. The minister opened the little gate in x,ae iron rail- ings in front of the communion-table* and stepped into the enclosure. The Hon. Mr. Hervey and hie com panion knelt down on the cushions, which had r:ou.rly bcokeu the batiii oi Mr. Gosas to duat and al.ul9 on one side, and spoke together in a whisper. Mr. Goggs, from some safe corner where he had placed it, took a long black staif, with a formidable gilt affair on the top, with the sight whereof on a Sunday morning he was wont to strike terror to the souls of the Charity children in the back seats in the gallery. "It's going to be a marriage," thought x'urpin, " that's eyideufe enough. But what in the world can be Mr. Hervey's motive for coming here in the dead of night to be married ? There's something wrong going on, I know ! I wish I could see the bride's face !" Never did a wish meet with a speedier gratification than this did ; for no sooner were the words out of his mouth than the prospective bride raised her hftods, and threw the large white veil off her face. A very beautiful countenance was then revealed. Pull of gaiety and sparkling vivacity it doubtless, from its configuration, generally was, but now the cheeks were wet with tears. But if Turpin's surprise was great upon seeing Mr. Hervey, it was a thousand times increased when the bright moonbeams fell upon this fair face. He recog- nised it instantly, for he had seen it many times, and it had never failed to call forth his greatest admiratioii. Her name sprang involuntarily to his lips. "Elizabeth Chudleigh!" This extraordinary woman, who was afterwards so notorious as the Duchess of Kingston, was at this time occupying the position of maid of honour to the Princess of Wales>— the mother of George III. — and had already, by her levity and intrigues, created an unen- viable reputation. But that she should be thus about to pledge herself to the gentleman by her side filled Turpin with astonish- ment, for popular rumour said she was betrothed to the Duke of Devonshire, who was then travelling on the continent. His speculations were interrupted by the minister commencing the ceremony. As it proceeded the maid of honour became violently agitated, and she who stood behind her with the do- mestic stepped forward, and, placing her hand upon h«r shoulder, whispered a few words in her ear, She shuddered, and became calm. In thick, unctuous tones, the minister went on read- ing the service. At length he came to that portion where the bride- groom has to place the wedding-ring upon the finger of the bride. She refused to hold out her hand. A look of the greatest conceivable vexation crossed fii.r. Hervey's face, and, seizing her by the wrist, he forced the ring upon her finger. The clergyman pretended to take no notice of the circumstance. Again a few words were spoken to the bride by the female, who possessed apparently much power over iier, but this time in a louder tone. Dick strained his sense of hearing to the utmost, but ue could not catch their import. They appeared, however, to have their due effect, for ..ue maid of honour — now in name only— ceased her struggles, and resigned herself to her fate. The ceremony was completed, and the bride and bridegroom rose to thoir feet. The former was very pale. " What secret agency," asked Dick of himself, " can be at work ? What power is it that woman possesses to cause this girl to do that which I am certain her heart does not approve ? She loathes this man ! I can see it in her countenance ! However, I cannot inter- fere, and, even if 1 could, it is now too late !" Mr. Hervey took the hand of his young bride, 4nd, having kissed it, placed it beneath his arm. The whole party then proceeded, headed by tlie beadle and his staff, to the vestry of the church, the door of which, as soon as they had passed through it, dosed after them with a bang. CHAPTER XVIII. DICK SETS OCT FOE LONDON IN SEARCH OP BLACK BESS, AND HAS A ■^^AREOW ESCAPE OF HIS LIFE. i'jIaw ihi::," flaid Dick. as he rose from his seat and gave himself a good shake ; " now this is a little aftail I which, although there does not seem to be an opportu- nity at the present, I shall try my best to unrave^ It has in it every element of the mystarious; besides which, I feel a very warm interest in this young wife, and it will go hard if we do not become better acquainted than we are at present. Who knows my unsuspected presence at this secret marriage? and my beinp a wit- ness of it may be a circumstance that will, --nvhape, some day turn out to my advantage ?" By the time Turpin had finished these reflections th« vestry door was opened, and the little party again made their way into the church. They did not pause, however. Got went straight to the entrance and departed. The clergyman and the beadle remained upon the threshold. Turpin heard the grating ot xhe wheels of the vehicles along the gravelled avenue. " They're gone." said Mr. Goggs. "Sir?" said the parson, "did my hearing deceive me, or were those wordaaddressed to me ?" "I humbly begs your honour's worship's pardon, sir," replied Mr. Goggs, in a cringing tone. " Very humbly begs it." The parson pat on an air of importance. " You should bear in mind, Mr. Goggs," ne said, pompously, " that there is a certain amount of proper deference due from you to me." " I humbly is aware of that, your worship. I merely ventured to remark, or rather to make the observation, that our late honoured and respected bridal party had gone." " It was a piece of unwarrantable presumption upon your part, Mr. Goggs." " Oh ! your worship 1" " A man, Mr. Goggs, who has filled under me the posts or duties of beadle and sexton for so many years as you have ought to know better than make such a disrespectful assertion 1" "Yes, your worship." " You should never assert anything to me as a fact, Mr. Goggs, if you are ever so assured of it ; but you may venture, in a proper sort of way, to mildly suggest anything to me, but nothing more !" " Very good, your worship." " Now put out the candles, Mr. Goggs, and then lock up the church." "I will, your honour's most respectful worship. Good-night, your worship !" " Good-night, Goggs ! good-night !" " Him be hanged !" growled the beadle, as he turned and came up the aisle. "' Good- night, Goggs!' for- sooth ! Why don't he set me the example of being so d — — d respectful i" " That's just what I should like to know, old fellow !" said Turpin, as he leaned over the gallery, and looked with a quizzical expression into the face of Mr. Goggs. We really wish we could convey a proper idea of the look of blank astonishment thatoverspread the beadle's face as the unexpected sound of a human voice fell upon his ean He glared all round with wide open mouth and eyes. " Don't be afraid : it's all right !" said Turpin. As he spoke he got upon the edge of the gallery, and jumped into the pulpit, which was but a foot or two below him. " The devil ! the devil !" screamed Mr. Goggs, in an agony of fear. " Help ! help ! Murder ! murder !" In some inexplicable way he seemed to roll down the aisle, and out of the front door of the church in a moment. Torpin roared with laughter as he descended the pulpit stairs. When he reached the door the beadle was quite out of sight. " I fancy I have disturbed his nervous system a little, and given him a fright that he won't get over yet a bit, I shouldn't wonder, though, if hedon't arouse someone and come back, so I had better make myself scarce." Turpin sauntered down the gravel path towards the turnstile. He paused for a moment with his hand upon one of it;i oroasbars. "How am I to get Bess?" he asked himself. TH^ KNI3HT OF THE EOAD. could not help it, and yet I wish I had not left her behind. I suppose the only thing I can do is to maka my way back to London with the '^ast possible delay, and in the best way I can." No living moving thing wal^ ^ sight as he directedjj-s steps down the green leafy lane into the high road. " It surely must be near 'iaay break," said Turpin, as he looked up at the sky, " and yet I see no light in the east. I suppose it ia because the moon shines so brilliantly." He walked rapidly along the highway in the direction of London, and after proceeding rather more than a mile saw something which filled him with pleasure. It was a waggon, drawn by a team of horsgs, creep- ing slowly up a hill. " That's the ticket," said Turpin, as he cuangeif his walk to a run. " I will try if I cannet ride the rest of the way to town." Turpin gained very rapidly upon the waggon, and overtoo k it just as the driver came to a halt about half way up the hill. CHAPTER XIX. THE OFFICERS SXTRKOUND THE MABKET T^TAaaON, AND MAKE TUBPIN A PfilSONEB. " Hot !" shouted Turpin. " Well, what now ?" asked the driver, who seemed only partially awake. " You're on your way to London, ain't you ?" "What if I be?" " Don't be surly— I know you are. I want yon to give me a lift." The man roused up a little on hearing this, and from his very high seat looked down curiously upon Turpin. " I don't mind if I do give you a lift," he said, after a few minutes' observation. " AU right." " That is," he added, " if you don't mind riding a-top of the carrots and turnips, and standing some beer as Boon as we reach the ' Red Cow ' at Acton," *' With all my heart. How far is it ?" " Well, maybe it's a matter of four miles." " No more ?" " No. Climb up, I mon't wait." With a little difficulty Turpin climbed up on >• the top of the waggon. It was one of those huge, olumay conveyances, drawn by five powerful horses, which, by an early riser, are stiU to be seen crawling every morn- . ing into Covent-garden market. Turpin found himself on a not very soft place to sit down upon, and about fourteen feet from the ground. As soon as he had settled himself a little the driver addressed some words to his horses in a language which was quite unintelligible to Turpin, but apparently not BO to the horses, for they shook their heads, causing the bells on their harness to tinkle, and began to descend the hill. Tnrpir soon found his most comfortable poiition was a ^ecumb©^t one, so he adopted it, resting his head on his elbow. " You are out uncommonly early," he said to the countryman, foi Turpin was one who could never remain in anybody's con.,pany long without beginning a conver- sation of some sort • " have you come far ?" " Just t'other side tFxbridge ; that's alL" " Going to market, I suppose ?" " I be." " What time is it ?" " Not much arter three. Kim up !" " Three ! Is it possible you get to market so early ? You must start overnight." " I be very late this morning. I shall be one o' the last in. Some'U have been there four hours.befc.re mo." " Indeed !" "Them as comes fast gets rid o' their load fust, and sets the best price for it." "Oh! that's it, ia it. ?" " Yes, it be." *'So you all try how soon you can get there P" •^ We does." " Thpn how is it you are so late this morning ?" " Why you see, it was through a accident. There's a "•firy narrow gate leading from our farm into the road, le ia barely wide enough to let this waggon through." Turpin could hardly help laughing at the idea of call- ing it a narrow gate that would allow such a mons-trons four-wheeled affair to pass through ; but the man was right enough : he spoke comparatively, and all thiugs are big or little, wide or narrow, by comDarison. •" Well, what then ?" he asked. ' " Why there was a brick's end or summat lying in tlift Way, and I was just guiding the team through the gate,, when the darned thing turned the foi-e-wheel a bit aside, and bump agahast the post it went, and off came th« hind one." " That was a misfortune." " But that ain't the worst part of it." " No ?" ' " No. In consekence of the wheel coming off the waggon upset, and out came all the carrots and turnips. Warn't old Gripps just savagerous." " Who ?" " Old Gripps ; that's my gaffer, and him as owns the farm." "Oh, I see!" " He came down like a roaring bull, and didn't he set on to I ? But 'twarn't my fault, I couldn't help it." " Eut you put matters all right ?" " Oh ! yea ; we put on a new wheel, and loaded the waggon again; but it took above five hours altogether." " And yon will lose the sale for a great deal of your stuff?" " Oh ! I don't know for that, but I sha'n't get such a good price as I ought." In such rude talk as this Dick whiled away the time which otherwise would have passed very slowly, and he was quite surprised when the driver said : " We're at Acton now, and yonder by the roadside you can see the truss of straw hanging outside the ' Eed Cow." " " Oh ! is that it ? There seems a good many horses and men about." " Yes, sure to be. Some'll be going to market, but more coming back, and we always stop for a little while both going and coming, so on market days they do a little trade." " They must do." As they approached the old inn, the bustle became greater and greater, and the road was quite choked up with vehicles. The driver who had given Dick a lift was obliged to draw up fifty yards or so from the inn dcor. "Now, my friend," said Turpi*, as the man prepared to alight, " I don't want to come down and enter the inn with you, but here is half-a-crown, and you can get what you like for yourself." " Thank your honour," he said, holding out his hand. Turpin placed the coin within it. The driver looked very closely and earnestly into Tnrpin's face as he did so, and then by the exercise of great gymnastic skill got down off his seat. Dick laid still closer down upon the vegetables, foi he by no means wished to court observation. No thought of the danger which menanced him entered his mind, and as he laid down and looked up at the sky, he fell into a deep reverie. We will return to the driver. As soon as he found his feet touch the earth, he cast one anxious glance up at the top of his waggon, and then made his way aa quickly as he could towards the " Eed Cow." His purpose he no doubt considered a vitally impor- tant one. He had recognised Turpin, for he had once before had a good look at him as the highwayman stood at an inn door. The first glance which he gave when Turpin asked for ■d, lift, was sufficient to assure him of his identity, for the man possessed the by no means uncommon faculty of immediately recognising anyone ^e had once seen. When, however, Turpin placed the money in his hand, their faces were close together, and he had an opportunity of scrutinizing Dick's closely, which confirmed him in his recognition. He was quite sure he was not mistaken. There was a great number of people standing round the front door of the " Red Cow," drinking and making fvi early breakfast, and he waa rather at a loss liow to proceed. . He knew what alarge amount was oitere^?i*or Turpi© a BLACK finns X (KRt apprehension — a fortune for a man of his position ; and, of course, he naturally enongh wished to obtain as IsLVge a share of it himself as he possibly oould. ^ It was in this way the large rewards offered for the simple apprehension of a criminal in those days defeated their own oojoct, for it made people think just af the driver of the market-waggon did. _ , / At length, after some moments' cogitation, finding himself just as undecided as he was before, he resolved to take the landlord of the " lied Cow" into his confidence, and be guided by him as to what he ought to do. He was impelled to this course by the conviction that ho had no time to lose, for if he was absent many moments the highwayman's suspicions would be aroused, and then the large sum'of money would slip through his fingers. Like most of those persons who are slow to oome to a decision, the driver was in a violent hurry to act upon it as soon as it was made, and he hastened down the pas- sage towards the bar with the dread at his heart that he should be too late. His spirits sank to zero when he saw the landlord wholly intent upon serving his customers, whom, how- ever, he could not supply fast enough, for many were clamouring loudly for refreshment. It did not require a second gi»nce to show him the hoplessness of being able to ask the landlord's advice, so he was again thrown upon his own resources. He was beginning to despair, when he noticed for the first time that among those who were sttsnding at the bar were four or five London police-officers. He considered their presence as something providential. With the manner of a perfect maniac, he made a rush at the police-officer who was nearest to him, and, seizing him by the cc^Uar, began to drag him along the passage of the inn. The driver was a tall, robust fellow, strong enough to pick up £fn ox and carry it in his arms ; so he had the police-officer, who happened to be the smallest of tha lot, out into the yard in front of the inn in a twinkling. The others set down their glasses, and followed them with wonder in their looks. The driver was a little out of breath — not with exer. tion, but excitement ; and when he had got the offloor outside, he could not speak, but kept opening and shut- ting his mouth in a most extraordinary manner. The officer felt convinced he was in the clutches of a madman, and he shouted for help. The others sprang forward to his rescue, " Reward !" gasped the driver. The officers pricked up their ears, and thought they had, perhaps, got hold of a good thing. The one in command, and who was a purple-faced, apoplectic-looking man, with a temper as short as hia neck, no sooner heard the driver pronounce the word " reward," than he seized him by the neck, and, in the strength wlaioh passion for a moment gave him, shook him to and fro, " Speak out, yoa dolt !" he cried. " Make haste ! What have you got to say ?" It was a fatal oourse to pursue, if he wished to elicit any information. " Reward !" was all th* countryman could utter, but he pointed in the direction of the waggon. As, how* ever, there were at least a dosen standing about, the officers were not much wiser. "Reward for whatP" they cried, while the pu'ple- faced mevn looked as though he meditated a bocond attack. " Thousand pounds !" said the driver. "Dick Turpin it is!" they exclaimed. "He has flBught him, and wants the reward !" The driver nodded his head rapidly. He did not see the sly wink the officers gave their •ompanions, or he would have sunk k> the ground in dismay. It was so dreadfully expressive. " Where is h& P Show him to us, and yon ebail have the reward !" », "He's lying down on the top ot my waggon o' turnips. Come along ; I'll show him to you." They obeyed with alacrity, and the officer witn the purple face, as he passed the front door of the inn, shouted, as loud as he could — " Iiet those who wish to earn five pouuda in the next five miuutas follow m& i' It was ludicrous to see with what haste those who were drinking put down their glasses and made a '•uah ^'out of the door of the inn. The bar was vacant in an instant. Then, seeing the officers a few yards oK runuliig with all their tnight, they hurried after them as fast as tUeJt legs would carry them over the ground. CHAPTER XX. DICK TUBPIH' HAS A VERT UNCOMFORTABLE JOURNKY TO LONDON IN COMPANY WITH THE POLIGB. In the meantime, Turpin lay placidly enough on hia rather hard bed of vegetables. Strange to say, he felt perfectly secure, and no thought of danger entered his head for a moment. His mind was filled with the image of the fair Elizabeth Chudleigh, whose marriage he had seen solemniaed under such peculiar circumstances, and so much did the sub- jeot engross his attention, that the hubbub which had taken place in the inn-yard had failed to rouse him, and it was not until the officers actually reached the waggon that he was aware of the peril in which he was placed. He recovered, though, in a moment the use of hia thoughts and limbs, and he sprang to his feet instantly. He saw at a glance be was taken, and that, unless something most miraculous occurred, there was not the slightest possibility of his making his escape. " Give in, give in at once, Dick !" shouted the officer with the purple face. " It's all up with you ! You're done as brown as a hammer ! We mean to take you ; alive, if we oan~if not, why dead, of course !" He very cooUy cocked a pistol as he spoke, and pre- sented it full at Turpin. The highwayman's position oould eoaroely, by any possibility, have been worse than it was. Perched up fourteen feet from the ground, and on top of objects that would impede his descent, and surrounded on every side by foes — for those who had left their drink at the bar in obedience to the police-officer's summons had placed themselves all round in a circle— aU retreat was absolutely cut off ; for, though these men were not armed, yet, as soon as he began to descend by the waggon, their numbers were so great, that they would have closed round him and overpowered him immediately. Situated, too, as he was, he had no means of making an effective attack upon his foes. " Come down, Turpin !" said the purple-faced officer again. " Come down, my boy, and give in handsomely ! It's no good you getting up a row ! You have led me a nice dance to-night, and how you came to be on top of this waggon I can't conceive, for I chased you as far as this in the direction of London." Turpin smiled. It was, doubtless, hia double to whom he alluded. Still he showed no eigns of complying with the officer's very polite request, who began, therefore, to grow mort, purple than usual in the face as his impatience increased. " Up with you !" he shouted to his men. " Climb up on the waggon and make him your prisoner, since he's fool enough not to oome down I" With a readiness and courage which certainly did them credit, the officers sprang forward at the word, and began to climb up the ropes by which the vegetables were secured to the waggon, in a very reckless manner. Turpin' s position was getting critical. He looked about among the turnips in the hope of finding a pitchfork, which, of oourse, in the hands of a desperate man, would be a most dangerous weapon, but there was not one. In fact, there was nothing whatever on the top, with the exception of two beams of wood, the use of which he could not conjecture, bat these were too heavy for him to wield. The heads of the officers just appeareu above the bunches of turnips. " This will never do," said Dick. " Ah ! why -^dn't I think of that before ?" The waggon was a trifle nearer ono side of the road than the other, and over the hedgerow Dick could see 4i)«xtensive meadow. If it had been soil, it wouia nave Deen risking life and Vmb to have jumped it, but he noticed that just on the otbec side of the hedge a quantity of loose rubbish h^ THT!; KNIGHT OF THE KOAD. fTUBPIN SWEARS FRIENDSHIP WITH TOM KTN0.] been heaped up, doubtless for the purpose of burnin?, Iind when he saw this the idea occurred to him of jump- ing from the top of the waggon upon it and then trust ing to his luok. . .r. i. c i.i.« Just as the first officer crawled on to the top ot the waggon, Dick gave a sprine. a.nd in an instant ahghted on the heap of rubbish. . - ,, .« ,1 i.. „ The shock was very great, and Turpinfelt as if all the breath had been suddenly knocked out of his body, and he was a moment or so before he could rise. That brief interval of time was fatal to him. The officer was, of course, much surprised to see fnrpin make such a flying leap, but with praiseworthy bravery he followed his example. ^ t ^ Turpin was just getting up, when he was prostrated again with great violence by this officer falling upon him. The concussion almost deprived him of consciousuesa, but he still retained sufficient of his senses to feel him- aalf clntoh-jd round the throat by no gentle hand tben a aesperate fitmggle ensuedi. No. The odds were fearfully against Tnrpin, but ha fought bravely. In a moment or two, and before he could free himseJt from his foe, the other officers and the market- waggoners had run a little way down the road, and climbed over a gate, and were making towards him at full speed. They cast themselves bodily upon the combatants. The officer with the remarkable purple visage was overjoyed, and he danced about in a most extraordinary. manner in token of his satisfaction. " Hurrah ! Bravo ! Nabbed at last ! I knew 1 should have him ! A thousand pounds, too ! What a glorious sum ! Pity it's got to be shared amongst so many !" / A cloud obscured the sunshine of his joy as this reflec- tion crossed him, and he ceased his triumphal dance abruptly. He began to rack his brain to devise some scheme for. appropriating to himself the greateflfc part oi' the mosey. Bleeding, brni="'^, and exhausted, Turpiu w^^ :-i.:s8t. as you will find to job-: coz.i. 0and over !" " Ha ! ha ! ha \ Dick laughed loudly— it oeemoii to him 30 excessively droil to be stopped on the highway by another. The other made a gesture of impatience. " I am a temperiileman, aud never shed blood if loan by any means avoid it, so to prevent ray spilling yonrs, aa I might have done over and over again, I say onoa more, hand over what valuables you may have about you !" " I shall do no such thing," replied Diok. " Tell me, first, who you are." , " When I mention my name," said the other, "you will know bettor than trifle with me. It is Tom King." "What? " Tom King ! Deliver— deliver at once, for I cannot Btay parleying like this ; even now I can hear the coach entering the hollow. Hand me your purse, I say, before I am compelled to take it by force." " I will give you my hand." " You are a maniac, I think. I have borne with you Bo far, but I should advise you not to tempt your fate further!" Dick replaced his pistol in the holster, and held ont his hand. " Tip ns your mawley and let's have a grip. I can prophecy we shall be great friends." The highwayman seemed rather surprised at Dick's eoolness, and looked at him in a bewildered sort of way. He evidently knew not what to think. But now Dick could hear that the coach was not many hundred yards distant, and as he by no means intended it should pass without paying toll, he said quickly to the highwayman : " Give me your hand, Tommy, and don't be a fool. You know as well as I do there's no time to lose, for the coach will be here directly. I am known to you by name, I'll warrant, as you wore to me, although we have never met before. I am he who is called Dick Turpin." " I fancied as much," said Tom Kipg, grasping Dick's hand, and pressing it warmly. "But I scarcely dared hope it to be true. This is what I have wished for many and many a time !" " And so have I. Something seems to tell me we shall be great friends now we have met, and I hope we shall go through many an adventure with each other." " So do I, with all my heart. We shall, at all events, have one, for here comes the coach." " Tell me, Tom," said Dick, "did you really take up a position here to stop the coach ?" " I did ; but when I heard you coming, of course I thought I would do a little business with you first." " It is rather a remarkable circumstance, but I made my way hither for the very same purpose as yourself, and 1 was just about to take up a position, when you pounced out upon me." " It is strange, indeed, but we must talk further upon the subject after the coach has passed, for here it is !" "Agreed." " You, then," said Tom King, " had hotter place your- self on the other side of the road, while I remain where I am, and we can then both ride forward and attack the eoach on both sides at once." " Bravo ! that is a capital scheme. Take oai'O of yourself." " All right. Don't fear for me ; we have stopped coaches before now single-banded, and I am sure we can do the thing well togotlier."' " We ought to do. Hush ! tliey are here 1" Dick, as he gave this caution to his new friend, backed his horse a little way down the lane, on the other aide. He had sciirceiy i,.-„e to look to the priming of his pistols before the heads of the first horses appeared. Then he darted out swiftly from his place of conceal- ment, and catching the one nearest to him by *he bridle, turned him completely round. The other hcraes, of course, turned with him, so one cumbrous vehicle was brought to a standstill instantly. At the same moment Tom King rodeoutfrom his Bide of the road, an'^ Qried, iv " •' "^ voice— "Halt!" "Then, beiore anyone iiuU tima to r«floTet from their surpiiae, he diaobarfieJ a pistol in the ais The i;atural effect of these summary proceedings oa the pai* if the two highwaymen was that all the pas- sengers were filled with dread^ and expected their last hour had come. " If you attempt to ouve on before the tou m paid you will have a buiiet through your head for your trouble; but if you remain still you will come to no harm." " In the meanwhile, Dick left the off leader's head, and repeated the same warning to the guard as Tom King had given to the driver. The rapidity of their manoeuvres, and the siernness of their tones, made all conscious that they had fallen into the hands of men who would not be trifled with ; so th« guard very prudently replaced his blunderbuss in the case from which he had taken it. There then remained only the passengers to grapple with, and from none of these was any resistance worth mentioning to be anticipated. Tom King let down the coach window at his aide while he shouted to Dick — " Keep a sharp look-out, and if anyone makes the least movement, fire ! I will attend to the insides!" When he looked in he found the coach tolerably full of passengers, " Quick, ladies and gentlemen !" he said ; " hand me your money, watches, rings, and trinkets, and don't be foolish enough to resist, for it can only have the effect of making things much worse for you in the end." He played with a very elegantly-finished pistol while he spoke in such a careless manner that a nervous old lady in the coach gave a scream, and then went off into a fit at once. " I would advise you to make haste, my friends, for this pistol has a strange knack of going off and shoot- ing anyone who dallies, so I give you warning in time." A young, and so far as Tom King could tell by the faint, uncertain light in the interior of the coach, an ex- tremely pretty girl was seated next to the door ; and when he had finished speaking, she put into hia hand a very slender purse and a small locket. " Take those, Mr. Highwayman, for I suppose you must have them," she said, in a trembling, agitated voice. " Heaven knows how ill I can afford them ! Take them. I have nothing more !" " If I do, may 1 be ! Never mind, my dear, keep them. I would not take anything from you but a kind word and glance for all the world. But you, sir," he added, turning to a portly man, who was seated oppo- site to her, " but you, sir, I can see car ^fford to lose a little without much inconvenience. So shell out I" The man thus adjured, and who looked like a country gentleman, took a handful of guineas and put them into Tom's hand, as he said — " There, take those, you vagabond, and be off, and think yourself lucky. It is not worth while, as you are arme 1 and I am not, for me to throw away my life for the sake of a little money." " You are a very sensible man, but I must trouble you to hand over a little more before I have done with you." " No, let me be able to pay you the same compliment as you did me, and be satisified with what you have got from me, and levy your contributions on some of the others." " You are a jolly good-humoured fellow," said King, " and I will follow your advice Come, sir," he added, addressing a thin, sharp-featured man, " let me trouble you next, if you please. I daresay you all know my name. It's Tom King. I never yet made a practice of ill-using those I have eased of their superfluous cash, but have simply taken what was offered me, provided it was any way reasonable." With a groan, this man placed a guinea in Tom's hand, who turned it over and over with so comical an air that the other passengers laughed outright. " That is all I can spare," said the thin-faced man, "Take it. I hope some day to uave uhe pleasure 0? hearing you are hung !" '• Thank you." Tom still turned the guinea over and over in ms pP'^'U. " I am getting rather impatient, so make haste!' " I have given you all I oat afford, indeed I have. I am a poor man, and money is of great value to me." " Now that man is a humbug," said the stout gentle' a an, who b»'' behaved so liberally. " I happen to know tttfc KKtOKT OF THB BOAfe. bioi very well. He is a maker of Brummagem buttons, and is better c with respect to monev than anyone iv the ooach." " Oh ! indeed, ' eaiO iom King, 'then I shall have to deal rather harshly with him for his deception. Now, Mr. Brummagem Buttons, I shall count three slowly, and if by that time you do not hand over every farthing you have about you, the pistol ia sure to go off." " No, no ! mercy, Mr. Highwayman ! Don't believe him — don't believe him ! I am a poor man — a very poor man, indeed. However, I will give you a guinea more." "One !" said Tom. " Yes, yes ! here it is. 1 said one, good sir — here it is." "Two!" " Don't go on, Mr. Eob— Hi^^wayman, or I ain a ruined man." " Three !" said Tom ; " now give me all you have, or I fire." " Here it is ; take it— take all I have and beggar me ; I would rather part with my money than my life." " You are wise to do so ;" said Tom, pocketing a bag containing at least a hundred guineas ; " the one you do stand a chance of replacing, but not so the other. Now, ladies and gentlemen, I have nearly enough, but it wouM be wrong to show any favour, so the remainder will please put their contributions in here." He took off his hat as he spoke, and held it crown downwards in the coach. It grew heavy in a very few momenta, for all the travellers in the carriage could not but be conscious that Tom was, under the circumstances, acting in what he doubtlesB considered was a handsome manner. As for Turpin, he had made good use of the time that his companion took to attend to the insidea, for he bad managed to collect, without much difficulty, a very re- spectable sum from those who rode on the top of the ooach. By the time he had finished, Tom had emptied the con- tents of his hat into his pocket, and, making a very graceful bow to the travellers, withdrew. "Now, coachy," he said, "hoWyourhat; you have behaved very decently indeed, so here is something to drink my health with; and now drive on." So saying, he tossed a guinea into the coachman's hat. "Thankee, your honour," ho said. "Good night. Don't forget Charley. What's sauce for the goose is Bauce for the gander !" He turned round, and saw the guard holding his hat in a most eloquent manner. " Oh ! you're Charley, are you. All right. You're a trump, so here's a guinea for you." The coachman gathered up his reins, and, turning his horses' heads in the proper direction, drove oS towards London. CHAPTER XXII. DICK TUBMN FINDS IT MORE DIFFICULT TO REGAIN POSSESSION OF BLACK BESS THAN HE ANTICIPATED. "Well, Tom," said Dick Turpin, to his new com- panion, as he watched the coach disappear, " I conBider we have had a very easy job." "And so do I," replied Tom Kii^g. "Uncommon easy, and very profitable. The insides shelled outllike bricks." " Well, I didn't do amiss with the outsiderfl, but I vote we divide the swag when we have a better oppor- tunity." " We will. Ton see, in a very short tiv^ now it will be broad daylight, so I think it imperative we should look for some kind of shelter." " It is imperative, Let ua get on as fast as possible." They both spurred their horses, and Deadman's Hollow was soon left behind. " Where do you propose to go, Dick ?" asked Tom King, " I know of no shelter hereabouts." " I suppose not, for this is scarcely your locality. You are most heard of on the north road, I, think." "Yes, but I got down here a day or two ago, uuv. something has been happening ever since to prevent my getting back," "I have had b mort ^aasi ordinary share of adven- tures during th» last four days; but you will laugh whan I tell aron tb« oircumstanoe." " Indeed ! What is it P" " Well, you must first answer me a question." •'Very good ; I have no objection," " Were you anywhere near Wimbledon CommoU rour nights ago ?" "Yes." " Were you in a lane that goes by a oro?: -country cut to London ?" " I was ; and while there a singular thing happened to me." " So there did to me ; but now I fancy it will not be strange much longer." " You are making me very curious. Do not keep me any longer in suspense, I beg." " It would tire you to tell you what happened during that eventful night ; let it suffice to say T was wounded in the shoulder." " Yes, yes." " It was little more than a scratch, and I received it during great excitement ; so I forgot all about it," " I suppose it bled a great deal, and so prevented you feeling any pain." " That was just it. I went riding on and on, never thinking; but all this while the blood waa escaping from my shoulder at a prodigious rate ; presently I began to get very weak, and shook in my saddle, while once or twice the clear, moonlit atmosphere, seemed changed to blood !" " You must have lost a great deal of vital fluid for that symptom to show itself." " Well, bo that as it may, I felt something was the iuatter with my shoulder, and I put ray hand to it, and found my coat was sopping wet. Upon this I took off my cravat, and bandaged up the wound, stanching the blood as well as I was able ; but when I had finished I almost fell off my horse." It waa a fortunate thing for you the officers did not show themselves just then, or it would have been all up with you." " It would, that's certain. However, this is the strange occurrence of which I spoke." " You have made plenty of prefatory remarks about it, so I should like to know what it was without further circumlocution." "You shall; but I have said no more than waa necessary forthe comprehension of the incident ; indeed, hardly enough." " I will dispense with the remainder." " Very well. As I lifted up my head from binding my shoulder my brain swam round and round, and I had the greatest difficulty conceivable in keeping my seat at all.'' "You said that before." " Oh ! did IP I had forgotten ; you shouldn't inter- rupt me— you put me out." "Go on, then, your own way ; but it seema to me aa though you never meant to tell me what the incident really was." " Oh ! you be hanged. Don't be so impatient, we shall have plenty of time to talk." " Will you tell me what the incident was ?" asked Tom King, quite out of patience, " for I want to know where we are going to shelter." " Don't trouble about that, but just leave it to me. I will find you a place where you will be as right aa ninepence. Just listen to this mysterious incident." " I've been doing that for the last quarter of an hour." " Well, I didn't fall out of the saddle, but when I looked along the road, although my eyes were dim and my head spinning like a top, I saw something misty and shadowy approaching." " Yon fancy it looked misty, but I fanov the mist waa nowhere but in your own eyes." "Very likely; but I tell you I saw something shadowy-like, and in a moment or so it took the form oi a horse and rider." ^. " Yes ; what was there wonderful in that ?" " I'll tell you. The moon waa shining with unusaaJ brightness, and when I looked closer I saw tfaia ridet was attired and mounted exactly like myoelf. Thfi features, too, were just the same.' " Nonsense !" " I fancied ao, at any rate, and I believe tliAj were. li was not a delneiou. I am confidentl" &CE BESS: OR " What beoame of it, then ?" " Why, it jumped over a hedge in a manner none but Black Besa could have done, and then both horse and rider galloped over the meadows and disappearA'^ !" There was a amile on Tom King's face, as he listened to his friend's narratiou " It's very strange — veiy strauge indeed I And jrou thought it something supernatural?" " I confess I did until )o-night, when something oc- curred to change my opinion." " What was that, pray ?" " I was very closely pursued by the officers, Dnt I had a chance of putting into execution a rather old ruse, but yet a generally successful one — that of dismount- ing and hiding behind the hedgerow, while I gave the horse a sharp cut, that made him fly along the road at a slashing pace." " It's a very good dodge, and I have found J*^' succeed more than once. However, go on." " Well, then I got through a gap in the heage, and then laid close down on the grass, while I peeped through to see what the officers would be after " "Yes." " They were quickly down the lane, and then they all halted, and appeared to be looking very intently at something. I followed the direction of their eyes, and there I saw the same figure as I had seen in the lane at Wimbledon three nights before." "Didn't you think you saw your fetch?" asked King, with the same smile playing about his lips. " I thought I saw my double, but the closer and better look I was able to have showed me '.t was only someone generally resembling me in appearance." " Yes ; as I might." "Just so. I have hardly a doubt about the matter; but, quite for my own satisfaction, tell me whether you were in the lane I described, and whether y^u took a flying leap over the hedge into the meadows ?" " I was, my boy, and I did ; and it was also me that you saw standing in the high road. Confound it ! it appears I have you to thank for the chase the officers ifave me, and the narrow escape I had, since they doubt- less fell into the same mistake as you did, and took me to be you. It's a nice thing, upon my word ! However, it don't matter, as they did not nab me." " Well, Tom, my friend, whether you believe me or not, I can assure you it has taken a great weight off qiy mind. It is so much better to have a matter of that sort cleared up. It appears, however, that no slight thanks are due to you for the assistance you so un- knowingly rendered me in making my escape." " Don't mention that, I beg. Odd things do drop out, and one of the odd ones is that we have never met each other before to-night." " It is rather singular, but we have always kept sepa- rate beats. As, though, we got on so well to-night to- gether, I propose we enter into an alliance offensive and defensive. What do you say ?" " Why, you have just anticipated the proposition I was going to make to you myself in almost the very words you have used !" *' That's rather singular, and so it is that I should be stopped on the highway by anyone, and be told to fork over." " Very singular, as you say." " However," said Turpin, " I hope that a friendship so strangely began may long continue." " And so do I, but I hope it won't end as it began." " How do you mean ?" " At the point of a pistol !" '* No fear. What a strange idea that was ! Dear me, everything seems to be strange to-night !" '' It does." " Give me your hand again, my friend, and let ul pledge ourselves to an eternal friendship." " Agreed '" -^oid Tom King, holding his out to his companion. Dick ahooK it warmiy, and holding his hand up to the sky, which wa.s just beginning to be tinged by the rays of the rising sun, said— " I swear, Tcm, that through thick and thin I will stand by you, and prove myself your staunch friend !" " And I also swear the same thing towards you 1" aaid Tom King, returning the friendly preaaureo CHAPTER 'inaih TOdl DAVIS VOLUNTEERS TO GO TO LONDON FOE iilOg TO TRY TO GET BLACK BESS BACK AGAIN. A BRIE5 silence followed these words, durinp whiob th© two friends pressed their horses forward. ► It was Tom King who spoke first. " I am trusting altogether to you, Dick, to find a place of shelter, for, comparatively speaking, I am a stranger hereabouts." " We shall be right enough." " I only hope it isn't far off. Just look feew fast the snn is mounting in the sky. We shall have everybody abroad diroctly." " I should fancy five minutes will take us to it." " Where is it, then, that you intend to go ?" " To the ' Hand and Keys,' close to Hornaey Wood. Do you know it ?" " I can't say that I do." " Nor Tom Davis, the landlord ?" "No." " Oh ! he is a first-rate fellow, and will be overjoyed at seeing you." " Is he safe ?" " Yes ; I have trusted him with my life a hundred times, and would do a hundred times more. We have been firm friends for years. Look," he added, " can yon see that large, rambling, old-fashioned building yonder, standing a good way back from the road, and vrith a signpost on the footpath ?" " Yes." " Well, that is the ' Hand and Keys,' so we have not far to go to get housed." " I am glad of it. Our exploit to-night will sure to ' cause a great deal of commotion, and the search after us will be a warm one." " I don't doubt that. I must say it was a most impu- dent thing for two men to atop a coach full of people by daylight." " Rather I" said Tom, as he trotted, with Turpin, into the yard in front of the inn. No one appeared to be about. The blinds were all down, and the inmates apparently one and all in deep repose. " Get off your horse, Tom," said Dick. "I'll show you where the stable is. We'll give the cattle a ;feed ourselves, and by that time I daresay some of them will be up, and then we shall be able to get something to eat, for this keen morning air has made me as hnngry as a hunter." " And me. That reminds me I have been going to ask you ever so many times what has become of your famoui mare, Black Bess. Is she laid up lame some- where, that you are riding another ?" " No ; but I was set on in London, and obliged to run through the streets on foot. I could not get at Black Bess, who, I hope, is safe in a stable somewhere. This is the second horse I have had to-night, or rather last night, and they are neither wortl'. a rush. I must occupy myself to-day in devising 8om« means of getting her back again." By this time they reached the stable-door, but they found it fast. " That's no consequence," said Dick. " I didn't expect to find it unlocked. Jabez sleeps up in the loft, and we shall soon wake him up." Turpin kicked against the stable-door with the heel of his heavy jack boot. He made a prodigious clatter. "Cuaa you all!" said a surly voice, "what do yon want?" The owner of the voice projected his head through a narrow window, "Make haste down, Jabez!" said Turpin, as ho caught sight of him. * " Make haste be hanged !" replied the ostler, av.d he shut the window with a bang. Almost directly afterwards Jabez opened the Qoor,and the two highwaymen led their horses into the stable. " Who'd a'thought of seeing you here agin bo soon, squire ?" said Jabez to Turpin. ^ " No one, I fancy, for I didn't myself tiii au hour af o, I am sovry to fetch you up, but It's past sunrisa*'* THE KNIQHT OF THE ROAD. Then, observing that Jabez looked rather curiously at Tom, Turpin hastened to add — "This, Jabez, is a particular friend of mine, and a gen- tleman you will be proud to make the acquaintance of. He's aregularout-and-outer,and)iis name IS I'oui King." "Yon don't say so ?" replied Jabez. " I'va heard of him many's the time lately, "''hv, they do say, squire, he's only second to you !" " VV^ell, Jabez," said Tom King, " you and Dick-flere seem to be very good friends, and I don't see why we shouldn't be, eh ?" "Certainly not, sir." " Well, I'm particularly careful about my nag here, so pray use her well. Here's a guinea to drink my health with." " Tour honour's a perfect gentleman," said Jabez, as he consigned the coin to his breeches pocket, " and I only hopes as how ^ve shall often have the pleasure of seeing you at the ' JEand and Keys.' " " I have no objection to your having such a wish. However, first of all let me see how well you can fettle my nag. As for that one the squire's got, it's good for nothing, and is one he took off a police-officer. " " He ! he ! Off a hofficer ! What a good joke ! He ! he ! he !" Jabez chuckled enormously as he went about his work. " No one knows," said Turpin, " how overjoyed I shall be when I get Black Bess. I am certain no lover was ever so fond of his mistress as I am of my bonny mare. She is, beyond all question, the finest piece of horseflesh that ever existed. She is, to use a common expression, worth her weight in gold !" " I can readily believe you are anxious to get posses- sion of her again ; I should think it went very much against the grain to leave her behind you." " You are quite right, it did. But I could not help myself. It was an utter impossibility for me to reach her. The officers were too close after me for that." " Well, let us hope you will soon have her back." " I shall not be fit to undertake another adventure until I do." " Then, if that's the case, I shall almost feel tempted to make a journey to London myself and fetch her." " I am afraid you would stand but little chance of success, and besides which, yon would be running your neck into unnecessary danger." '' Well, there would be some little risk, of course." " My friend, do not think of it for a moment. I would never permit it, so say no more upon the subject." " I will not, but, in the event of your getting her soon, will you allow me to give you a little advice ?" "Certainly ; I hope you will never hesitate to speak to me with perfect frankness and candour." " It is this, then. London and its vicinity is by far too hot to hold us, so I propose that we take a trip into some of the south-western counties, as being a portion of England we have neither of us visited professionally." " The advice is good, and I will follow it the moment I have the opportunity. I am beginning to long for a change, and I fancy such a trip as you mention would be just the very thing. Why, we should have lots of first- rate adventures on the road there, and also during our stay !" " We should, and they wom;e of shutters on his sb'^nlders. " How are you "f " God bless me !" he said, almost letting fall iand, my boy, I am heartily glad to see you !" King bowed, anu held out his hand in repij to this very cordial welcome. "We are both tired and faint," said Dick, "for we have worked very hard, and have had nothing to eat, so we shall be glad of a little breakfast as soon as you can get it." "It's as good as done, for I'll set about it myself at once. No, I won't, though, for here comes my wife, and, gadzooks i Ellen, too !" " Ellen !" exclaimed Dick, in a tone of pleasure. " I had forgotten her for the moment. I shall be glad to look into her face again." " It's a main pretty one, and no mistake, and the best thing is, too, that her goodness equals her beauty, I would not have her go away on any account, short as is the time she has been with us. I love her as much as I should if she was my own daughter. Ay, even more, for aught I know, for I question whether a daughter of mine would ever be so good as she is." The words had scarcely left the landlord's lips, when Mrs. Davis and Ellen entered the room. There was a wonderful difference already visible in the countenance of the young girl. Her cheeks had filled out, and her face had lost its ordinary paleness. The greeting between her and Dick was warm indeed, and Tom King observed, with an expressive shrug — "Oh ! that's how the wind blows, is it ? Well, all I can say is, I admire his taste." His surprise was very much augmented when Dick introduced her to him, and .afterwards, in a few whis- pered words told him what he knew of her history. The huge table in the kitchen was quickly covered with a profusion of generous fare, and while this was in progress, Davis finished taking down the shutters. 'Ten minutes more saw them all doing justice to the really excellent and tempting breakfast laid before them, to which their keen hunger imparted a pleasant relish. CHAPTER XXVI. CITBIOSITT INDtrCES TURPIN AND TOM KING TO WIT- NESS A CEREMONY WHICH, ALTHOtIGH OBSOLETE AT THE PRESENT DAT, IS YET COUNTENANCED BY THE LAW. " I NEVER dreamt," said Dick, as he helped himself to a huge slice of fried ham and a couple of eggs, "I never dreamt for a moment, Davis, when I parted with you on the door-step the night before last, that I should be back again so quickly. By-the-bye, bow did you get on at the inquest ?" " Why, not at all." "Not at all?" " How should we ? Why, it doeia't take place till to-day !" " The deuce it don't ! That's very awkward. I've half a mind to be off again !" " Oh ! nonsense, don't talk such rubbish. No one need know you are here unless you wish it." " Then, that makes all the difference. I don't want to be dragged forward, I can assure you !" " You must keep out of sight, then, or they are bound to call upon you if they have any idea you are in the neighbourhood." " What inquest is it, Dick ?" asked Tom King. " On the body of a man who committed suicide in the bedroom upstairs." " Good gracious ! What un unpleasant thing to have happen in a house !" " You're right enough there," said the landlord; "but it's one of those casualties you can't possibly avoid. I shall be very glad now when it's all over." "Yes. Was there anything at all peculiar ''n the case ?" " There was ; very peculiar indeed. In fact, it was about as tragic as anything well could be." Dick then briefly gave an account of Ue oiroaniB «; »bACB. tiiilSS; OB, Btanoes attending the suioide of Simms, the stewar'?'') eon, with whioh the reader is already familiar, Tool king listened to the end with rapt attention, " Wonderful !" he said. " The ends of justice are sometimes strangely worked out ! I suppose there is very little doubt as to whatirordict will be returned by the jury?" " Nona ' r an, C tancy. Mx,va bB clear a case of felo-de- se as ev6i' I heard of." "Yes," added Davis; "'the cross roads will be hia grave, sure enough." "Do you think they will carry oiit the law to the letter ?" asked I'om King. " I am certain. The matter, of course, has been well balked over in the kitchen here." " I don't doubt that," said Dick. " The whole affair must have been a godsend in the way of gossip and speculation to the people in the village." " I can assure you," said Tom King, " I cannot resist feeling deeply interested in it, and, for my own part, should like to be present while the inquest takes place." " Well, there's nothing to prevent that," said the landlord. " I hardly think you are well known enough about here for you to fear recognition." " I think not, and even if I was I would run a little risk to gratify my curiosity." " Now the worst of it is," said Dick, " with respect to myself, that some of them would be sure to recog- nise me as Mr. Richards, and I should be called upon to give evidence — a thing I particularly wish to avoid, for, in coming so prominently forward, I should be sure to be detected." " Perhaps not," said Tom King, " However, don't lert me draw you into it. You make yourself snug her* somewhere all day, but I shall watch the proceedings. Where is the inquest to be held, landlord ?" " In the clubroom upstairs. It has all been put ready, and I expect the ooromer and jury here at eleven o'clock." " Well, now it is only just six," said Tom King, as he glanced at the face of the old family clock which stood in a recess near the door, " so, if you like, I'll just take a few hours' rest, and if I shouldn't wake up in time for the performance, just give me a call." All rose from the table as King uttered these words, and Turpin, taking Ellen by the hand, led her to the window, where they could converse together without being overheard. " Well, my dear girl," said Dick, tenderly, " I know it is hardly necessary to ask yon, but are you quite happy in your new home ?" " Oh ! quite— quite happy ; happier than I have ever in my life been before. Indeed, until I came here, I did not properly understand the meaning of the word. Davis and his wife overwhelm me with kindness." " Then, believe me, Ellen," said Dick, " it causes me great happiness to hear you say you are so comfortable. I feel that my rescue of you from a fate worse than death itself is a good action in my life that will outweigh many of the bad ones I have done." " Now, Dick," said Tom King, " are you coming to have an hour or two's rest, as well as myself ?" " Yes, my friend, I am weary. But I want to say a word or two to Davis here." " All right ! you can tell me as we go upstairs." " Very good," said Dick. "It was concerning Blaok Bess I wished to speak." " Black Bess ! has anything happened to her ?" " Well, no hurt, I hope ; but last night the officers purrounded the ' Three Tuns,' and made an attack upon ic, trying very hard to make me a prisoner." " I told you they would before you started." " They did. However, there was a bit of a tussel, and I managed to make my escape through a window into a court, but the sfrabs were close behind and I ad 4 OF THE SUICIDE IN THE OBOSS BOADS AT HORNSEY. It wanted only a few minutes of eleven when Tom King opened his eyes again. Dick was still sleeping heavily, so King rose and made a few alterations in his to?Iette in silence. This was an operation that did not take him many moments to perform, and he was soon making his way downstairs. He met the landlord upon the landing. " I was just coming up to call you," he said. " Oh ! were you ? Then you are a day after the fair." " So it seems. The jury haye beffon to arrive." "Have they?" " Yes. Soon, is it not f" "Very soon." " The fact is, they are as impatiently carious «s yon are." " The inquest, then, will begin punotually-at eleven ?" " I'll warrant you, not a minute later." " So much the better. I shan't get tired of waiting." The speakers rapidly descended the stairs, and then Davis, pushing open a door, ushered Tom into the club- room. It was quite full of people, and al least ten of the jury were seated at the table, so/Tom King's entrance caused no particular notice. Scarcely, however, had he time to note the general aspect of the room, when the coroner and the remain- ing jurymen arrived. Then followed the awearing-in ceremony, after which they all adjourned to view the body. But, however full of interest the proceedings might be to "Tom King, we think it hardly worth while to de- scribe them in detail, especially when the purpose can be answered in a few words. The coroner and the jury, then, were about as obsti- nate and thickheaded — the beadle as pompous — the medical officer as elaborate as they generally are under such circumstances. On returning to their seats, the i^^uiry was com- menced ; but there was so little evidence, and that so much to the point, that when it was given, the jury re- quired, or at all events took veiv few minutes to decide, and a verdict of Felo-de-se vrsiS returned, which was just what everyone had made up their minds to all alonu' The poor wretch, who certainly might have been qw.- signed to the tomb without such an indigo iy being wreaked upon his mangled remains, was, in pursuance of a Oarfaarous law, which is still in forcu, though rarely if ever put into execution at the present time, sentenced to be buried in the centre where four rends meet, and a stake to be driven through his breast. Even at that time the sentence began to excite ebhor- rence, but as it was not often a case occurred, the feel- ing most generally elicited was that morbid curiusitj fc- the horrible which is to a certain extent inherent '.a every breast. THB KNieHT OF THE BOAD. [the TOUNQ pretender has a SWOBD combat with TOM KINO.] The inquoat was over shortly after midday, and the burial was ordered to take plaoe at nidnight. It was a good day for Davis, so far as the oonsump- tion of eatables and drinkables was concerned. Tom found he was as busy as possible in the bar ; so, 'without showing himself, he went upstairs to his attic. " I wonder how long Turpin is going to sleep," he said. " One would think, to look at and hear him, that he had not been to bed for a month !" Dick was, indeed, sleeping soundly; but that was a Qiroumstance little to be wondered at, oonsideJ'ingr all that ho had gone through. "Well," continued King, as he threw himse,, again upon the other bed, " I suppose it is best, for he will wake up fresh and vigorous, and ready for anything." Jhree hours afterwards the landlord entered the >oom, u-ad finding both his guests asleep, awoke them. " I am off now," he said to Turpin ; " but I thought I would speak to you first. You say yon left Bess in the ptable belonging- to tke ' Three Tuns ?' " Ko. 7. " Yes, the one in the alley." " I know." " The plaoe will sure, I fancy, be well guarded by the police. Have you any plan forgetting posBesaioU of the mare ?" " Well, I can't say I have at present, but on my way there I daresay I shall think of something !" " I only hope you will, and that your effort will be successful. AVithout Black BesSe I am like a ship with- out a rudder." " I'll tell you what it is, Turpin," interrupted Tom King ; "as soon as there is an opportunity, you must tell me how it was you came to possess such a magnifi- cent creature as your mare is ; and there are many other passages in your history to which, in the short time I have been with you, you have alluded- ard which I ffiel a deep curiosity to hear." "You shall be satisfied, Tom. Now, I'i* tell yon what I'll do." Price Owh Ealfpbnwt. BLACK OB, "What?" " Oue of these rery nozi days, when we Have the time to spare, and I feel in the hamour, I will relate to you •aooinctly the whole stpry of my life, from the com- menoement of my career until I met you iu the lace, but upon one sole condition," "And what is that?" •• That your reoiprooate the favour, and in return for my history give me yours, which I am full of anxiety to hear." " Ag^reed ; and now finish your arrangements with Davis here, for I can see he is impatient to be off." " Well, Davis, my friend, I don't know there is any more I can say. You, of coarse, will be known as coming from me, and Johnson will deliver her to you. I shall leave you to devise a means of baulking the officers, if any should happen to interfere with you, and remember, wh»n you are once on the back of Black Bess you are mife, for the horse that can run swifter than she has yet to be foaled." ) " I know you have a great, idea of her speed, Dick ; and justly, too, I should imagine, considering the number of times that her fleetnesa must have been so vital to you." " Just 80. Let us see. It is close upon four now," said Turpin, looking at his watch, " and it will take you rather better than half-an-hour to get to Seven Dials. I wouldn't hurry there, though. I think it will be better if it is dusk when you arrive." " I shall certainly stand abetter chance of getting off if it is, so I will delay my departure half-an-hour." " Do so, my friend ; and, if you are not aware of it already, let me tell you it is the worst of all policy to ruin anything by precipitation." "I am well aware of it, and fully believe in its truth. I may be back with comparative quickness, and I may not return till morning. It is all according as oircum> stances turn out." " I can trust you, I am well aware, so I leave you to do your best. By-the-bye, was the verdict you antici- pated retttrned P" " Tea, Felo-de-se ! and they will bury him at the cross roads, with a s^ake through his heart, at midnight." " Oh ! indeed. Then the probability is, Davis, you will be absent from that interesting ceremony." " And glad I shall be, for, what with one thing and another, I have had rather more of old Simms's son than I eare about, though if I happened to be at home it would be a bit of satisfaotion to know he was thoroughly disposed of." " I daresay it would," said Tom King ; " but it strikes me you feel just as much interest and curiosity in the matter as I do. I always make it a point of seeing all 1 can, and I have never had a chance of seeing one of these midnight funerals before, so intend to see this one." " Well, I have not the least objection," said Tom Davis ; " I daresay you will find it a dismal speotade." " What do you say, Turpin P" asked King. " I am going ; will you bear me company ?" " Willingly. Not that I nave much relish for sooh aoenes ; for my taste lies in quite a different direotion. I shall, however, if Davis does not oome back before ^e caremoHy tekas place, be very glad to aooompany you, for, being anxious, the time will hang heavily upon my hands, if I have nothing to oooapy my thoughts." " That's right !" said Tom ; " I didn't half like the idea of going by myself." " And I," said the landlord, as lie moved towards the door, " will go downstairs and get a cup of tea, after which I will be off. As for you, gentlemen, I shouldn't advise you to show yourselves at all till night ; so I think the best thing you (xtn do is to lie down and rest while you have the ohance." " AU right, my boy," said Dick, " and I hope with the darkness I aball see you return with Black Bess." OHAPTEE XXVI. THE BOW - 8TEHBT RUNNBBS ABB VERT WBATH AOAINST DICK, AND BHSOLTB TO CAPTUBB HIM AT ALL HAZARDS, WHICH MAKES HIS PKOJBCTaD JOUBHHT INTO THK SOUTH-WBOTBRW (JOUWTIK8 ALL THB HOBB IMPEBATIVB. NiaHT (Hisne. Dark, drear, and wintry, with a Postering wind blow- ing up from the north-east, bringing oooaaionaily with it a dash of heavy rain-drops, which came against all objects with as much force and suddenness as sea-spray. From the horizon to the zenith the heavens were covered with one huge black cloud, which ^aa in no place lighter or thinner than in others— it was like one vadt funeral pall. It was a night on which few people would move frond their firesides, unless some very powerful motive culled them abroad ; it was, in fine, a nif?ht which fitly hariiio- uizad with the ghastly ceremony about t-o be perfi-mied. It would, indeed, have seemed a profanation — a hideous mockery — if the moon had shed her fair, pure light upon so horrible a scene. Three-quarters past eleven was just pealing out from Hornsey church when the front door of the " Hand and Keys " inn was flung open, and the burial train appeared upon its threshold. Slowly, and with solemn steps, the little party, to the number of five-and-twenty, made their way across the inn yard into the high-road. Six persons bore the coffin containing the suicide's remains, and which was to be rudely oast into a hole dug in the stony road, without the performance of those sacred rites the Christian church ordains. And as if this were in all conscience not enough, the inanimate clay was to be legally mutilated. Truly was it a deed more suited to the sensibilities of savages at some early period of the world's history than civilized men, and that, too, in the middle of the last century, when science, art, and good breeding were sup- posed to have reached the highest point of perfection. It seems incredible that such could be the opinion of those living at the time when so sickening a custom was not only tolerated but enforced. Tet, stranger still to say, this barbaric and inhuman law has never been repealed ; and it is to avoid its con- summation that juries, now-a-days, almost invariably re- turn in a case of suicide a verdict of temporary insanity. By this means only can they ensure the burial of the corpse in consecrated ground. But would it not, we ask, be better for this most dis- graceful law to be erased from the statute book of England, than for juries to be forced to give in a false verdict ? There can be but one reply to such a question. The nearest cross roads to the " Hand and Keys " — or four lanes end, as they expressively termed it — was where the narrow country lane, in which Tom King had taken up his position to rob the western coach, crossed the highway. At some remote period it had doubtless been the scene of a similar occurrence, from which its unpleasant desig- nation of Deadman's Hollow was derived. Those persons who had been selected to accompany the ooffin and to relieve those who bore it from its weight, carried in their hands huge pinewood torches, which, baffled and blown about by the wind, cast but a flickering and uncertain light upon surrounding ob- jects. Davis, the landlord, had not returned from hia dan- gerous mission when the procession started, so, as they had agreed, the two highwaymen descended from the at/u and followed slowly after them. They hung back, though, oonsiderably in the rear, taking care not to expose themselves too much to the gase of the curious villagers. llieir oaution was scarcely necessary, for the coffin of the suicide absorbed all their faculties. They had eyes and ears for nothing else. Both Turpin and King were silent. The solemnity of the scene had its due effect upon them. They felt, with- out knowing why, that speech would be out of place. At their slow ;>aoe twenty minutes brought them to the cross roads in Deadman's Hollow. Here they found a lai-ge ooneourse of people assembled, ivho were anxiously awaiting the arrival of the cortege. The grave waa alrea T^ " This ia a very solemn scene, Diok," said Tom Eing, drawing his oloak closer round him to protect himself from the bleak wind. " What with the weather, and what with this v^raDgo faneral, I am chilled to ^he very bone !" " And I, too P' said Dick. " I think, hcwerer, we may safely venture to draw closer. Aa we are here, we may as well see all, for it is not probable we shall have another opportunity." " I hope and trust not," said Tom King. " I could hardly credit such things were done, and that is why I felt so curioos. It ia to be hoped so loathsome a spec- tacle will, in the course of a few years, be wholly un- known except by name." The bearers of the coffin paused for a moment on the brink of the grave, and then, letting go the handles, dropped it in. It reached the bottom with a strange, dull, rattling sound. " Stand aside, there, yon folks," said a man at this moment, pnshipg his way into the centre of the ring the bystanders had formed around the grave ; " stand back, there, will you !" This man, who was rather short and very fat, and having apparently much of the animal in his composi- tion, drew himself up as he uttered these words with what he thought was a dignified air, " I suppose that's the parish beadle," said Dick to a man who was standing near him. " Yea ; and pariah constable too. But who are you," asked the man, curiously, " as doesn't know him ? Why, everybody knows Tobias Primp !" " We are travellers from London," said Dick, readily, " and I daresay the same motive that brought you here brought us too." " What is that ?" " Curiosity, to be sure !" The man turned away, and was siJent. In the meantime, Mr. Tobias Primp had taken up the hedge-stake and held it in a vertical position. " Now, then, one or two of you lend a hand here," he said, with as much authority as if he had been /ord of the manor. " Lend a hand here, and assist me in the execution of the law '." Several peraons sprang with alacrity into the ring. " No ! no !" shrieked a voice, which, from the tone, was evidently a female one. " No ! no ! You cannot— shall not do the deed ! Fall back, and fill up the grave, but do not mangle his poor remains ! You will not read the prayers for the dead over him, I know ; but surely his mother's prayers will prove equally as efficacious !" A strange and universal impulse prompted those who were thronging round to draw back, and as they did so, a woman dashed with wild gestures into the circle. Then she fell upon her knees by the grave. The light of the torches which the bearers carried burned much better now they were not in motion, and their light revealed with great distinctness this woman's face and figure. She was very old. Her skin was wrinkled, and looked yellower than it really was in the dull red glare of the torches. A quantity of thin gray hairs streamed behind her in the wind, and she clasped her wasted, bony hands together with an agonising earnestness. "Get up, low woman," said Tobias Primp, recovering from his surprise, and advancing towards her. " Get np, and don't interfere with the majesty of the law, or I'll have yon locked up, I will." " No ! no ! you could not keep a mother from witness- ing the interment of her son ! I tell you he was my son!" she shrieked. "My son! my own flesh and blood, you understand." " This is horror upon horror," said Diok ; " let us draw back and leave them." " Never, never," said Tom King. "I win a<..ind by to the last. I cannot prevent them from carrying the sentence of the law into effect, but if thoy offer that poor creature any ill-usage, they shall rue it." " You are right. Tom. I forgot the poor mother when I spoke. I will stay." King pressed his hand in silence. " Stand %«ak. I say !" again cried Mr. Pr'mp. " Can't jou hear wl&t I said, or did the wind blow, aft it were, et ?" ^ i " My boy — my ion — my only one !" soreuined the old woman, springing suddenly to her feet. " Have mercy ! spare him — spare him ! Friends, neighbours I help me ! help! Do not let them do BO frightful a deed ! Save my poor boy from that, at least ! Save him ! Oh ! save him !" No one stirred, though, probably enough, many felt an inclination to do eo ; but the dread of the consequences of interfering with the carrying out of a judicial sentence kept them back. "You do not move to help me !" she cried, iB anguished, despairing tones. " Must a mother pray to you in vain to save her son's remains from a ruthless law ! Oh ! you who are fathers and have sons of your own, listen to my prayer, save and help him Ah !" This last ejaculation was forced from her lips in con- sequence of finding herself in the grasp of two men who had been directed to seize her. With as much gentleness as possible these two men led her away from her son's grave. But her voice, as she shouted for her son to be saved from his terrible doom, for a long time echoed and re- echoed along the highway, but it grew each moment fainter and fainter, until it could be heard no longer. Then the ponderoas hedge-stake was raised in several hands, and swung up and down twice or thrice, so that it should descend with greater force. It went through the thin elm coffin with a terrible, sickening crash. At that very moment there deaoended from the sky a perfect deluge of rain. It seemed as though an enormous cloud had been sud- denly reft open, and its contents allowed to fall bodily upon the earth. The torches were extinguished instantly. Then a general movement among those assembled took place. Those who had been engaged to fill up the grave per- formed their task with great rapidity. " Stop a minute, Dick !" said Tom King, as he observed his companion about to withdraw, " Stop a minute ! We are drenched to the skin now, and cannot get any wetter, so let us stay and see it all out !" Turpin uttered a growl of impatience and dissatisfac- tion, but remained. In the meantime the grave had been filled up, and the men were now busily engaged in heaping a quantity of pebbly atones round the hedge-stake, which proje*cted some three feet above the level of the road, "Now I hope you are content !" said Turpin, as ho saw the last stone put in its place. " Yes, I'm ready now," said Tom ; " only I made up my mind to see it all out, as being one of the most singular customs in existence." " Come along, then !" said Dick, setting off at a trot. " Why, I believe the rain gets heavier every moment. It's positively coming down in one sheet." " Oh ! never mind, I daresay you have had*your skin wetted before to-day, and when you were not bo close to a place of shelter as you are at the present moment." "That's very true. I wonder how Davis is getting on. I thought he would have got back before this. I am very uneasy and impatient, I can assure you." " I have no doubt of that, for if you should be un- fortunate enough to lose your mare, you will ba a long time before you find one to match her." " I should never find one. It would be an impossi- bility. When Turpin loses his mare it will be all over with him," " Well, we sliall soon know the result of the landlord's errand, for the inn is not a hundred yards off now. Look, yon can see the lights at the front window quite plainly." j " Yes, I a;j, "iough, under the impression Davis has nci returned, or we should have seen something of him. My heart misgives me very much about it." " So J suppose, for you speak in quite a desponding way. You may depend it will be all right sooner or later." " I hope so, indeed !" said Dick, as he pushed open the front door of the " Hand and K )ys," and entered, closely followed by his comrade. iiicic BBii^; 6k, OHAPTER XXVII. THE TWf> HIGHWAYMEN DEPART POE LONDON ON THEIE PERILOUS ERRAND. From the noise which greeted the ears of the two high- waymen aa they made their way alonpr the passage, it was pretty clear that the old iun was tolerably full of cuBtomors. Avoiding, however, the kitchen in which the guesta were, both ascended the broad oaken staircase. Turpin was first, and he halted as soon as he reached the landing. " Tom," he said, " I needn't tell you how anxious I am about Davis. I wish you would go down again and ascertain whether he has returned. Not that I think he has for a moment, only it would be more satisfactory to be sure he had not." " I'll go," replied Tom. " None will know me. Stand here till I come back." " Who shall you ask ?" " Your flame!" "My flame?" " Yes, Ellen !" " Oh ! " I think she will be the best to make my inquiries of." " Or Mrs. Davis. It doesn't matter which." Tom King descended the stairs and went into the bar. It was empty at first, but Mr?. Davis and Ellen en- tered immediately after him, each carrying several jugs. The young girl smiled when she saw King. " You seem busy," he said. " It's an ill wind blows nobody good. Has Davis returned ?" " He has not," said Mrs. Davis, as she wiped her face with her apron. " I wish he was safe back! Did you ever know such a wet night ? When he oomes he will be drenched to the skin !" " I was in hopes he had arrived. My friend is very uneasy about him and his mare, so he sent me to inquire while he waited for me on the stairs. Let aa know &s soon as he returns." " Very well, good night !" " Good night !" *' Not come ?" interrogated Turpin, as soon as he saw King. " No ! They will send us word the moment he does." Dick sighed. " I don't like this," he said. " There is danger abroad, or Davis would have been back before this. If he does not come quickly I shall risk all and start myself. Fool that I was to leave Bess behind me. I'll warrant I never do the same thing again." " You couldn't help yourself, could you ? However, I don't wonder at your impatience and anxiety." " I confess they inowase fearfully every moment. There ia, however, one thing certain, Bess must be got back somehow or other." " I suppose so. And the best thing we can do ia to go up to our attic and wait a while, and occupy ourselves in devising some scheme to be carried out by ourselves in case Davis should fail." " You are right, my friend. I wish we had a light though, for this staircase is most confoundedly dark. I oan't see where I am going." "Never mind, feel your way. Wo shall be right enough when you reach the attic." " So we shall. Let me lead the way, my friend." "It will be a case of the blind leading the blind, I fancy, though, of course, you have been offcener up the etairs than I have." "Rather!" The highwaymen felt theii: way slowly up the stair- oase, and after a little blundering reached the attic. Both went to the window. " Throw it open, Dick," said King. " We shall be able to tell, then, what the weather ia like, and wbethet there ia anyone on the road." Turpin ot«yed. A sudden gust of vrind, bearing with it a quantity of rain, entered the chamber. " The weather doesn't seem to have imtwroved, T»m. The Bky is as Waok as ink." " It ia. I fvaay, though, the rain has abated a great ieal.^ "Oh I it naai Hfrnf is ik> qaeetiou about that. It couldn't come down at that rate long. I never kneT. anything like it, and I have seen a few showers. Can you see or hear anyone on the road ?" " No ; both are out of the question. It is ao dark you can't see your hand before you, and just hark how the wind howls !" A terrific gust swept round the old inn as he spoke, and moaned and whistled as it careered round the corners that obstructed its onward passage. " Shut the window," said Dick, "and let us come away." " No : stop I silence !" " What do you hear ?" " I fancied just then that I heard the tramp of horses' hoofs OH the roadway." Both strained their sense of hearing to the utmost. " I hear nothing," said Turpin, after a brief pause. " Nor I, now. And yet I fancied I heard a horse approaching. It must have been fancy merely." They remained listening a little longer, but as they could hear no repetition of the sound, closed the window. "I am in a terrible fidget," said Dick, "and I get worse and worse every moment." " I can scarcely wonder at it, for you see Davit has been gone seven or eight hours now," " Yea ; that is the circumstance that fills me with alarm. I fear Davis has been seized by the police." " Or," said King, " he may not have left London when the rain began, and is waiting there until the weather is better." Dick shook his head at the supposition of his friend. " It is just possible that may be the reason, but I doubt it." " Well, then, let us suppose Davis has failed. What steps shall you take to get Bess into your possession ?" " I have no idea ; but doubtless some mode of action will suggest itself to me at the proper time." " Well, it's always my system to mature a plan before I start, and then you set about what you have to do with greater ease and confidence." " That is only true to a certain extent, my friend. So many things occur to alter the aspect of events, that your plan requires perpetual modification, and by the time you have to put it into execution it is quite different to what it originally was." " I have known such to be the case." " You must have done. Now I always think it best to set out having only your ultimate purpose in view, and then let circcunstanoes form and suggest yonr plan of operation." " Perhaps it is beet. But I asked yon what yon in- tended to do, simply beoause I look upon the attempt as an impossibility." "Do you?" " I do." " It ia difficult and dangerous, I know, but it does not follow from that it is impossible." " Well, so far as my own convictions go, I feel qnite assured Davis has failed in his errand, and has likely enough been made prisoner as an accomplice. Now if he, a stranger, could not succeed, I don't see what chance you yourself have of doing so." " I admit all that, but I don't see that it is impossible, nevertheless." " Well, then, I suppose by that, you have resolved to make the attempt yourself?" " 1 have." " Then I have a request to make of yon which you must promise beforehand." " I can guess what it is before you speak." " I daresay you can. It ia that yon will lot me ac- ^ company yon, and share the dangers and diffioultiea of the enterprise." " I cannot say no to your request, Tom, beoanae I would rather you went with me. As for the danger, I know you value that no more than I do." " You are not far off the mark there ; bat if auoh is the decision you have made, jast aHow me to (rive yo« a piece of advice." "What is it?" " To lose no time in carrying out your project." " I have no intention." " Then let us start at once. If we do not, *« sb&U have it daylight before we know where wo sta." THE KNIGHT OK TilE Kr.AO. "We shall. Come with me. It will talce but a ft v minntes to get the horses ready for the roarl." As he spoke, Turpin left the attic, dosoly followed^y Tom King. On reaching tne bar they paused for a moment, and again inquired whether Davis had returned, and again received a negative reply. Briefly announcing, then their intention to go in quest of him, they hurried out of the inn, across the yard, and into the stables. Five minutes afterwards the two highwaynj^n were mounted and on their way to London. CHAPTER XXVIII. TOM KING FIGHTS A SINGLE COMBAT WITH CHARLES BTUAKT, CALLED IN HISTORY THE YOUNG PKETEJJDER That this was about the most dangerous expedition Turpin had ever ventured upon there can be little doubt, and though this fact was quite patent to him, it did not osuse him to hesitate in the least. There was some little improvement in the state of tli( weather perceptible. The rain had almost ceased, and the wind had lost much of its violence. The roads, though, were in a fearful state, and were very heavy to the horses, for their hoofs sank deeplj into the soft clayey soil at every step they took. The two friendsdid not speak for some minntes after leaving the yard of the " Hand and Keys." They were too much occupied in picking their way to have leisure to do so. The night was profoundly dark, so they did not venture to put their horses to a gallop, but they went over the ground at a trot that soon decreased the distance they had to travel. At length they reached a firmer piece of road, and then Turpin, turning to his companion, said — " This oool air clears one's faculties. While we have been plodding along, I have been thinking over Tom Davis' non-appearance, and trying to^form some hypo- thesis to account for it." " Indeed P" "Tea !" " Have yon succeeded ?" " I fancy so. I seem as though J could tell just what had taken place." " How do you account for that ?" "I cannot tell, but I have made it out bit by bit, and feel confident I have arrived at the correct solution of the affair." " It will be a good thing if yon have, for, of course, it would lend us most material aid in forming a plan of attack, and determine to a great extent whether we should use stratagem or force." " I think we shall want a little of both." ** Very good. Let us hear your account of what ha? happened !" " Well, you must know first that just before I met yon I was betrayed by a waggoner and taken prisonei by Bome ofiScers." " Oh ! I have heard nothing of this before." " Dear me, no more you have. Then I shall be obliged to go back to that incident in order to make you under- stand." " Well, tell it in as few words as you can, for I am rather impatient by nature, and can't bear to have to wait when I want to hear anything." " I oan assure you it is quite as disagreeable to me as to you. The fact is, as I said before, we must, as soon as we get a chance, relate our histories to each other, aad then we shall be able to talk in comfort." " We shall. You say you were made a prisoner. Never mind the particulars. What next !" " They were the same officers that pursued you so hotly. There were five of them, and they got about twenty farm labourers to help them, so I did not sta-ad much of a chance with so many.", " I should think not." ' However, when tney hail notinci me, and put xD'S on hofMhack behind one of the oflicers, the thought oo- oorred to them how dreadful a thing it wonld be to have t» divjd« €he reward amongst so many." "Yea, that is only human nature. That over-grasp- ing feeling on the part of tbs officers has assisted many a one to ©eoape." " It has ; but we will not go into that subject now. The officers then tried to diddle these men, without wtiom they would never have captured me ; so I took advui- tage of the circumstances to turn tho tables upon them." " How did you do that ?" " In the simplest manner possib/e. I oU^f sd those men who had captured me ten pounds a-piece to set me free ; so they paid into the officers, and did it at once." "Ha! ha! Capital! That's the best joke I have heard for some time ! And how about the officers ?" " 1 did not let them off scot-free, you may depend, but had them tied back to back, and mc anted on their horses." " Ha ! ha ! ha ! Bravo ! Better and better <. I shall burst, I know I shall ! Ha ! ha ! How droU they must have looked, one with his face to his horse's head, and the other with his face to his tail ! Ha ! ha !" " It would have pleased you most to have heard how they swore when we touched up the cattle, and made them gallop along the road !" "I should have died, I know I should." " I did, and so we did all ! I kept my word with the men, and gave them not ten pounds but fifteen." '"Then they were in ccstaoies with you ?" " They were. I have made a friend of every one of them. But what I was going to say is this : the officer in command was Wriggles. Do you know him ? An apoplectic-looking man !" " I have seen him." " Well, he is very sweet on catching me ; but he wants to do it with as few persons as possible, so as to get the larger share of the reward. Now, in spite of his defeat, I feel convinced it will not be a lesson to him, but he will still try to capture me with his four men. It was he who was put up to my being at the ' Three Tuns,' and, of course, knows Black Bess is stabled somewhere close at hand. Now, his plan of operations will be this. He will look upon that stable as a kind of mousetrap." "A mousetrap?" " Yes. He and hie officers will take up their stations in the stable, and very patiently lay in wait, and make a prisoner of everyone who enters." '• Dick, my boy, you've hit the right nail on the head this time. You may depend they have caught Davis, and are keeping him there, most likely trusting that those who have sent him will shortly make their appearance." " That's the conclusion I told you I came to, and you think that is the real state of affairs ?" " I £eel certain of it. Somehow it seems to carry con- viction with it." " I am glad you think so. Of course, I could not tell what effect it would have upon your mind. Now, don't you think I was right when I said we should require to use stratagem and force P" " Quite right. Though, under the oircumatances, I should prefer using rather more of the latter than the former." " It wonld be beat, perhaps. Now, what course should you propose ?" " Well, I hardly know. If it is just as you have sup- posed, I should be for dashing into the stable, and bringing the mare off by main force." " So should I, Tom, I like a bold plan of operations, I think we should be a match for Wriggles and his four men." " Oh ! yes. We ought first, if possible, to asoertam whether they are there, and then bounce in suddenly upon them !" , . ,, " That will be it ; and, being taken by surprise, the battie will bo half won !" " Let us push on a litUe faster, then, for the aooner wo get there the better," " Yes ; but hark !" "Hark? At what?" " Can't you hear someone approaching ? Tom King bent forward in his saddle and listened. "Halt, Dick!" he said. "A horseman is coming from the direction of London !" As he spoke the sound of the horse's footsteps splashing into the mud and little pools on the roadway came quite plainly te their ears. 54 BLAOK BESS; 08, CHAPTEE XXIX. THE TWO HIOHWATMBN BROVE MO BE THAW A MATCH FOB MB. WBISaLES. "I SAT, Tom!" " Tee, Diok," " This is a traveller." "Or Tom Davis!" " Oh ! ah ! or Tom Davis." " What were you going to say P* " Why— a-hem ! The business we are on requires despatch." " Unquestionably." " But if this should be a traveller, my friend"—— "Yes." g " Do you think we ought to lose the opportunity of doing a little business P" " Just aa you like. Abstractedly I should say no." " He might carry a rich booty." " He might." " And it would be a shame to let it slip through our fingers, wouldn't it ?" " Especially when it wouldn't delay us much one way or the other." " I think we must stop him, Tom." " Very well. Look after your priming. Remember it has been raining, and the chances are ten to one the charges have got wet." King examined his own pisto.ls as he spoke, and Turpin followed his example. The horseman, be he whom he might, was not now many yards distant. His horse's footsteps could be plainly enough heard, but neither the form of horse nor rider could be distinguished owing to the unusual dark- ness of the night. The two highwaymen had halted just in the middle of the road. Both now were silent, for they did not wish their voices to reach the horseman, and be a means of putting him on his guard. In another moment he was face to face with King and Turpin, "Stand!" said the latter, "and deliver what valu- ables you carry with you peaceably. If you resist, your death be on your own head." The only reply the traveller made was to draw a sword with lightning rapidity from its scabbard. It gleamed through the air like a flash of light as it descended, for this traveller aimed a desperate blow at Dick's head with the weapon. By something little short of a miracle, Dick drew back quick enough to escape the stroke ; but the sword, in its descent, sliced a small piece of skin off the neck of his horse. The pain, doubtless, was excessive, for the animal reared and pranced, and became perfectly unmanage- able. Diok maintained his position in his saddle, though any- one less accustomed to horse-riding than himself would, oo doubt, have found it impossible to do so, and he strove to soothe the creature in the best way he could. The man who had been attacked did not fail to per- ceive the advantage be had gained, and spurring for- ward, would doubtless have made short work of Dick had not Tom at that moment interposed his person. He had drawn the hanger which he habitually carrJ'^d by his side, and stood still and quietly on guard. His opponent, he fancied, was in some way connected with the army, both on account of the promptitude with which he made his attack upon Dick, and because occa- sionally King could see something glittering about his apparel, as though he was attired in an oflBcer's uniform. On finding himself confronted by King, the traveller did not appear to abate his martial and valorous bearing a jot, but instantly commenced a furious attack upon Tom, who, though an expert swordsman, found himself fully occupied in warding: off the heavy blows which were aimed at him, The conflict continueu for many minutes without either party gaining advantage. The idea that he was fighting with a soldier wag strengthened in King's mind by observing what perfect mastery he had ovftr hia et«ed, and, indeed, the manner in which he made it whe«l about was well o«loala%ed to call forth surprise and admiration. And now Turpin, who had sncceeded in calming hi; horse, also drew his hanger, and rode forward ^o the assistanoe of his friend. " Stand b?iOk, Dick !" shouted King, uiaking his voice heard above the din of the clashing steel. " Stand back, and let us have fair play! It would be cowardly for both of us to attack a really brave man who is defend- ing what he carries about him." Without a word, Turpin drew back as requested. " A rest ! a rest !" cried the soldier, if soldier he were, for the first time breaking the silence. " Hold a moment !" King lowered his weapon. "You are a brave - hearted man," continued the stranger, restoring his sword to its sheath, and holding out his right hand, " and true courage and bravery are the things I admire moat on earth. I know not who you are, except that you are a highwayman, yet, strange as it may seem to you, I should be proud and glad to reckon you my friend. Shake hands !" Nothing loath, King grasped the hand so friendly held out to him ; and said, while Dick looked on in wondering amazement — "You have behaved yourself most gallantly, and I accept your cordial invitation with the utmost pleasure. Still, you will excuse me if I say that I fancy you have overrated me. Fair play is always my maxim." " And mine too, And I must say on this occasion you have acted up to it. Here is my purse !" " No, no," said Tom King. " Keep it ! I would not take it from you for worlds !" " I insist upon it," said the stranger, endeavouring to force a well-filled purse into his hands. " You might, if you liked, have set upon me with your companion, and deprived me of ray life ; for if your friend is as accom- plished a swordsman as yourself, I should not have stood the ghost of a chance with you. I had much ado to defend myself as it was." " You are very frank, sir," said King, still avoiding the proffered gift, " and I admire you for it. I must, how- ever, refuse to accept anything from you." " Well, then, if you will not, probably your comrade will. Here, you Sir Highwayman No. 2, here is a purse of guineas which I wish you to accept as a present for the forbearance you have exercised. Take, andbe welcome !" Turpin made a deprecating gesture. " The case is entirely in the hands of my friend," he said, " and I must decline to interfere with it. So you must excuse me if I refuse." The stranger returned the purse to his pocket with rather an offended air. " Then, gentlemen — for by your manners and bearing such you are— since you will not allow me to do any- thing to show my gratitude for your forbearance, per- haps you will allow me to proceed on my journey." He gathered the reins in his hands as he spoke, and touched his steed with his spur. " One moment !" said King, placing hiaaself directly in his way. " What is your wish ?' " We have already passed sufficient compliments, I think," replied King ; " yet, still for my own part, I have said no more than your gallant behaviour prompted me to say. I would scorn to take anything from you but your name, and that, I confess, I have the greatest desire to know. Will you give it me ?" The stranger hesitated a few momenta before he spoke. " My name," he said, " is a secret. I am hunted and proscribed, and many are thirsting for my life ! I do not like to refuse you anything, and yet " " It appears to me," said Tom King, " that your posi- tion in that respect is very much like our own." "It is; but most unjustly," replied the stranger, a tone of sadness tinging his words. " My position should be among the highest in the land." A deep sigh came from his lips as he finished speakincr. Both Tunpin and King were perfectly absorbed ir their strange adventure. The latter broke the silence. " We will not press you," he said ; " but still I think vou may safely trust us with your name." " Perhaps so, and if I do, a day may come when I shall be glad to avail myself of your assistance. Tha THB KNIGHT 6V TUB OOAXt. iteipie tact of yoitr being fi^^tiTea like I am, emboldens me to confide in you. Ton will be sarprised when I declare myself ! But before I do, tell me yonr names." " Mine,'' said Tom, " ie tolerably well known. It is Tom King: I" " Tom King, the h'uthwayman ?" "Even so." " Yoa surprise me, lor 1 expected to Snd tbe person who bore that name an unmitigated ruffian, capable of every atrocity." " Thank you !" said Tom, lUily. " Excuse me," remarked the gentleman. " I only said what sort of obaraoter had been represented to me under yonr name." " Oh 1 no offence — no offence !" "And yonr companion," continued the stranger. " He must answer for himself." Dick drew a little closer to the speakers. " My name," he said, as he raised his hat and made a most elaborate bow, "is Eiohard — commonly called Dick— Tnrpin !" " Indeed ! I little expected I was in the company of two such celebrated characters, and, after receiving your confidence, I cannot withhold mine ; besides, I am quite sure now I shall have nothing to fear from you." "We will give you our assurance," said Turpin and "King, both speaking at once. " We will give you our assurance that your name shall never be revealed by us unless with your consent." " Agreed, then. Listen I I have two names by which I am equally well known. One is Charles Stuart, and tbe other is " " Thb Young Pretender !" CHAPTER XXX. THB TOUNO PRETENDER FINDS TWO STAUNCH ADHERENTS. The two highwaymen drew back a few paces when this name fell upon their ears, and though, generally speak- ing, they were disposed to show but scant reverence for royalty, yet, when this announcement was made, they involuntarily backed their horses a few yards, and raised their hats respectfully. The name of the unfortunate young man was, of course, well known to both, and they were also familiar with the many reverses he had suffered. It is, therefore, to be presumed that his chivalry and gallantry, and the fact of his being hunted by almost all the world, con- spired chiefly to cause a feeling of friendship for him to arise in their breasts which they would not otherwise have felt. " My friends," said the Young Pretender in his calm, rich voice ; " do not draw back, I beg. Think in how many ways you resemble he who is rightfully your king, but who is now no more than yon in station. Like you, I am compelled to travel in disguise i»ad when^the Bun has withdrawn his face. I am surrounded on every side by enemies who are thirsting for my life, I am compelled to be ever watchful — ever in dread of tMaehery. In all these respects must I— a king by birth and right— resemble you !" These words were uttered in a tone of deep, inexpres- sible Qathos, tinged with a soul-absorbing sadness ; and aa lie gave utterance to his reflections, he became eonqnered by his emotion, and his head drooped upon hie breast. His words, manner, bearing, &11 combined to raise a feeling of sympathy in his behalf on the part of our two friends. j Tbey were silent for a moment or so, and then Tom Eing broke the silenoe. " Your highness," he said, " among all those whwmost profess themselves your adherents, there is not one so true, so faithful, so devoted, as myself. I consider your tight to the throne of England as most indisjMitable, and only too gladly will 1 do all I can to advance your cause. You will aJlow, sire, that the position in whion I am placed will prevent my doing much." •Pardon me," said Stuart. " Ton have addressed me by a title which, at present, is not my own : though I hope some day it will be. Still, there is an old Scottish superstition which says, ' It is unlucky to give anyone » tiUe before it actually belongs to bira.' " " I am sorry, my prince," replied King, " that I hayg been led into an indiaoretion. Let me hope that jou TSfll receive my promise of allegiance to yon." " I do ! I do ! And yet to-night" He paused abruptly. Neither King nor Turpin liked to speak, al '.: a siieaoe ensued, which they could see much embarvtiesM the young prince. He got out of his diflBcnlty by finishing the sentence he had checked himself iu uttering. " To-night," he said, " secretly and in disguise, I made a visit to the metropolis. 1 was induced thereto by those who had professed by oaths and protestations that they were devoted solely to my cause. Base hearts ! It was a deeply-laid scheme for my capture and destruction, but by great good fortune I succeeded in eluding them, and have so far escaped in safety." " I trust, my prince," said King, gravely, " that yon will never do me the injustice to think of me in the same breath with them. You must see that it is no interest of mine, that I have no motive for siding with yon save the true one, and that is, I consider, if monarchy must be a national institution, you, as the descendant of the Stuarts, possess a far better right to the throne than any German family." " That's just exactly it," said Turpin, speaking for the first time, for hitherto he felt that respect for young Charles Stuart prevented the interruption of the con- versation ho was holding with Tom King. " Excuse me, my prince, but King, my comrade here, expressed so well my own convictions, that 1 could not forbear saying so." " There is nothing to excuse," said the Pretender, gently. " Heaven knows every friend now is a friend indeed, and you must accept such thanks as I can offer. Believe me, I am most grateful to you both." This was said with so much sweetness of tone, and such charming grace, that it was impossible for anyone not to be charmed with it. " We will endeavour to merit your thanks," said Tnrpin, " and hope that the day is not far distant when we shall have the satisfaction of hailing you King of England !" The eyes of the Young Pretender brightened. " When I am," ho ««id, "I will take care you quit a mode of life which is not worthy of you ; you shall both have a position in my establishment." " We are well enough content with our lot," said Dick, " and having once commenced warring with so- ciety, as we have, the struggle must be continued until one of us is vanquished !" " You reject my offer. But I forget. I am not yet in a position to make it to you ! I have been betrayed into ' a weakness. Farewel. !" As he spoke, Charles Stuart again took the reina in his hand, and rode forward. The two highwaymen drew aside to enable him k pass. "I am going now to Scotland," he said, "where I hope soon to raise my standard. Will yon join me when IdoP" " With all the pleasure in life. We would accompany you now to preserve you from danger, but business of the most urgent nature, and which will admit of no delay, calls us to London." " Farewell, then," said Charlea Stuart. " We part with the understanding that, aa soon as you hear 1 am raising an army, you will place yourselvea under my bann^P" " That is it," Kiid Tom ; ** and rest assured we will render you all the aecvioe in oar power." " Since, then, you will not accept the purse, and which now I am sorry I ever offered you, permit me to place upon each of your right hands a ring, which will enable me to recognise you upon a future occa*ion." " Willingly, my prince." The highwaymen held ont their banAs, and tm»,.€>aDg Pretender placed upon each a ring of considerable value, " I shall recognise you now," he said, " and, for the tkuDd time, let me say farewell ! Day-dawn is now close at hand, and I must hasten my journey, or I may even yet be overtaken by my foes. Farewell !" " Farewell, my prince, and may the time soon come when we can hail you King of England !" Charles Stuart lifted his hat, a id striking his spun) into his horse's sides, galloped swiftly along the ro&d. BTtXOE BK88; OR, CHAPTER XXXI. THE FIOHT rU THK SIABLB BETWEHM THH OFFICERS AHD TfltK H1GHWATM8K. Th« two friends for soma moments pursued in nlenoe their interrupted journey. The adventure tfaey had msX had was provooAtiTe of thought. , ,j But Diok, as we know, was a person whooould never go far in anyone's company without indulging ii> oon- Tersation. " How silent you are, Tom ! Has this young enthusiaat made so deep an imprassiou on yonr mind P" " He has, I must oonfeas. I was thinking what a sin- gular thing it WIS that wa should hare mat eaoii other as we did." " A strauife ohanoe. I like him maoh, for wo nave had proof to-night that, if he is gentle in his _ manners, he oan be, when he wishes, as brave as a lion." " Yes ; I do not think that I ever had so muoh diffi- culty to defend myself from anyone before. You know I pride myself very muoh upon my skill with the sword." "He was almost a mitoh for yoa. But oome, Tom, my friend, qoioken your speed. Hj.Teyou forgotten our errand ?" " For the moment I had. Tbere is no time to lose, for look, already in the east is a faint line of light." " There is. I oan sea it plainly, ao daybreak must be close at hand ; but, let the peril be what it will, I am determined not to pass another day separated from my bonny mare." ... " One thing, we are not far from our deatmatiou. A. quarter of an hour, I fanoy, will be enough to oarry us there." " If wa make good speed, it will. But is it not singu- lar we should have both met, and joined the Pretender's side?" "Tea. I am rather surprised at you, Diok, for I always thought you were a staunoh opposer of sove- reignty and suoh like." . , , . " So I am, Tom, so I am. I only sided with him because it always oomes natural for me to side with the weak against the strong." " Oh ! that was it, was it ?" " It was ; but still, as you yourself said, so far aa title to the throne goes, I do oonsider he has a muoh better right to it than any German by any possibility oaix have." " You are right there. That's just what I think ; and if I oan do anything towards making him king, I shall do it." "And I will help yon," said Turpin, "for the short time I was with him sufficed for him to win my heart." " I am rather puzzled, though, at his behaviour. One would hardly have thought he would have made friends with us aa he did. You may depend he has met with some great grief to-night that has chastened and sub- dued his heart." " Without a doubt. Did he not say as muoh to yoii m the course of the conversation he had with you ?" " He did. He said those who had professed themselves sworn friends to his cause and party had lured him into a snare for hia destruotion. Bat uoiae, h«:e we are in Loudon at last." " I think. Torn it will only be jM^dent to slacken iipeed a little as wa go through the streets, or we shall create suspicion." "*Toa are right And now, have yon matured your plan,?" " No : that I have not. Too many things have ocourred. Stop, and let me have five minutes' thought, and do you try if yoa can arrange soma plan of operations." Both relapsed into silence. They were now threading their way through the densely-populated district lying north of Holborn. Al- though it was so early in .the morning, many people were walking through the streets. At length, withont utiou shall have a guinea for your trouble," " iiight ! Stand here a minute, and I'll just have a peep." Alf ran to the mouth of the alley, and then returned. " Eight he is ! That boy'll mind 'em all right. I knows him. Now, squire, look here, I can pat yoa up to a dodge!" CHAPTER XXXII. TURPIN AGAIN MOUNTS HIS BONNT MABB.— HUBBAH FOR A LIFE ON THE EOAD ! " Well, Alf," asked Dick, as the ostler approached him with a mysterious yet triumphant air, " what ia it?" " A scheme !" " To get the mare out ?" " Yes." " And Tom Da via ?" "Who?" " The fat man they made prisoner." " Oh ! ah ! yes ! Him as well." " That's the style, Alf. Let us hear what it iss" " No, never mind telling you. Just follow me, and I'll show you what it is." Alf made his way along the alley, and round the cor- ner leading to the stables. He was closely followed by the two highwaymen. " Hush !" he said, and he held np hia finger for silence. They trod on tip-toe. The sound of a voice singing a song in stentonan tones came upon their ears. "They're making themselves jolly, ain't they?" whispered Alf. " It seems like it." " Now, squire, look here. Do you see that ronnd hole there?" " In the wall, over the atable ?" " Yes." " I can just see it ; but it's bo dark." " All the better. Well that round hole looks out of the hay-loft over Bess's stables." " I know it does," " Werry good ! Now, do yon see this ladder ?" " I understand," said Dick. " You want me to put the ladder up to the hole, and make my way into the stable that road ?" " Egzactly, squire. When you gets up in the hay- loft, creep along carefully to the left, and then you'll come to the stairs leading to the stable. Down' em you go like a shot. The officers is taken by surprise, and in oonsekence licked— you mount Black Bess, and off you go like a bird !" " It ain't half a bad scheme, Alf, and I shall put it into execution." Alf looked pleased. " As, however," continued Dick, " absolute silence ia indispen sable, and yon are used to moving ladders and I ain't, I will just get you to put that one up to the hole in the loft, and then we will manage the rest. What do you think of the scheme, Tom ?" " Why. I think it is a very good one. They won't dream of our making an entrance through the loft, and so the whole of their attention will be given to the door. What a voice that fellow has, to be sure." Just as he spoke, the end of a verse had been reached, and then the whole joined in chorus, apparently with great gusto. Alf took this opportunity to place the ladder against the wall, and the highwaymen mounted it, and were standing in the hay-loft before the chorus was concluded. According to arrangement, Alf went to the street, so as to look after the boy with the horses. Comparative silence prevailed after the song waa finished, so "Turpin and King stood profoundly still. It was no part of their plan to let the officers know they were there before they actually stood before them. A great qaantity of straw waa soatt»red »boat the floor •tAii knioAt or thx noAib. of the loft, 80 thoy were afraid to make the leaat move- ment lest the rustling should betray their presence. " Now, Instone," they heard a voice say, in thick, guttural aooents, " it's your +um now, so tip us a good one !" "Tea, Mr. Wriggles," they heard a voice respond, which they reasonably enough supposed belonged to Instone. " I'll try tay best, sir, if you please." " Order for Instone ! Silence, gentlemen, silence." Mr. Instone now begap to troll forth a song, which, however first-rate it may have appeared to his colq- panione. does not, in our eyes, merit reproduction here. The highwaymen waited again for the chorus, and at last their patience was rewarded. Quick as thought, for the dawn of the new day was stealing into the sky, and their eyes had become accus- tomed to the gloom, Dick and Tom made their way to the staircase Alf the ostler had described. It did not deserve the name of staircase, for it was simply a rude kind of ladder, nailed against the wall. "Now, Dick," whispered Tom, "look to your pistols!" "All right!" " Mine are in good order and fit for instant service. Are you ready P" " Yes." " Come on then, at once." As he spoke these words he descended the ladder with the agility of a monkey. He reached the ground a second or so before Turpin, but that was all. Tiiey did not pause a moment, but yet they had time to see they were in a long stable divided into several boxes, and that the officers were seated in one opposite the front door. Ucteriugaloud shout, which, coming so unexpectedly is it did, struck a panic into the hearts of the officers, Turpin and King crossed the stable. A table had, by the order of Mr. Wriggles, been car- ried into it, and around this tha officers were seated. They rose in confusion. The two highwaymen were among them in a moment. Then commenced the most desperate struggle that can be well conceived. The officers had, in point of numbers, the advantage ; but our friends, by their determination and energy, soon made the chances equal. " Give it them, Tom, my boy ! On to them ! Make them remember this to tixe last day of their lives. That' s it! Down you go !" The deep potations in which the officers had been in- dulging diminished the resistance they would have made, though the heavy, straightforward blows which King administered appeared to have a sobering effect. Mr. Wriggles fought, screamed, yelled, and danced like a madman. " Take them !" he said. " Capture them ! The one ia Dick Turpin and the other is Tom King ! Take them both, and then what a glorious reward will fall into our hands ! Now, Instone, quick to the door ! Don't let them escape !" Inatone made a ruah to the door, which Turpin was trying to unfasten and fling open, but a terrific blow in the face from Dick's fist laid him prostrate on the ground. The next minute the door was open. A gentle light was now diffused through the stable, which enabled Dick ^o see the state of affairs much better. Tom David ne saw was bound hand and foot, but look- ing upon the highwaymen's proceedings wi''^ consider- able satisfaction. While Tom was busily oombaung those .^ificers who could stand upon their feet, Dick made his way towards Davis, and, taking a clasp-knife from his pocket, cut the bonds by which he was secured. The landlord's limbs were terribly cramped Irom being BO long in one position, and he was some minutes before he properly regained the use of them. "Get hold of Bess, Davis, my boy, and lead her ^.^t into the yard," whispered Dick, " while I give these fellows here a little more physio. I can see Tom will be' glad of my assistance." So saying, Turpin plonged int© the ihiokeet of ^be fight, iaavuig Davis to execute his crdars. The officers certainly tried very hard to conquer their assailants, but in vain. No doubt the desperate resis- tance they made was owing to the exasperation they felt at being so often defeated. But they were doomed to be defeated oncb more, for, just as Turpin heard Davis lead his mare out into the yard, he found there were only two officers in a state to show fight. Dick took one and xving the other. They made short work of them, and they were quickly lying by the side of their companions. The victory was complete; and, though knives had been drawn and pistols fired, yet none of the combatants had received any injury save that derived from their fists. They found them the most convenient weapons at close quarters. ■Turpin and King had, of course, made themselves pro- ficient in every means of defence ; so, as they were both excellent boxers and wrestlers, as well as being sober and determined, they could scarcely fail to gain the victory they did, although their foes were so superior to them in numbers. All five of the officers, Mr. Wriggles included, lay upon the floor of the stable more or less in a state of insensibility. "Whew, Tom !" cried Turpin, as he wiped the per- spiration from his face and went into the yard. " It was warm work, but we have succeeded in our object. Are you hurt ?" " Bruised and battered a little, that's all ; but I am unwounded, if that's what you mean." " I say, though, we ought not to leave them like this. Let's lock them in the stable." " Good ! It shall be done." King turned the key in the lock. " I suppose Davis has led Bess into the street along with the other horses. Come on at once ; I shall feel another man when I am once more upon her back." " The change will soon take place," said King, as both hurried along the yard, and round the corner of the alley; "for look, there is Davis just under the archway !" "And holding Black Bess by the bridle," exclaimed Turpin. " Hurrah ! I am a man once more !" So saying, he ran down the alley, and flinging his arm round his mare's neck, stroked her head and face with his hand. The noble creature evidently recognized him again, for she uttered a short, low neigh of satisfaction, and returned her master's caress by rubbing her nose into his hand, and on to the sleeve of his coat. " Now 1 hope you're happy, Dick," said Tom Davis, after watching the greeting between the highwayman and his steed. " Is your heart at rest ?" " It is, Davis. I don't care a straw now for anything or anybody ! One! 'iwo! three!" As he uttered the word " three," Turpin placed his hands on the back of Black Bess, and vaulted lightly into the saddle. The magnificent animal, so soon as she felt her rider on her back, pranced and reared in the narrow street. She bad been so long cooped up that she longed for a gallop into the country. " Gently, mare, gently !" said Dick. " I will give you the rein presently, and then off you shall go as fast and as far as you like ! I shall be better able to appreciate your value now, Bess !" In the meantime King had taken his seat on the baok of his own steed. " Here, Davis," cried Turpin, " I should advise you to get back to Hornsoy as soon as you can. You can take the horse that brought me hither. It ia one belouf^ing to Mr. Wriggles's troop, so mount it, and be off !" "I will, lad, for I can't walk baok again. Woa ! easy now !" " With a great deal of exertion. Mi' JJavis inanaged to get into the saddle. " I think it will be best for us to separate, Davis ; so take my thanks with you for the service you have dona me." " Oh, don't mentiAming it strong?" Muttering a volley of oi^tha of the most frightful de- Boriptiou, and tearing the nair from hia head by hand- fnls, Mr. Wriggles made his way back to the stable of the " Three Tuus." CHAPTE'l XXXIII THE TWO HIGHWAYMEN MEET WITH AN ADVENTURE ON THEIB WAY 1 THE NEW POllKST. It was broad davliu'ht, and the suh'h ravs were tinting ► the eastern aky when the two highwaymen trotted down Cranbourue-street into Pic«adilly. They w y )ii are von-y anxious about it. I expect you have some partioular motive, as you a<"b so o iger." " i have not, in leed, except tliat 1 am quite tired of London, and feel as though I should like an entire change —go somewhere, in fact, where 1 had never been before." " It will be pi lasaut enough, no doubt. And, another thing, I have had quite enough of Mr. Wriggles to last me for Bem« time > and as, in his vexation, he will doabt- leas do something desperate, I think, for peaoe and safety sake, we ought to go." " So do I, too. You may depend it will be first-rate, and perhaps I shall get a ohanoe of hearing your his- tory ?" " Oh ! yes. I promised to relate my early career. I will, too. It's rather a sad story, so 1 tell you bofora- hand." " So is mine." " D^ar me, Tom, was that yon ?" " What mo?" " Tliat spoke in that dreadful tone." " It was. I was unconscious of the ohange in my voice, but I suppose it was caused by the thoughts that were passing turough my mind at the moment." " They were not very pleasant ones, then, I should think." " You are right there ; they were not, indeed. How- ever, it i^ quite certain we cannot tell our stories on horseback." " Not exictly. I shall be glad when we get free of the-houses, and then we will iiave a trallip." " Wuicli will put an end to all conversation." " It certainly will. Tom, my friend, i feel lighter- hearted than I have done for many and many a day. I have got my priceless Bess back again, and you may rest assured it will be a long time before I part with her. I am lontring for the moment to come when I can let the reins fall upon her neck, and allow her to go at what speed she pleases." " Is it not a lovely morning ?" said King, as the snn rose above the houses, and cast his warm beams upon the roadway. Think how bright and green the fields an 1 hedgerows will look." " They will. To me there is something very beautiful about the appearance of the country at early morn, when there has been some rain the ni.'ht before." " Well, we are close to Kiiiifhtsbri'ige now. What do you say to sweeping along a little ?" " With all my heart. Off and away !" The speed the two highwaymen made during the next few minutes was something prodigious, and they got over the ground at a great rate. But King's horse, although a most magnificent animal, could not keep pace with Black Bess, who, taking immensely long leaps, sped along with astonishing swiftness. " Pull iu a bit, Dick— pull in !" Tom said. " I can't possibly keep pace with you, and- in a minute or two more I shall be half a mile behind," Upon hearing these words from his friend, Dick reined Bess in, and adowed King to come up with him. '• It's no good your going at that rate," cried Tom. " I should never have believed, though famous for speed as your mare is, that she could have outstripped my horse in such a snort distance as this." " I am convinced, Tom, that there is not a steed in Enirland that coul i match her either in a long or a short gallop. You have not yet seen what speed she can really go at.' ' " 1 can form a tolerable idea. But, come, what course do you propose to take ?" " Well, to tell you the trnth, I don't know. Tou mentioned a rather wide district, and I am making my way towards it." " Just 80 ! Suppose, now, we were to take the South- ampton road !" " I have no obj-intion to make. I should fancy it would be a very profitable jdaiie." " And so should I. Nothing would delieht me mor« than to ease some fire-eating old admiral of liis cash." "Then we are almost sure to meet witii cie. You have decided upon S'>uthainpton ?" " Y'^s. I don t know aiiv town that would suit BO well. What is v,ho state of tlie ex-h.-qaer ?" "Oh ! toler<hand aide ef the road there is the 'Samson and Lion.'" "That large thatched baildiag so Burronnded by trees ?" "Yes." " What a beantifnl place ! Do yon know, Dick, I oould make myself very oomfoitable as landlord of a place like that. Could you ?" " Well, I can't say I could, for it would be too inactive a life to suit me." " It would have that against it. I suppose you will be better pleased when we place ourselves under the pretender's standard." "Are yon really in earnest about tha* ?" " 1 was never m« eontaet with. ret them to drink the ale if yoa can. Should they do bu, they wiU in ten minutes afterwards be dead drnak, and iooapable of K.ACX BHa; OB, moTiug ill the least. When tbia happena, all you will n«Te to do will be to get some ropoa and bind them securely. Do you nndorstand ?" The landlord nodded. " When the oflScera come, then, snppoainf the high- waymen to drink tlie ale, they N/ill not huve to capture them, for they will be nlreaiiy captured, and, therefore, will not be able to claim any part of the rt-ward." " You're a shamerchap, Jack, than J gave you credit for beinir." *' Oh I I knows a thine or two. Aiid now, look at thp ease in another lis;ht. Suppose hs they don't drink tX^e ale and pet suspi'^ions like. What must you uo ?" " I loi)k to von, Jack, to know." " Why, you uiust smooth thintrsoffas well as possihlt'. and when you gooutii'ck the door aftpr yon. Before they can escape, I shall be back n-iMi the officers, ami then they can nab them, we going shares iu the reward. So, you see, guv'ner, we makes sure of suaimut, let things turn out as they will." •'Unless, after all, thny should make their escape. I tell you, Jick, thfy are daring f. Hows." " May be — mav bt-. But tiif-y won't be daring enough to get off this Time I washer. Now, guv'ner, take in the grub, and I'll be off for the officers. 1 shall be back in half-an-h ur." "Very good, Jack." We have seen how the landlord took in the drugged ale, and how, in consequence of their putting too large a dose in it, the highwaymen had found it out, and were npon their guard, ready to defend their liberties witli their lives and how they looked through the window and saw ti.o yard full of officers. The ostler's plan was a very good one, and he certainly deserves credit for his ineennitv in devising it; but we have yet to explain how it was he got back with the officers so much before the time he had mentioned. The fact was that, as be was on his road to Guildford, he saw a largeish body of men approaching him and when he got nearer he found they were police-officers conveying a prisoner fron. Guildfcrd to London. A few words BuffioHd to make th-m aware of the pos- tnre of affairs, and they pushed forward as rapidly as they could. They reached the " Samson and Lion " in less than ten minutes, and eight of theui alighted from their horses, leaving the remainder to keep guard over the prisoner. By the ost'er's directione they came round to the back and into the inn-yar ar was now and then a word spoken in a louder tone than the others ^ but, of course, from this they could elean no sort of intormation. " What course shall we pursue, Dick?" asked King. " WliJit plan will be the bes*. to adopt ?" " That is very har can come in when they think proper." "No, they cannot," replied Turpin. As he spoke, he sprang suddenly to the door, and, be- fore the person who held the key could turn it in the lock, he clipped a couple of strong iron bolts into their sockets. " They'll have to undo them before they get in," he said, after executing this feat. The man, whoever it was, turned the key in the look and shot back the bolt. Then he paused. He evidently hesitated to lift the latch and enter, for he by repute well knew the dangerous characters he had to deal with. At last he summoned oonrage, and lifted thelatoh, ex- pecting, of course, that the door would awing open to iiis hand. To his surprise it was fast. " They have bolted it on the inside," shouted avoioe, in loud enousjh tones to penetrate through the thick oak, for the two friends heard them distinctly. Then there was a murmuring sound. " Batter it down ! batter it down ! Take them alire or dead !" " Alive, if you please," said another Toice ; " and then we gets our blood money !" The next moment a violent assault waa made upon th« door. But while this was taking place, Turpin and King had not been idle. They had together made a very oar«> ful examination of the room, but the result of it was by no means to their advantage. The thonght of escape by the window of oonrae oe- curred to them, but they found it was one that did not open, such being the fashion of making them at a time when the necessity of ventilation and fresh pure air was not so well understood as at present. The window was, besides, protected with a number of iron bars, which effectually put an end to all hope of their making their exit that way. The wily ostler had, doubtless, taken care to make the officers acquainted with that fact, or they would have endeavoured to mske their way through it into the room. The two highwaymen looked around them in despair. Nowhere could they see the slightent probability of making their escape. " 1 am afraid it is all up with us, i'om," .aid Dick, "and that we shall be nabbed at la»4t. The only tiling that remains for us to do is to fiiiht it out when the grubs enter. But what possible cltauoe can we stand against so many P" " None at all I" " You sbouid have taken a^ advioe. 1 knew we *•>• THE KNIGHT OP THE ROAD. 65 ITURPIN AND KINO ESCAPE FROM THE " SAMSON AND LION."] ,.^e.t, da„.,,, iU... .b, I was »o anxiou. -^ I ^he;., n™ t^PU^-^J^e-^"^^^^^^^^^^^ agitated. j _u„„n-i,„(- n;^v T Irnnw it's all wall." _. . „ . ...... r " Don't say a word about tbat, Dick. I know it a all my fault, and that if anything happens to you I ahall have to answer for it. How they are banging at the door ! They will have it down in a few minutes. The din was something terrific. The officers had evidently been supplied with some heavy battering instrument, for the blows came upon the door with great force, and the thick panels were beginning to crack in many places. Then it started a little from its hinges. The officers gave loud shouts as they perceived this Bvmptom of yielding, and increased their efforts. " Well, Dick," said Tom, "it's no good our standing here Uke this. It appears to me that, since we can t get out, the best thing we can do is to delay aa long as ''^' That will be the ticket. We shall stop them for a little while, that's certain ; and now let us resolve what ^ The'polfeemust have had some idea that a barrier had been put before the door, for some one cried in a loud, authoriiative voice— . • i. „„^„ " Resiataiicc^H worse than useless, so give m at once. We are boiXnd to take you, for you cannot possibly escape. Yield, therefore, with a good grace, to superior numbers, and prevent the i^eedless spilling of blood The officer waited a minute or two for a reply, Due ^^'^iren'S' he cried again; "it T'^'o^t^tt policy.^ We wiU give you three minutes to op n. th reroZthT^srtKTe can do ia to delay aa long as policy We ^wiU .ive you ^^^^^ ^^^^^^ No. 9. . „ ^ 4.^^ fiPtENDID COLOURED PICTURE: Ci-MIDE 66 BLACK BESS; Oil, The three minutes elapsed, but no sound of anv kind came ftoir, the kitchen. " Curse you both, then ! " yelled the officer, in a ^^r^at rage. " I will not be played with any longer. Draw your pistols ! Make ready ! Present them to the '^-or ! Fire ! " There was a stunning report arising from th'^ discharge of about six or seven pistols. The bullets crashed; through the door and lodged ih the wall opposite. The officers waited until the smoke had cleared away, and then as all was stiU silent as before, they began again to hammer at the door. Neither Turpin nor King were in the way of the shots that came into the kitchen, for they had resorted to the only outlet there was to the room, and that was the door at the top of the cellar steps. It was simply the iastinct of wishing to get as far as possible away from their foes, and placing an additional baiTier between them, tliat made Turpin and King take refuge behind this door. To be sure, doing so did not better their condition in the least ; but still, as Tom remarked, while securing the cellar door on the inner side, it could not possibly make it any worse. A crashing sound, now mingled with the blows upon the kitchen door, which plainly enough told our friends that it was giving way before the vigorous assault that was made upon it. They were surrounded by utter darkness. Unfortunately the door at the top of tbfe cellar steps, behind which were the two highwaymen, was rather a slight one, and there was certainly no hope that it would withstand for any length of time a resolute attack upon it. " Come away from the door, Tom," said Dick to Vw friend. " You are in danger of receiving a chance shot." " I am almost afraid to move in this strange place. I can hear your voice plain enough, and tell to a trifle whereabouts you are standing, but as for seeing you it is 1 quite out of the question. " Will it be safe, think you, to show a light ?" " Oh ! yes ; I should think so. But have you the means about you for procuring one ? " " Certainly. I am never \vithout. Stop a moment ; we will soon see what kind of a place we are in." Turpin took from his pocket a small lantern, which, considering the state of the manufacturing arts at the period, was certainly a wonderful object. It carried a small was taper, which Dick ignited by means of a phos- phorous* match, then, and for many years afterwards, called thieves' matches, because when they were first invented they were almost exclusively used by members of that fraternity, who found them exceedingly useful. The flame from the taper which Dick lighted was only a tiny one, and by itself would scarcely have dispei'sed the gloom for a foot around it, but placed in the lantern, which was fitted with a reflector of highly polished silver, and a lens of peculiar construction, Dick was enabled by its means to east a broad, bright beam of light iu any direction he thought proper. Holding it by the handle, the highwayman moved the lantern rapidly about, and flashed the light upon all the objects by which he was surrounded. In this way, then, the two friends were enabled to form a tolerably connect idea of the kind of place they were in. They found they were standing at the head of a flight of steep brick steps, leading down apparently into the cellars of the " Samson and Lion." It must be remembered that though it has talien as some time to relate what occurred after the two highway- men passef through this door, yet a few moments elapsed in reality u? itil Dick lighted his lantern. A terrifin; crash at this moment announced tliat the officers hail succeeded in entirely demolishing the dooi Then arose a loud shout of triumph and gratification, which was quickly changed into one of surprise and dis- appointment at finding the room empty and the:/ prey nowhere to be seen. CHAPTER XXXVII. turpin and king discover thk secret of mr. wag horn's occupation. "Tkead carefullj^, Tom," said Dick to his companion, not, howfevev, raising his voice above a whisper. " The stairs are wet and slippery, and if you lose your footing you will bring the officers upon us at once. Follow me ; we may perhaps succeed in placing another door between ourselves and our foes ! " Dick commenced the descent of the steps. " Hold ! " said King, in a whisper. " Listen ! " Some kind of altercation seemed to be going on in the kitchen, and both listecsd intently, for they might hear something that would bo of service to them. Suddenly they heard a rapid rush of footsteps across the kitchen, and something plumo against the door. " I tell you, you shan't ! Not one of you ! You should have broken down the door sooner before they escaped .' You must not— shall not pass through this door unless it is over my dead body ! " The friends recognised the voice. It was Mr. Waghorn, the landlord's. They looked at each other, as well as they could, in that dim place, with astonishment depicted upon their features. Before, however, they could communicate with each other by words, they heard a harsh voice reply to Mr. Waghorn, and all their faculties were bent to hear what this voice said. " Stand away from the door, Mr. Waghorn ! Your conduct is singularly suspicious, and almost sufficient to warrant my taking you into custody ; besides which, you are interrupting officers in the discharge of their duty. Let us pass at once, for every minute that we delay only gives them a better chance of ultimate escape ! If you do not stand aside at once, my men shall force you away, and you will besides have to account for your extraordinary behaviour ! " " What can be the meaning of this ? " asked King, still speaking below his breath. " I am fairly puzzled ! What do you think, Dick ? " " Simply this. There is something here which Mr. Waghorn does not wish found out." " It must be that. I wonder what it can be ? " " Ah ! that I cannot tell. However, one thing I think is certain ; and that is, that it will turn out to our advan- tage if we immediately act upon what we have heard." " I think it very likely. Lead on, my friend ! How fast they are talking, to be sure ! How is this adventure to terminate ? " Vei-y carefully the highwaymen descended the greasy steps, holding by the dank walls as they went. They reached in a moment or two the bottom of the steps, and found themselves in a vault or cellar of con- siderable extent. There was no light in this place, with the exception of that which proceeded from Tnrpin's lantern; this, how- ever, was amply sufficient to light up, one after another, every nook and corner in the vault. From the landlord's manner, both Turpin and King had expected to find something of a very extraordi- nary nature in this place, and no words can possibly express how much surprised they felt when they found it was absolutely empty. Scarcely crediting that their eyes had not deceived them, they made again a rapid examination of the cellar. But no ; nothing was there. Not so much even as a barrel or a jar. " Well, this beats all," said Dick. " Wby, the landlord must be a perfect maniac. What earthh vgason could he have had for wishing to prevent the office*.^ ooming here ? This is a mystery, indeed ! " , " You are right there, mystery is the word ! Recollec we have only made a most cursory examination of the place. I^end me the light, and I will examine it more closely. I only hope Mr. Waghorn will keep the officers long enough at bay to eunble me to have a good look about /ne. They seem to be going it now ! " T;ae subdued murmuring sound of many voices reached ttsii eazs in one indeterminate hum. Tom King took the little lantern from Turpin's hand, and, casting its light downwards, made a careful explore. tion of the floor. There was nothing to recompense him for big troablt/ THE K>?1GHT OP THE ROAD. the floorinR was|umformly composed of very-much abraded bricks, but there was nothing in any part of vi that indi- cated a secret outlet, which was what King * as lookinjy for, and what he fully expected to find. He rose from hia stooping posture with a teeling oi annoyance. i " 1 can find nothing, Dick. Surely it must be a secret entrance into some other place that Mr. Waghorn -s afraid the officers will discover. " Very likely that is it," said Turpin, turning away from the foot of the stairs where he had been standing while King made his search ; " very likely. Look round the walls, and see if you can find anything." "That is our last hope," said Tom, as he bit by bit examined the walls of the vault with the lantern. " Mr. Waghom is still speaking," said Dick. " I feel curious beyond measure to know what he can possibly have said to delay the officers so long as he has. I " A sudden exclamation from his comrade's Ups arrested the remainder of his speech. " This way, Dick," cried Tom ; " I have discovered it at last." Turpin hastened towards his friend, and found him standing in a little recess, almost cupboard-like in shape, from the right-hand side of which opened a small door. Dick's astonishment was very great. " How could we possibly have missed seeing this door ? Why I, when we first examined the place, cast the light of the lantern into it." " I know you did ; but are you not aware the light fell only upon the wall opposite to you, leaving the sides of the recess in deep shadow ? Now, as you see, it is from the side of the recess that the small door opens." " I see." " There does not appear to be the least attempt at con- cealment, and that, very likely, is one reason why wo did not see it." Dick laughed. *' We must not stay now to go into that subject," he said. " Quick, pass through the door, for, hark ! the sounds of contention up above grow louder every mo- ment." " Come on, then," said Tom, as he passed through the mysterious poi-tal ; " I am ready." Dick pressed through close behind him, and secu»ed the door as well as he could. Just as he did so, he heard the officers descend the steps with a rush. He turned to his friend, who was a foot or two in advance of him, for the door they had so providentially found was at the commencement of an arched passage. " The officers are in the cellar," he said, in a low voice, for he did not know how plainly sounds from the place he was in could be heard in the outer cellar. " Mr. Waghom has not succeeded in his attempt to prevent them doing 80, as I most devoutly wish he had." King made no reply to this speech, but, looking care- fully around on all sides of him, made his way as quickly as he could alon^ the passage. It was quite impossible to see its extremity, so they were forced to the conclusion that it was of considerable length. There was nothing remarkable in its appearance. The walls and roof were composed of old red bricks, but the floor of nothing but hard earth. At last, after proceeding about twenty yards, they came to another door, which was the termination of the 6?^ situation to be in, to be sure, but we must make the best 01 it. on the Rough bands of iron crossed this door in many direc- tions, and were fastened at short distances by large nails, the heads of which projected at least three-quarters of a-n inch from the woodwork. The two friends both looked at this door, and mentally -aalculated its- strength .^ They raised their eve^ at th« same momeii.. " This is a harrier ! " said King. " It strikes mc we have done for ourselves at last, for here we are like rats in a trap — and hark ! the officers have discovered the door through which we have just passed." Some heavy blows, and the shaking of the dooi in its * frame, reverberated with unpleasant plainness along the passage. " We muBtn't give up, Tom, for all that. It's a ticklish Bang ! bang » bang ! bang ! came the blows door. " We must get through, and that quickly," added King, if we wish to preserve ourselves skin-whole. If they were to tak3 it into their heads to fire through that door as they did through the other, we should stand but a poor chance of escaping the bullets." " We should, indeed," said Turpin, feeliug in a moment the full danger of their situation. " This door must be forced." " But how are we to do it ? It's all very well to say the door must bo forced, but such a job as that would require both tools and time, neither of which we have just at present. , " That's true enough. Have you tried the door, though ? If you recollect, the one at the top was not fastened, and perhaps this is not." " Perhaps not," said King, seizing upon the supp»sition with a feeling of hope springing up in his breast. " It's no go," he added, almost immediately ; " the door is a? firm as a rock." A silence of a minute or two followed this announce- ment, aud then both the highwaymen felt how very tightly they had laid hold of this faint hope. A look of desperation quickly succeeded upon their faces the one of disappointment they had worn, and both began to examine their weapons. The altercation between the landlord and the officers seemed to be by uo means over. The blows had ceased, and therefore the voices could be heard plainly enough, though not the words that were uttered. This cessation of attack on the part of the officers the friends felt boded no good to them ; and in that strange place, into which they had so imprudently ventured, they waited with great anxiety to know what would happen next. The peculiar accents of Mr. Waghorn's voice'rose above all the others. Dick had placed the lantern on the floor, and with its lens turned towards the door they were so anxious to pene- trate, so that the greater part of it was lighted up with great distinctness. As, however, Turpin raised his eyes from the priming of his pistols, and looked towards this iron-bound door, ha uttered a slight exclamation. Tom King was standing with his back to him, and ha turned round instantly. "What is it?" he said. Dick placed his hand upon the door. "We are a couple of fools," he replied. "We have been troubling ourselves all this while to break open this door, and the key in the lock all the time." " Impossible." "One would think so. But look, here it is; my eye lighted upon it by the greatest wonder in the world. " Your sight must be very keen, my friend. Of course, now I can see it ; but it is a very small key for so large and so heavy a door." " It is. I am quite surprised. And yet key it must be ; still I can see no signs of a lock." "Nor I. Turn it, my friend, quickly, and try. The officers have renewed their attack upon the door." "Aud as if they meant to break it down, too. What- ever can they be striking it with ?" " Axes, I should say, by the peculiar sound. If it is so, they will soon have it down. Does the door yield ? " "Yes." "HuiTah!" It was in quite a faint way that King said " Hurrah ! " but he gave a sigh of rehef as he did so. Then, catching up the lantern, he followed his friend, and closed the door quickly after him. Dick had taken the key out of the look, and so ft was s^ on inserted in the.keyhole, and the door locked on the other side. Both then became sensible that they were in a much warmer atmosphere than they had been previously. There was, too, a strange, sickly smell pervading it. But although they felt this, neither alluded to it by speech at present, but turned their attention to makiuc; the door as capable of repi sting an attack as their means would permit. BLACK BESS; OR, Oi They were in hopes of finding some bolts on the inner Bide, but they saw none. Apparently the only fastening the door ordinarily had was the lock. " 1 remember once, Tom, being in a place nnflernfeath a woodman's but, and I thought that about the 8trai>gest subterraneous place there well could be, but this beate it altogether!'' '' It is a strange place," said King, as he glaucea around him ; '* but before we examine it at all let us iry il we cannot find some means of barricading the door." " There ought to be two bars somewhere ; for look, Tom, here are the staples on each post." _ _ • " And here is one of the bars," said King, raising a large piece of iron from the ground. CHAPTER XXXVIII. DICK AND TOM RA,THER PREMATUHELY CONGRATULATE THEMSELVES UPON HAVING MADE THEIR ESCAPE. It was with a sensation of much greater security and satisfaction than he had hitherto felt, that Turpin took the iron bar from the hands of his friend, and placed it in the staples. It crossed the door in a slanting direction. " Now, if we can only find the other," he said, " and get that fixed in, the officers wiU be some little time forcing an entrance, I fancy." " So should I. The other bar, I should think, is sure not to be far from where we found that one." " I should think not. Just show a light. Ah ! here it is ! " ' _ . : - • Turpin picked up the other bar, and having fixed it, turned his attention to the place they had entered. > The blows on the door at the other end of the passage could still be heard, though but faintly, in consequence of the second one fitting so closely in its frame. ) For a moment or two, as Tom King turned the light of the lamp in different directions, the two highwaymen looked around them in silence. I They were at one side of an almost circular-shaped vault, which they roughly estimated could not be more than eight feet high, nor more than thirty in diameter. I " WTiatever place is this ? " asked Turpin. " Dear me ! who would have thought, to have looked at Mr. Waghorn, that he was such a mysterious character ! " I " Not many, perhaps ; and yet, as you know, I noticed something peculiar about him the moment we met for the first time." -, " You did. But do you feel how tremendously hot this place is ? It is quite like an oven ! " " It is, and what kind of business the landlord carries on down here I am quite at a loss to conceive ! " " But we shall quickly find out," said Turpin, stepping forward. " I only hope we shall be fortunate enough to find some other mode of egress from the place than the door by which we have just entered." " And so do I, for I shall be glad enough to exchange this close, stifling atmosphere for the fresh air and day- light above. What part of the inn are we under now, I wonder ?"> " I can't imagine. Yet stop ! Yes, I can ! We were at the back of the house, weren't we ? " "Yes." I " Then we went down the cellar steps, and the passage we found runs at right angles to them." " That is right." " We must, then, I take it, be somewhere under the fjard."^ , " I think so, now I come to call to mind the bearings of the different places." " Then," said Dick, looking up at the black roof, " we may console ourseh;C** Nvith the idea that the blu^ ^" is /i/ver our heads ! " In a more earnest manner they commenced looking fc-** eome means of leaving this circular vault, but they could not help pausing v.'ith deep curiosity to examine several things in the centre of this place, which in a moment explained Mr. Waghorn's motivo for not wishirg the police to descend into the cellar. In the first place they found a strangely-coastrncted furnace, in which a tew etubers still smouldered. It was from this Bouree that the sickly and oppre3ids,e beat proceeded. i Close by was a n'jjaher ot oc'",-iooking instruments, and Turpin took one in his hand in order to look at it inMe closely. ' -r — King pressea forward with the light, and as soon as be perceived the object his friend had taken up, he ex- claimed — " I see it all now. Everything becomes comprehen- sible in a moment ! Do you know what you are holding in your hand ? " " Yes, a ;riiould, though I have never Been oue just this shape before." " I have. A chap showed me one just like it once. He said that it would make better counterfeit money than could be made by other means." " I should think it very likely," said Turpin, who had been turning the mould over and over in his hands, and carefully examining it, "This one appears to be for half-a-crown." "And here is one of the casts from it," said Tom, taking up a bright-looking coin, from a heap of others that were partially covered with sand. " It is really very good, and though this one is, I sup- pose, scarcely finished, yet it has a very genuine ap- pearance. And so it turns out mine host of the ' Samson and Lion ' is a coiner on a very extensive scale." " And you may depend he has made the subject his study. Now, one would scarcely have thought he would have ventured to have called in the officers, as he appears to have done." " The thought that his secret would be discovered did not, perhaps, occm- to him. I dare say from the look of the pla/;e he has been cai-rying on this trade for a good many years, and so, having escaped so long unsuspected, has become reckless." " That is just it. Now, I'll tell you what I think we are reaUy compelled to do." " What is that ? " " Why, find some means of getting out of here as quickly ;,s possible, and when we find we can leave in- stantly, \«'e will unbar and imlock the door we have care- fully fastened, and let the officers come in without their having to force an entrance. I think that is the best way we can be revenged on Mr. Waghorn." " And I ! It shall be done, too, if possible. I expect, though, to hear the officers make an attack on this door every second." " Come on, then, at once. I feel certain somehow that there is another meaus of exit." " Well, I only hope there is, Do you carry the lantern, my friend, and I will go a little in advance o.f you." Tom King took up the lantern, and Turpin crossed over to the other side of the vault. j>- ■■■ But though they subjected all sides of it to the most rigid scrutinj', no signs of an opemng could be seen. They were soon convinced there was no door except the one by which they had entered, and they once more advanced to the fui-nace. " It strikes me very forcibly," said Dick, " that we shall be found aloag with Mr. Waghorn's coining apparatus. Ha ! did you hear that ? " " Well, rather, I should think. That officer must have some muscle to give a door a whack like that." " No, no, Tom. I did not mean the blow on the door, though the sound followed close upon my exclamation. I think we're saved, my friend, for I heard as plainly as ever I heard it in my life, the peculiar neigh Bess often gives when she is anxious to be off." " You did ? " " Yes. The sound came from just over my head. We thought we were under the yard, but it seems, instead, we are under the stable." " If such should really prove to bo the case, I shall have strong hopes indeed of our making our escape. You are sure your ears did not deceive you i"* " Quite sure." " Then if the stable is just over our heads we will quickly make our way into it. The roof, fortunately, is not a high one. What can we get to stand upon ?" " This mound of turf, I should think, *? we move it whMie it will be of sei-vice." " That wiU do capital. Make haste, for if our fi-iends have any idea we are making our escape they will fire at onco»aud it is not worth while to risk \>e.mg put out of the world, or even injured, hy a eKot of iha>. -x)rt." "It ipnoi" tHB KUIGHT OF THE ROAD. Both now set about removing to the centre of the vault the turf, of which there was a tolerable quantity close to the furnace, where it had doulUless been placed t^«fc?ve as fuel. They piled it up as high as they could, and wheu they carried the last, had the satisfaction of tindinp th,at U was just high enough for the purpose. Dick mounted upon it instantly, and, taking tlie lantern again into his own bands, made an examination of the ceiling. He knew not as yet how much difficulty there mipht be in making a way through it. But, to his unbounded joy, his eyes fell wpon a small trap-door. ' " We're saved, Tom ! we're saved 1 " he cried, yet not loudly. " Were saved ! There is a trap-door in the ceiling here, which opens into the stables. Hun-ah ! old fellow, we shall do Mr. Waghorq yet. When once we get to our cattle and mount, 1 will give them leave *o catch us." The discovery of this trap-door was so unexpected that Tom could hardly believe it was real. He feared the news was too good to be true. He mounted therefore in a moment upon the mound of turf, and, as Dick turned the bright ray of light from the lantern upward, there he saw the trap-door plain enough. It was small in size, yet large enough for a slim man to pass through easily. It did not appear, though, to have been used for many a day, for the two bolts that fastened it were completely rusted in their sockets. The woodwork of it, too, was covered with that fine, disagreeable-looking moss which grows so plentifully in dark, damp places. Dick made several efforts to draw back these bolts, but it was some time before he succeeded. The second bolt was even more obstinate than the first, but it went back at last with a kind of sl'.rieking creak. CHAPTER XXXIX. THE TWO HIGHWAYMEN REGAIN THEIR JTEEDS, MOUNT, AND MAKE ANOTHER ESCAPE. While our friends were thus occupied, the blows were still rained upon the door. There was a little circumstance connected with them which they entirely overlooked. This was, that, though the door was struck, stiU so violent an attack as might have been expected was not made upon it. -< Had our friends noticed this, they probably enough would bave set it down to its real cause. But they did not notice it. They were too busy with the trap-door. Still, we feel that it is with the highwaymen, and not with the officers, that we have to do j so we wiU not, by any allusion, anticipate events. When the second bolt was withdrawn, it became rather a serious question whether they should boldly open the i^oor and emerge into the stable — supposing Dick was right in coming to the conclusion that it was the stable — or should they first endeavour to ascertain what was on the other side. The latter was the most prudent course, so they resolved to adopt it. .* Dick accordingly raised his arm to push open tb-Q trap- door a little way and then peep through. It was as firm as a rock. Upon making this discovery, he could not restrain_a groan of disappointment. " It's no good," he said. " We must remain. The door is either fastened on the other side, or vise it^^e is something so heavy upon it that it cannot be laised! " Or," said Tom King, taking up the poker from the i furnace, " it has been closed for so long^ that it has | etuok in its fr>.">e as the bolts had. Stana aside! JpVs have a try ! " "Hold a moment V saici' Turpin. "Make nc f iCiess noise. We may give the alarm to some one in-tlie stable, if it should happen to be tenanted." ' " You taie the poker, then, and try if yeo anntJt fojoc the door open." s Dick did so, and soou had the caiisfaction of seeing xhe door give most unequivocal symptoms of yielding. " There ! I told you so ! " said Kmg, as it was loosened all round, and Dick gave the tool back into his hands. " I thought the wood had only swelled and stuck." "And you thought right! Silence though! I am going to lift the trap a little way." Very carefully, then, Turpin raised the trap about a "ouple^f inches. His first supposition was confirmed at once. The door opened into the stable. It did not take long for his nose to make him cogui- zant of that. He listened, but he heard nothing save the restk-os movements of the horses in the stalls. He spoke in a whisper to his companion. j ' / " Come on," he said. " All's right ! But pray be quiet ! " As he uttered these words he took hold of the frame of the door, and, by the muscles in his arms, drew himself slowly and carefully upwards. All was still, and in another instant he was standing in the stable. He caught hold of Tom's hands and assisted him up. Then they closed the trap-door, and crept stealthily to the end of the stall they were in, and looked round to see if any one was in sight. No, the coast, apparently, was quite clear ; so they ven- tured to walk towards the door, which was just pushed to, but not latched. Black Bess and Tom's steed were in the same boxes they had been placed, and all ready for immediate service. >• '•taw* But just as they mounted — which they lost no time in doing — they heard a loud shout in the yard. At the same moment, too, there came up through the trap-door, which Dick had been unable to fasten, some of the officers who had been battering at the door. To have hesitated would have been to be lost; so, uttering a hasty hurrah, Turpin and King, stooping low down in their saddles, dashed at full speed into the inn- yard. The officers, who had been standing in a dense throne; near the threshold, were rather disconcerted 3*^ t!.lj sa'iy, which was as sudden as it was unex';-c;Lja, and they gave way on all sides. As no violer:co had as yet been done to them, both hicrhwaymen disdained to draw their hangers, as they might have done, but simply swung theii- riding- whips around them. These were loaded at the handle with lead, and, in a vigorous grasp, were very dangerous weapons. The officers did not take long to recover from their panic, and they rushed forward to seize the horses in a body, but they might as well have attempted to stay a whirlwind. Without suffering the least injury whatever, Turpin and King were fortunate enough to reach the highroad. They did not pause in the least, but dashed along in the direction they intended to tisavel, but the hasty glance they gave at the front of the inn showed them that both Mr. Waghorn and Jack the ostler were there as prisoners. The reader will remember that a man had been left in charge of the horses and prisoner, and the officers, before the highwaymen could reach a bend in the road, had mounted them, and were in full pursuit. " Forward ! forward ! " shouted Dick, as he turned back and saw his foes behind him. " We shall^ have some sport now, Tom. The chase gets interesting." " Rein in a little, then," said King, who was already tailing in the rear, for the words of lier master, spoken, as they were, in exhilarating tones, caused Black Bess to almost double her speed. " Pull iu 1 " " You must urge your nag forward, Tom. The officers appear well mounted and their horses fresh." "They do," said Tom, and he struck his spurs into the flanks of his horse The officers, who, in their anxiety to take Turpin alive, had acted so considerately towards him, now that they saw he was in a fair way of making his escape, fired volley after volley from their pistols. But too great a distance had been placed between the : fugitives and the police for these shots to have any eflect beyond that of startUng every living creature that made j the lane and the adjoining meadows its home. 1 StiU they fired as fast as they could load, and by meana j 70 BLACK BESS; OB, of goading their cattle to the utmost, contrived to keep Turpin and King in view. It was only by a long gallop that our friends could hope to escape, for the country was flat, and there was no cover [ ^through'thk new'^orkst, and make T'profitable CHAPTER XL. THE TWO FRIENDS FOLLOW THE MYSTERIOUS LIGHT visible for many a mile around They were careful, though, not to distress their hcrees, and so only put them to just suiEcient speed to maintain a safe distance between them and the officers. They trusted by this means to tire out their pursuers, and when this was" the case, by putting their steeds upon their mettle, to get quite clear of them. The officers, however, pushed on in a most determined manner, so that, although Bess easily enough performed the feat, Tom's horse had occasionally a little difficulty in keeping pace. At last, after a two hours' ride, the highwaymen felt it to bo imperatively necessary to breathe their horses for a few moments. They had just crossed a common of considerable exteat, and they could see uninterruptedly behind them for a r;freat distance. But though they gazed long and anxiously in the direc- tion they had come, and shaded their eyes with their ))ands, they could not see the smallest signs of the officers. " We have escaped them for a time, Dick, I really think," said Tom King. " They have held out well, I consider." " They have, indeed ; but I am in hopes, now they have relinquished the chase, they must have felt tho utter hope- lessness of capturing us." " Yes. We have, nevertheless, had a naiTow escape, as narrow as ever either had, I fancy. Very fortunate, indeed, was it for us that Mr. Waghorn was a coiner, and carried on his business underground ! " " Yes, or I scarcely fancy we should have been hare now. However, who knows ? " " It is some consolation to think the officers have made the rascally landlord and his ostler prisoners. They will have some difficulty in getting off at the assizes." " Oh ! none at all ! The judge will very soon dispose of them. They may safely consider they have seen the ' Samson and Lion ' for the last time." " No doubt, no doubt ! " We must beg our readers to call to mind that at the time of which we are now writing, and, indeed, for long afterwards, many offences which are now visited with a comparatively slight penalty, were then capital ones, and persons who were convicted of making bad money were hanged without mercy. It was an offence which neither the first, second, nor third George forgave. The»cfore it was that Turpin spoke so positively about their fate. Tom and Dick now gathered the reins once more in their hands, but before they started, they turned round, and again looked keenly and scrutinizingly in their rear. The police-officers were not in sight. " They have turned back, depend upon it," said Turpin, " and we can now pursue our journey in peace, and more at leisure. Your horse, Tom, seems quite blown." " He does ; and, although Bess shov;s no signs of dis- tress, you must bear in mind we have c>)me a long distance and at a great speed before we halted." " So we did. However, it has carried us a long \vay on our journey, for I took care to shape my course as well as I could. I don't suppose we have gone far out." ^ " Oh ! no ; I have taken notice how the land lies." " Well, then, can you form any idea of whereabouts we are ?" " I should think about twenty miles from the Ner? Forest." " Then," said Dick, " we will try if we cannot perform the rest of our journey at a moderate rate. I Ohall want a good rest after this.' " Still, I think we have got out of Mr. Wriggl'es's way. It will now be a feeling of revenge against us that vn\l< actuate him, and he will spare nothing t<* have u» cap- tured." ' " I fancy not." " But if we stay here a time, and I tdresay it wil[ he even more profitable to tis than in London, w,'' ehall give his auger time to cool." ( " Oh ! I don't care a fig for him nor his ang«» •itheTn | of his form.'' Pneh |t^nr)sr." ^ " Well, I don't knOTV. ■OlSCOVERY. When Dick Tu?pin and Tom King, three hours after- wards, reached the borders of the New Forest, it was quite dark. They were holding a rather animated conversation as to whether they should proceed still further. " What's the good ?" said Turpin. " We may as well hare a rest somewhere as not. Remember, we have been a long time upon the road, and a merciful man is merciful to his beast." " That's right enough ; but I don't see where we are to put up, and I don't much relish the idea of spending the night in a tree." "Nor I." "Very well, then, let us proceed. As it is, I see no signs of human habitation, but we must do so ijf we keep on." " I don't know that. We are in a very sparsely- populated district, and, instead of going in the direction of dwellings, we may only be plunging deeper and deeper in the wood." " I admit there is the fear of doin^ that, yet I think if we take care to keep where the trees are thin, we shall soon find a place — a cottage, or something of that sort- where we can rest." " Forward, then ! I don't see what else is to be done." They started their horses afresh, and though Black Bess presented no very palpable signs of flagging, she must have been suffering from fatigue. In this way they went on, at scarcely more than a walk- ing pace. The darkness increased every moment. In spite, too, of their efforts to keep amongst the trees at the margin of the forest, they found they were gradually getting farther and farther in. At last, Turpin pulled up. " It is folly going farther like this. We shall be benigbted here, that's clear enough; so let us stop at once. We may find a less comfortable place." " I should not give in yet," said King. " It's con- foundedly dark, but it appears to me if we bear a httle more to the left we shall get clearer of the trees." " They don't grow so closely together there, I really think. Come on, we may as well make the attempt." " Of course we may. And look, I am right, there is a light among the trees there." "Where?" " It has gone now. Stop ; there it is again ! " ^:. Oh ! I see it. Is it a cottage, think you ? ' I hope so." " It can't be that," said Dick, a moment or two after- wards ; " the light is not stationary." " Halt a moment and let us see ; I fancied the light shifted, but we may have been deceived by our own motion." " No, that cannot be, for look ! it is almost out now, and " — " Now it has gone altogether." " No ; there it is, a httle farther along. Do you see it?" ( " Yes, plainly enough. It is either the will-o'-the-wisp or else some one carrying a lantern." " If it is the former, the less attention we pay to it the better, for you know well enough a will-o'-the-wisp will only flicker before us, and lead us into some morass." " We shall soon know whether it is that, my friend, if we foUow it a little while." '^*' So we shall. Come along, then." •' Be careful where you tread ; the ground may be treacherous." ^ "* I am not afraid. Bess is sure-footed, and I can safely trust myself to her. You can follow close to me." ' The mysterious light still flitted before them, but in a firiarably direct line. What in the world can it be, Dick ?" asked Tom, after regarding it for some moments attentively. " I fancy if it is a man with a hght ; we ought to see some indications I should sa; seeinit is anits oat •THE KNIGHT Of THE EOAD. 71 of the question. I never knew it so dark before as it now is." " I can near nothinp," said Tom • " I think i*- some- thing' rather sin^ar. ^ "Then we will soon find out what It is.^ l^iisTi your horse on a bit faster." King did so, yet they could not perqeive that ckey ap- proached the light in the least. ,» And now every moment saw them still deeper intoived amongst tho trees ; but the intense curiosity they felt to know the meaning of the strange light made them quite heedless of this circumstance. That it was not what they first fancied it— fiiTmoly, a will-o'-the-wisp — they were quite certain. Its course was too direct, and the flame too constant, for it to be that strange emanation from the earth. In fact, they found now that it was only invisible for a moment, as though a person in carrying it had passed behind some opaque object. "^ But in a short time the trees grew so thickly together, and the underwood got so dense, that it became almost an impossibility to proceed, and so Dick and Tom drew up. There was the provoking light, flitting before them in just the same fashion. " I feel very tired," saidTurpin, 'but I am determined to prosecute this adventure to the end. I should never feel satisfied if I left without finding it out." " Nor I," said Tom. "Alight then, my friend ; we can fasten the horses to the trunk of this tree, and creep forward on foot." " That will be it." " You must lose no time, though. Look how fast the light travels." " It does, indeed. We must make them secure. We shall soon o\'ertake the light, I make no doubt ; but there is another thing to be taken into consideration. "What is it?" " Why, if we go wandering into the forest, how are we to find our way back to the horses ? Recollect, it is pitch dark." " You need not remind me of that. Confound it, I havejust stepped into a hole full of mud." " We must both be careful ; but, seriously speaking, if we tether the horses here, how are we to find our way back to them ?" " Oh ! I can get out of that difliculty with very little trouble. Take hold of this." " Take hold of what ?" " This ball of fine twine. It is of considerable length. Tie one end of it to the tree and unwind the ball as you proceed, letting the string fall on the ground ; you will easily enough find your way back then." " So we shall, unless the s^nng should not happen to be long enough." " There is no fear of that. V have two more just such balls in my pocket." " Oh ! then, of course we shall ha right. Now then, are you ready ? " " Quite." "Come alonp, then, it is high time, for the light is almost out of sight." " It is. I can see it though. Ha ! it stops." "Does it?" " Yes, I am sure. Hurry on, we shall find all out now." Taking care to pay out the string as they went, which, in the event of their return, would most certainly prove an excellent clue, the two highwaymen struggled through the furze and gorse bushes m the direction of the light, which now seemed to be quite stationary. A s they drew still nearer to it they advanced with more caution. But just when they were within, as they fancied, a dozen yards or so of it, it danced away again. Turpin and King stopped at once. " This is a regular wild-goose chase," said Dick'; "you may depend it is nothing more than some mar^h light, and it will lead ua about all night." ^ ^ ' "It cannot be that," replied Tom. '"Listen i iWn plainly distinguish a crashing among the bushes, as though some one waa paaiing through them ! " Turpin bent his ear towards the ground. " Your hearing has not deceived yon," he Batd. " The sound is very fauit, but I can certainly distinguish iust such a noise as would be produced by some one forcing their way through thick vegetation." " Then it can't be a will-o'-the-wisp, that's certain. At least, I have never heard that it makes such a sound in its progress." "Oh! it is not that. Be as careful as you can, and make no more noise than you can help, for I do not want our presence to be suspected." " Certainly not, but I don't see how you are to help a dry twig snapping under your feet." " Oh! no ; and such a sound would pass unnoticed. Be quick ! Why, hang it all, it's gone ! " " Gone ? So it has. Dear me, how sudden ! " " Hush ! don't speak loud. Voices travel a long way in these silent places. I dare say we shall see it reappeai- directly." They were mistaken. One, two, three — five minutes elapsed, but no signs of the light could be seen. " This is very odd," said Tom King. " However, don't let us hang back. I can see just where the Hght vanished from. I have had my eyes fixed on the spot and have never moved them once." " Lead on, then, as straight as you can ! " ' Tom King, taking hold of his companion's coat, walked on carefully. Their progress was not rapid, for the ground , rose rather suddenly. '; Without speaking another word, for fear their voices should travel before them, they breasted this little hill and looked around. They did not see" the light at first, but a more careful observation brought to view a very faint light far down beneath them. It was quite stationary. Turpin and King both saw it simultaneously, and with greater caution than ever made their way towards it. Rather more than a dozen steps brought them to the brink of a dingle, afc- As well as they could make out it was about fourteen feet in depth, and the sides were literally covered with »ank vegetation, such as is common to such spots. The light seemed to be just at the very bottom. And now, as they listened at the top of this dell, there came up to their ears a sound which they immediately recognised. Some one was digging. __ The sound of a foot striking upon a spade, and of earth being thrown up, could be plainly enough heard. There was something' mysterious and provocative of curiosity in the fact of any one penetrating so far into the forest at so late an hour, and then, in that lone- some spot, making an excavation, that the highwaymen both found their interest in what was going on increase tenfold, and they bent over the ridge anxiously. Presently King felt his companion's hand upon his shoulder. " What now ? " he asked, in a scarcely audible whisper. " The sides of this dingle," replied Turpin, " are so thickly wooded that it would be impossible for us to descend without causing sufficient noise to attract obser- vation towards us." " I am aware of that." " But I have found what seems to be a narrow, beaten path, leading circuitously to the bottom. Now, I think if we exercise proper caution, we can make our way down without our footsteps being heard." "Y'es, yes! Where is the path?" ^-^ " Here it is, Tom. Let me go first, and then you will see ! " ,f r " Agreed ! Go on ! " Treading on his toes, and taking long, silent strides, Turpin preceded King down a path not more than eight inches wide, that seemed to run corkscrew-like to the bottom. The shrubs with which the sides of the dingle were lined rose up almost to their waists on each side of them, but still, as none grew on the path itself, they were able to descend without making sufficient noise to be the means of attracting notice to them. ^ As they went lower and lower, the sound of tfee man digging — for that was what they concluded it to be — got louder and louder. if any one had asked our friends what they expected to find on reaching the bottom of the dingle, they woul4 r3 Black bess; oA, Lave unhesitatingly replied, some ruffian who, in that deserted spot, was endeavouring to hide the evidences of his crime. In fact, that some one was digging a grave. Ho\/ great, therefore, was their surprise, vhen they saw through the bushes the form of au old gaunt man, I the very reverse of what they had expected to see. * i But it was he evidently who had so puzzled Imrpin I and King with the light, for on a mound of the eaj^h I he had turned up was a common stable lantern, t I Under most circumstances it was, no doubt, considered to give forth a very insufficient amount of illuminating power, but in tliat intensely dark dell it seemed enough to reveal everything. Its rays fell with full force upon the face and form of the old man who was digging, and r«r friends oxamined him attentively. From his thin, white locks, sunken eyes, and attenuated frame, one would have judged his age to be something remarkable, and yet there was none of that sti6fness i» his limbs which k apparent in men who are far dowa in the vale of life. On the contrary, his arms, which were bare to th.9 shoulders — for he appeared to have taken off his coat and rolled up his shirt-sleeves in order to better execute his task— although httle more than skin and bone, were yet sinewy and strong, and he seemed to stand firmly and erectly upon his legs. ^ But upon his shrunken and emaciated countenance was written plainly the word Avarice. Mingled with that expression now, though, w?.3 one of apprehensive terror. His spade was clutched tightly in his hands. His head bent forward as if to listen. Then in a strange, piping voice, he spoke — " I thought I heard some one," he said ; " but all is still now, quite still. I can hear the rustUng of the branches, but that is all. I fancied, too, on my way here I heard strange sounds behind me, but I did not look back, I did not look back ! " He shook his head tremulously to and fro as he repeated the words. " They say there are strange sounds to be heard, and horrible sights to be seen, in the forest after dark, but I don't fear them. I don't — ha ! ha! — believe in such non- sense. There is only one thing I believe in, and that is gold, bright gold — ha! ha! — and I only fear those who are strong enough to deprive me of it. I thought I heard some one creeping after me, but I suppose that was only my fancy. It is very hard to think a man cannot get a few pounds together without having everybody after him. It's very hard, too, to think that I should be obUged to bring my money to this place at night to hide it. If I had it at home, I should not be able to sleep in my bed ; but it is safe here, quite safe." The wretched old miser— for such he was — recommenced his toil. So close as the two highwaymen were to him, neither could have spoken a syllable without running the risk of being overheard, and they did not want just then to make themselves apparent. But it strikes us that if the thought that two such noto- rious characters as Dick Turpin and Tom King knew of the exact locaUty of his hidden treasure he would, to use his own expression, have never been able to sleep in bed.-' Presently the old man found it necessary to rest'agai^ from his labour. " It is terrible tiring work," he said, half-aloud and balf to himself, — " terrible tiring work. I should think now I cannot be many inches otf the iron casket which contains my riches. It is not much, but there are plenty who •would not scruple to rob a poor man of his hard-earned gains." " I shall be rich some day," he added, after a moment'a silence, " and I shan't want to save up then as I do new. Very soon I shall have enough to live on, and th^n thjse hard, fatiguing niglit-excursions to the recesseu of the forest will be at au end. I shall be glad of that, very glad. Five minutes more, and I shall reach the box, and then, when I have added what I have brought with me to-night, I can feast my eyes with its contents. Oh ! it is a brave sight — a brave sight ! " " The poer vrretca — for, thcugh he possessed doubtleea a larger sum of money than many a rich man, he was a{ poor wretch — the poor wretch, we say, once more bent his back to his task. Shov«»Iful after shovelful were thrown out on to the mound. . ^ Suddenly the miser stopped, and pressed both hij hands to the side of his head. An idea — so horrible that it almost destroyed hia reason — flashed upon his brain. The agony he endured was something awful, and surely a foretaste^f that, punishment to which he was ao justly decreed. But it vvas only for a brief instant that he stood thus. Uttering a wild, yelling sliriek, which echoed and echoed through the trees, startling many a bird from its perch, the miser snatched up the spade and threw up the earth at a furious rate, until he had made another mound of the same height as the former one. And all this while he never gave vent to a sound. The whol^ of the faculties he possessed seemed to be centred in turning up the earth. The rate he worked at would have been surprising in a young man, but what was it in a feeble, emaciated frame like his ? Simply astounding. " My gold ! " he shrieked, with terrible agony in his tonej. " My gold — my treasure — the fruits of a long life of punury and grasping ! . Who has been here ? Am I mad, or dreaming, or what am I ? No— no, I am here, in the dingle where 2 hid my gold, but it has been stolen from me ! It is gone — gone. Some one has dogged my feet and deprived me of my all — of all that I cared to live for. No — no, it cannot be true ! It would be too, too horri- ble I I must have missed the spot, and yet I marked it well. No — no, I did not miss the spot, but, he ! he I how funny I I have not dug deep enough ! Ha ! ha ! not dug deep enough. What an old fool I must have been to make such a mistake and frighten myself so much ! — he ! he ! I should never have beheved I could have done such a foolish thing ! I must dig deeper and I shall find it then, of course ! " There was something so horribly dissonant and un- natm-al about the miser s laugh that Turpin and King shuddered involuntarily. It was wonderful to see with what breathless rapidity e old man threw out the soil. At last he stopped. The delusion Tvith which he had endeavoured to cheat his mind could now no longer be maintained. He knew he had dug many feet below the spot where he had con- cealed his treasure. He knew that he had made no mistake in its whereabouts ; he knew, too, worst of all, that some one had been there before him — that his precious gold was gone. For a moment or two he stood incapable of speech or motion, but his thoughts were busy, and his brain dizzy and whirling. Then he found his voice. It was choked with sobs. His anguish, no doubt, was great indeed— greater than many can perhaps imagine. Ijarge tears of agony started from his eyes, and streamed down his sunken cheeks. " My gold ! my gold ! " he said ; " who is it that has stolen what I prized more than life itself? May my withering curse cling to him through all eternity ! May he be bereft of all he holds dear in this world, even as he has bereaved me ! Oh ! I am old now ; old, old ! My strength is gone, and I cannot live long enough to save any money now. I shall die as I knew I should — as I always said I should — a pauper, a pauper ! " \Ie sat down upon the edge of the excavation he had made, and looked down into it. ''The long, long years of toil it cost me! The priva- tions I endmed iu order to add to its amount, if it was ever so little, for I knew those little sums would tell up some day, and now it is gone, all gone ; gone at once. 1 have only now left to me that little I have about me. Oh ! what shall I do ? What will become of me ? " Then his voice became suffocated in his sobs. Presently, however, he recovered himself, and sprang suddenly to his feet. The soft night breeze blew his !ong hair from Lis face, and mada it stream in a sfo-ange fashion behind him. THE KNIGHT OP THE ROAD. [TOM KING AND DICK WATCH THE MISER DIG FOB HIS TREASURE.] BiB hands were clenched tightly. The fire of insanity was in his eyes. „ , . . ... " I know what I will do now !" he yelled, m atartlmg tones. " I know what I will do ! I wiU seek him who has robbed me of my treasure, seek him by day and by night TUiceasingly ! I shall find him, for my wrongs will urge me on. I shall fin^ him, and then let him beware 1 I am a poor , weak old man, but yet I have power left to rob him of a treasure which he can never regain, and which, per- kaps, he values almost as much as I did my dailmg gold . I will find him, and then I will take his life ! Not all at onoe. aa he deprived me of my treasure, but bit by bit, drop by drop ! I will find him ! I— ah '•— lieJp '• . The loud report of a pistol rung on the night air, The miser pressed his hands upon bis breast. His body swayed to and fro. He made frantic efforts to stand. He tried to shriek, but his lungs were filling tapidJy ->«th blood. No. 10. A siekeninff Burgling sound alone came from his lipt. f herhe tufnedVowly%ound upon hi^^^ and, -attering a strange, gasping sob f«"i««;J^°^^***'" wards into the hole he had dug with so much toil, CHAPTER XLT. THE HIGHWAYMEN PEAL RETRIBUTION TO THB MURDBBBB OF THE OM) MISEE. OUR two friends were so much absorbed by the stmig* scene in the deU, that, had their lives depended upon ifc, they could not have stirred a B*ep. , When, however, the report of the pistol came so utt expectedly upon their ears, both gave a sudden star aw almost Lat their footing. -ninV cnrftW By an impulse which he conld not control Dioksprwr forward, brf Tom King held him back as he wbwpsT impreflsively" Price One Halfpenny. •79 HtJLKX. IMBS8 f OB) "Sfleace! Do not stir! We shall a&e ^h» cnaa who fired tliat cowardly shot, or I am mistake'' " .Dick obeyed. , ■*At the same uioment a ^;reat ruafliag' araoogr the trew took place, but, of course, in the profo'ind rlavkueas they conld see nothing. ■* He ifl dead, sure enough, and I — I am a murderer ! I have shot many a bird and many an animal before to- day, bat ijorer a human being ! But why did he tempt his fateP My life would have been one continual dread a he had Uvea after he swore to haunt me ! It was his awn feult/ — his own fctult ! Surely, what I did was bat Then they hea'xJ a heavy footst^^ w." He looked upon the ground near his feet, as well aa his ^^^ ^^^^ .^^^^ ^^^ ^^^ hjg comrade holding a tremblmg brabs would allow him. piece of rope with a large noose at the end of it towards " Of coarse ; why this must be it, and so 1 have Uarmed j g.^ , ^ * myself with nothing ! This little branch it was that fell from one of the trees above, and struck me on t\w back, r suppose. Curse it ! " He threw the branca upon the gtvund as he spoke. The '-.*"-;e of the poor wretch's terror was now juiffi- oetiS.y expwined. 6\ some means, a little branch from one of the tresi Are you going to hang him ? " "Yes, but not by the neck, though. You keep liim iu his place, and I will slip it ever him ! " And, althoug-d he experienced considerable difficulty, Turpin slipped '.he noose over the man's ^^.ad, and drew it tight under the armpits. bad become disengaged from its hold upon the parent The other end of the rope had been ca^ over the scjuc stem, and falling down, had struck the murderer upon j limb cf a tree a few feet overhead. ih" back, filling his very seul wif -vraoi-tal te'"-)r, such aM \ Dick began to hnu! liim up. ^ _ ht" 'jad never before felt. i The man shrieked, and kicked, and stnigglea, cut 3.L in How true it is a guilty conscienc? needs no x-u-ser. | vain ! Oonsjiderablv •eheved, our friends continuuJ to watch ; Cp Ue vf-mt hjm attentivelj I They drew him up until It would seem as though ne ha. I gathered courage from from the ground. the discovery he had just mad-}, for he waiked now oiaite ( Then the highwaymen secured the rope to tb'^ rrrjnb -^ tip Ut bis YuAim , ti*e crp ». tt^et were abou'; four feet THE KWIGHT OF THE BCAD. 79 The mr~'. Dick, as he patted the ti\rf aowu m its p^ace. " I don't like the idea of leaving tham at all ; but I hav:- done now. I will just take one more look round at the pla ^e, and then we will be off." They di i so, and Turpin caught hold of the string wmcb thej; had }_rovided as a clue, and once more tbFfladed the intricacies of the old forest. CHAPTER XLIII. ■ THE GiPSIES APJORD SHELTER TO THE HIGHWAFMIN. Without any accident, save that of stumbhn^ occas.M)nally over swue projecting root, our friends reache«i tb* place where they had left their steeds. Both a nimals were stretched upon the grass, could not be other than much fatigued. They Uoon, however, hearing thsir owners approach- both started to their feet. *' And now, Tom," said Turpin, as he settJftd hiwoelf in his saddle, " what are we to do next ? " ; " I don't know, I'm sure, but one thing is 'jertain : wo nrast etop somewhere, not so much on account of 'Mirselves aa our horses." " True. And yet they ought, I think, to faoH out, if w« travel gently, until daybreak." ^ " They will have to do so if we cannot find a halting- place. And now, which way do we go — to the right, or the left, or straight on ?" " To the right, I fancy. We will keep as mnoh as pos- sible upon the edge of the trees." They did so, and for hours and hours they continued on their route without meeting with a single person or seeing a sign of a human habitation. Horses and riders were completely tired down by th» time the first flush of dawn appeared in the easten* sky. They were glad when they saw this token of the comine day. It seemed to promise tepose for a short time, and also served to indicate their course. They fo"^d they were but little out of their way, and soon af*.;r leaped over a low hedge into the highroad. " '^^orely, now," cried King, " we cannot go far without D^'^eting with some place where we can shelter for a littl* ame." " One would think not. It is a high dawn this momiag, Tom ; we shall have a glorious day. ' " I think so, myself. Ah ! already I can see the edge of the sun's disc ; and look ! is not that a wreath of smoke curhng up yonder ?" " It is. From some farmhouse or cottage, probably. Let us hasten." King urged his horse to make a little better speed, and a word from her rider caused Bess to make a sudden dash forwards. The smoke which the highwayman's keen glance had detected was some distance ahead of them, and consider- ably west of the highroad they were travelling. They found it necessary, therefore, in a short space of time, to forsake the highway and strike across the fields. The soft turf was peculiarly grateful to the tired horses' hoofs. After crossing several meadows, they reached the brow of a hill — if hill it could be called, for in reahty it was little more than a piece of rising ground — and, looking- down, saw at their feet a gipsies' camp. There were two or three of their houses upon wheel* grouped round, and an equal number of canvas tents. In the centre of the circle which these objects formed,, was a fire, made chiefly of green twigs, and which sent up the dark blue vapour which had arrested King's atten- tion. About a dozen persons— men, women, and children — wei-e crouching around this fire, and watching anxiously a large iron pot, which was suspended in the usual fashion over the flames. " This will be the very thing for us," said Dick. " I have more than once had occasion to seek shelter from. these strange, wandering people, and always found them faithful. Come on, Tom, we shall be almost suse of meet- ing with a welcome." King needed no pressing to do this, and, alighting frons his steed, he made his way down the hill on foot. Dick followed his pxample. At the sound of tl eir tread upon the grass, the gipsies- tui-ned round, and then rose one and all to their feet. A man who might perhaps be considered handsome, were it not for his beetling brows, stood forward from the rest. " What want }'0u, strangers, with the Zic^ari ? Speak, let us know your wiU." "Wt! are tovellers, and, as you say, stia-iigers — that is, to this part of the country. Our horses have been for many hours upon the road, and we seek food and shelter for them, and for ouiselves who need it scareeK less chaa they do." " You are welcome to the tents of the Zingari,-- said the man. " Fear nothing ! Truth is syiruped upon both your countenances. Hi * Sebei ! Sebel ! " A lad of about sixteen came forward, to -niitut. r^ ■ addressed some words in the gipsy tongue. THE KNIGHT Ot THE ROAD, '77 1 Of oourse, neither of oiit friends knew what had been said, but they had no difficulty in guessing the import of the words, for the N)y advanced t» their .«teeds. taking each by the bridle, Tuipin made a step lurward as if to follo^^ itan. but King detained him, as he whispered — " These are strange people, and you muse ue oaref ul in your behaviour. Just watch whereabouts he bestows the cattle, but do no more. They will be safe beyond a doubt. Let us hasten to eat with them, for when we have, no temptation on earth would be powerful enough to make them betray us ; nay, if we are attacked, they will even defend ua with their Hush ! say nothing ! If we whisper thus, we -"-ill perhaps make them suspicious of us!" This reasoning was so cogent that Dick saiu uoo anotner word, but turned towards the man who had greeted them. He was looking at them attentively. " The fare of the poor Zingari is hard," he said, " but the weary stranger is welcome to a share. We cannot lon^ afford them shelter, for we are about to depart." The deuce you are," muttered Dick, and then he added — " It is not so much food as rest that we require, though we are sadly in want of both. If you will allow us to join you in the consumption of the meal you are preparing, and then let us rest somewhere, we shall not only thank you, but leave some substantial token of our gratitude behind." " You are welcome," said the gipay, who seemed by no means displeased at this promise of payment for services rendered. " Sebel will tend your steeds ! Advance, and we will break bread with you." Five minutes more saw Turpin and King seated with the ;npsies round the fire, and apparently quite at home. They jested, laughed, and talked to each other as though they had been acquaintances of many years standing. As the gipsy had said, the fare was by no means gixnptuous. it consisted of a stew, which both our friends pronounced as being most delicious, and only needed the accompaniment of something stronger than water to quake it a first-rate meal. The production of a couple of guineas proved sufficient to induce the wanderers to postpone their intended journey, so a tent was provided for the two highwaymen, into which they soon afterwards passed, and, as they felt in no way apprehensive of danger, either from attack or treachery, they stretched themselves upon th*^ rude pal- lets prepared for them, and in a few minutes were sound asleep. The sun had passed the meridian when they awok* aod looked out of the tent. All was calm around them. The sky was without a cloud, and birds were chirping merrily from every bowgh. The gipsy who seemed to be in some sort of command over the others, upon seeing the friends at the opening of their tent, walked rapidly towards them. " The strangers have slept long and soundly in the gipsy's tent," he said. " The sun has already begdn his downward course, and the people are impatient **» begin their march." " And we are quite ready to go," said Dick, as he stepped outside. " Fetch us our horses, and ">e will be off- " It shall be done," said the gipsy, moving rapidly away. " i feel now," said King, " as though J nhould.Jike a good swill. That would be a refresher." " You can have it then," said Dick, " 1 ain eertam, for I can hear a stream bubbling somewhere close at hand." *' And so c^n I now. It seems to bb ^ust beyond those shrubs there.' " It does," replied Kix)"-, as he Surried fp^l'^Jard h? *^e direction indicated. On the other side of the shrubs Dick had i^utiuued was a scene of rare pictures'ijue L_ 'J^y- Before liitiia was a little hollow, uown otie side of which flowed a pleasant little brook, which, as it danced over the mimic obstructions in its course, created the pleasant gurgling sound which l^ad been the means of dire'iting Dick's attention to it. The water was clear and cold, and the TuefiWav— ^- dashed it plentifully over their faces. Considerably refreshed by this primitive aDlution, . - ; ixme to their feet and made their way back. Thev saw the gipsy and the boy Sebel standing near the tent with the horses, which had been caTOfuUy groomed down, so that they looked quite fresh and vigorous. Turoin's eye brightened as his glanoe lighted on hia mare. As he sprang upon her back, she uttered a low nMgh of pleasure. King also mounted. Them, giving the gipsies a liberal grstoity, and especially the boy for the care ha had taken of the horses, the two highwaymen, at a gentle trot, regained the highroad, and oontinuad their journey. CHAi'TEE T^LiV. TURPIN AND KTNG ACHIEVS A RATHER LUDICROUS AD- VENTURE WITH CAPTAIN SALEM NIDGET OP H.M. SHIP " PLOVER." " It is a lovely morning, i)icK, is it not ? I do enjoy it ! Let us go at a more easy rate ; there is no occasion now for hurry." " It is Bess. When she has had a good rest, there is no such thing as holding her in." " So it api)ears. And now, do you know, I fancy w« have come quite far enough to commence operations. ' " I was thinking so a few moments ago, and was going to ask you how much longer you intended to keep on like this, when you spoke." " Then, my opinion is, the sooner we begin business the better. It will be, I take it, a very profitable place ; still, we must be careful not to decrease our distance from London, but approach rather to.the sea-shore." " Very good. I advise, then, that we look to our pistols, so that, shovdd anything occur, we may be pre- pared." They drew up for a moment, while they re-primed and loaded their weapons, and then proceeded on their way. Those who ^ave visited this portion of the country'will not need to ue told of its exceeding beauty; and our friends, who had a keen appreciation of the beauties of nature, but not mneb fo» ihose of art, enjoyed the prospect amazingly. At four o'clock' It iy had only passed a few houses, and had r''t met wita anything of importance on the road. Thib .ras rather surprising and quite at variance with their anticipations. But presently, at the very extremity of a long line of road, they saw a faint cloud of dust arise. "Here is something at last!" cried Dick, "really I had begun to despair of meeting with an adventure before night.'^ " So had I." They walked on very gently. The cloud of dust, as it camp nearer and nearer, increased rapidly in size. Now our readers will doubtless think to themselves, Dick Turpin and Tom King wore daring men, but surely the writer does not wish to mike us believe that he con- templated stopping a carriage on the highroad at daylight. But we do, and a few moments' reflection will show that there is nothing so '7ery improbable or impossible about it. A reference to the ne'vspapers of the period will show that it was by no means a rarity for people to be stopped on the highroad in the daytime, and even within sight of tt'^'T own dwellings. lu a uttle while tho highwaymen were able to distinguia'ji through the dust the outline of a carriage. It was a very showy affair apparently, and was dra*ru by four horses, attended by two postilions. "This is a wedding set out, you may depend," said Dick; " I can see very plain we are going to have some fun." J/ "I have uo objection/' said King, "orovidod.a little profit attaches to it." " Get out ! you are always looking atler tnw loaves and fishes. Now I should be content if there was only a little pleasure to be derived from this adventure." " We shall see. However, Tom, you take one side ol the road and manage the postilions, while I go on the other and peep at those inside." ^^ "As you like," said Tom ; " they wiU be here directly. " Yes ; now then. Trot forward, not fast enough, hoish ever, to excite suspicion." " All riifht." 78 BLACK BESS ; OK, The carriage was now only about fifty yards from them, and the distance was, of course, diminishing every moment. Tliat their first conjecture that it was a wedding carriage was a correct one there could be little doubt. The postilions seemed to take no particular notice of the two advancing horsemen, afiis f.heir astonish- ment was most unbounded when Tom King rode close to them and shouted — '• Pull up, or I fire!" The rays of the declining' sun glistened dazzlingly upon the long barrel of the pistol which Tom King held out at arm's length. The postilions, as the reflection flashed into their eyes, stopped the carriage at once. Before, though, Dick could reach the carriage door, the window was let down violently, and a head pro- jected out of it. Is was a remarkable looking head. The face was very full, and of a deep crimson hue, to which a very white powdered wig formed a peculiar contrast. His first words betokened his profession, even if his attire did not. " Avast, there, you awabs !" he shouted. " Avast ! What do you mean by overhauling us ? If it wasn't that I have just got married, and don't want to frighten my wife, I would pretty aoon settle you, you piratical rasoals !" " Easy does it !" said Dick, who saw at a glance the speaker was unharmed. " Easy does it ! We want your purse and watch, and so forth." " And you call that easy, you loblolly, do you ? You want a good rope's-ending at the grating, and if I'd got you aboard my little ship Pluvver yon'd very noon have it." " Oh ! indeed ! Then I presume you are the captain of the Plaver, or Pluvver as you o^ it ; eh ?" "'Yes, you son of a gun ! I " *' Then just hand over a good booty." " Never 1" said the captain, in a towering passion, &B he sank back into his seat. Then Turpin caught sight of a female with a very graceful figure, and pleasing countenance. Dick took off his hat and made a very deep bow. The lady returned the salute. The captain uttered a suppressed growl, but as he had no weapons he did not relish attacking our hero, who held a pistol negligently in his hand. " Surely, madam," said Dick, with his head stiU on- covered, " surely yon will not object to myself and friend drinking your very good health and happiness in the married state ?" The bride made no reply. " Then I shall consider silence gives consent. Come, captain, hand over your purse like a sensible man, for heaven knows I wish there to be no bloodshed or vio- lenoe. Let me request you to advise him to do as I require," added Turpin, turning again to the bride. "Now, Salem, give him your purse, there's a good man, and let us go on our way in comfort !" " Never !" said the captain. " I have never struck to the enemy, yet, and, damme ! I never will. I can't defend myself, yon land pirate, and you'll have to take all you get." "Very good," said Dick, "if you prefer it, I don't mind." So saying, he -««ry skilfolly took the captain's watch eot of his fob. It was a chronometer set in a gold case, and attached to a massive gold chain, at the other extremity cf which dangled some very large seals. The captain of the Plooer could not retforain a groan when he saw it disappear in the profundities of the highwayman's pocket. "And now your purse," said Dick. "Remember, discretion is the better part of valour." "For heaven's sake take it and be off," said the «aptain. " All right ! And now, madam," said Tnrpin, in his most insinuating tones, " let me exact a tribute from you. I will not take anything from you in the shape of j-' Tela or trinkets.but simply a kiss from your ruby lips." " By God !" said i'.'a captain, springing to his feet, " this is too much. Damme ! I have given in quietly, and now you want to kiss my wife before I have kissed her myself ! No, I'm d d if you shall !" But the lady blushed, and looked anything but dis* pleased or reluctant to comply with the bold highway man's demand. In fact, Dick was a very good-looking fellow, and of a style and colour that is always pleasing to the ladies. Dick shook his hair back fro^v, his face and smiled. The lady bent forward. But the captain interposed. " Draw back your smirking figure-head, you piratical swab, or I'll spoil the colour of it, damme ! And you, madam, draw back. You are my wife, recollect, and I'll make you suffer for your conduct !" Bnt Turpin was not so easily to be baulked out of his kiss, when he saw that the lady was evidently not disinclined, so he held bis pistol at the captain's hesid significantly. " Seat yourself," he said. " Rememb«f, I have your life in my hands, and I can deprive yon of it in an in- stant. If you value it, sit down." Now, Captain Nidget — for such was his name — was a bold enough man in his way, but just then he did not feel desirous of leaving the world and a widow. So he sank back in bis seat, and glared at his wife and the highwayman like some wild animal. Not heeding him, however, Dick put his arm in the carriage, and taking the lady round the waist, drew her towards him. She made a show of resistance, but when her face was close to the highwayman's, she suddenly ceased her struggles, and Dick pressed not one, bnt a dozen kisses on her lips. They were not only received, bnt returned. The husband was foriona. But Dick was aroused from his blissful occupation, by hearing Tom King shout in a loud voice : " Look oat, Dick, look out ! Be off at once ! Here come the of^cers again! They are straining every nerve !" The words were followed by the report of a pistol and the trampling of horses' feet. CHAPTER XLV. TURPIN AND KING TAKE REFUGE IN THE OLD MANSION AT DUBLEY CHINE, AND MEET WITH A SERIES OP UNPARALLELED ADVENTURES DURING THEIR STAY THERE. Our friends make a slight mistake when they came to the conclusion that the Guildford police-officers had abandoned the chase. The fact was, they found their horses completely knocked ap, so were obliged to come to a standstill, but they sent off one of their band, mounted on the best horse in the troop, to fetch freah cattle and also a rein- forcement. This necessarily delayed them for some time, but they calculated upon the highwaymen relaxing their speed, and perhaps even halting when they found they were no longer pursued, and, therefore, had great hopes that if they could follow they would soon over- take them. By dint of numerous inquiries on their route, they succeeded in tracing Tnrpin and King to the gipsies' camp, which they reached only a few hours after they had left it. They spurred on their horses, and saw at last, to their great satisfaction, the persons whom they sought actually robbing a carriage by daylight. They increased their speed, and it was not until the postilion waved his arm that King knew of their ap- proach. It was then he gave the alarm to Diok in the manner recorded at the end of the last chapter. At the same time, he himself turned his horse's bead ( round, and set off at full speed, leaving r^ck to follow his example as quickly as he could. Turpin pressed one more kiss upon the bnde's lips, and then giving Bess the rein, sped off like the wind. He overtook Tom King in a few moments. • In the meantime, Captain Nidget learned v^tth great satisfaction that a body of police were close at hand. He opened the door of the carriaf^e, and stepped out into the roadway a second or so tefore the oflSoera reached him. THE KtiKiHT OS THE ROAD. Be ptiUed off hia white-powAB^ca wig, an KTWr DISCOVEK THE MTSTBETT OF DUUtiFT CHINK. dlLACK bB"ileDce was absolutely required, and she trod as stealthily js cat after its prey. The posturb ^f affairs in that little open space in tie forest was rathe" f^ingular in itselt and most periloas for •ur friends. At some not very distant period it would seem that one of those gigantic oaks, for the growth of whioh England is so famous, had — " Beared its tall branches to the sky " from the centre of this clearing, but now it had been felled preparatory to removal. Its branches were many, vide spt ^ading, and stout, ani covered a large piece of ground as it th»s lay upon ©ne side, which, of course, had the natural effect of causingt them to spread out laterally to a great distance, whila in many places they rose vertically to a considerable height. In all the forest it is questionable whether there could have been found a place more suitable for intrenchment, or a position where two men could better defend them- selves against a host. The capacity of this place was, sf course, immediately perceived by Turpin, an«l he at once turned it to its greatest possible advantage. The branehes interlaced each other in a very puzaling manner, but the two friends penetrated them for some distance, leading BlacTc Bess by the bridle. Then, having reached a part sufficiently free from obstructions to alio*? of soch a fea#. they Ibroed Bess to he down v.-ioa her side. But our friends ,,^g fe^y ^Hve to «he vital import- ance ***» rftude of action, and all this was dofie with great rapidity, and before the officers could reach the tree. In a moment afterwards, however, and before Turpin and King could look to the priming of their p:sfcols, they were upon them. " Stand firm ! " said Dick to his comrade. ■' Stand firm ! Eemember this will be no child's play ! We are fighting for our liberty and life agaiast four times our force — men who have determined to deprive us of one of them ! Now, Tom ! Here tliey are ! Upon them ! " As he spoke, Turpin advanced a few paces. He waited, though, for the police to commence the attack, who had completely surrounded the fellen tree and were crying in loud tones for the highwaymen to surrender. But, finding not the slightest notice taken of their words, they fired an irregular volley into fhe tree. ThiiS was done, of course, at random, for they had no idea whereabouts among the foUage their prey had con- cealed themselves, but they trusted on ■'of the shots would find them out. Not the faintest sound, however, camtfrom the branches of the tree, so they fired again. This volley was succeeded by a shot fVom the tree, and one of the officers placed his hands upon his breast and fell backwards. There was one foe less for our friends to coatend The others, hv.,rever, marked the ^pot from wheaee the flash and the graoke of the discharged pistol proceeded, and half-a-dozen shots were fired ia that direetioQ. Our friends, though, had tabee the precaution te erooch as low down on the ground as they eoald, so the ballets' passed harxBlesaly a foot or two ftbore their heads. Another and anether shot was fired by the highway- men, both of which took effect apon the ^lice, whose numbers were thus racidly and unexpectedlj peduced one- third. '■■ This will never do : " King and Turpin tht,.;. heara a voice 3ay. " Wa shall be picked off like sparrows ob a fen"', rjliarge at once, and root them from their oovei- But the officers were but men, and had a wboleeome ■•read of death, besides wiiich, the fate of their e«B». ^H zona was nsit without ita effect upon them, and t*«B ,hnng back a litfcla from executing the order." of theftr i o^ief . I They huddled together in a denser throng. They were quickly made aware of the imprudence of this, for two more shots were fired from the tvet. " Charge ! my men ! charge ! " again cned the officer in command. " The danger in doing so will be less than it is now. Upcm them, then ! Charge ! " As he spoke — for he was a brave man — he drew his own cutlass from its sheath and sprang forward. The others could not do otherwise than follow his example. In their progress, though, they were greeted with two otiier shots, with equally good effect as the preceding ones. But they did not draw back a nioment, or hesitate in the least. The number o* oScers waa now reduced to four, and all this while neither of the highwaynaen had received any injury worth speaking of. There is a htstle mystery in connexion with the pistol- shots which we have yet to reveal. Croucldng down low upon the ground, Tom King loaded the pistols, and handed them to Turpin; who, resting the barrels upon a Umb of the old oak, was thus eaabled to take a most careful and deadly aim. The lanterns which the officers carried assisted him greatly in doing this. He had reduced the number of his opponents to less than one -half. It was very repugnant to Dick to pick the men off in this wa.y, but he felt that unless he chose to allow himself and his companion to be taken prisoners, there was no help for it. But the officers nor^ as we have said, charged boldly at the highwaymen. % would have been much wiser on their parts if they ^i \dopted this plan at first, but the peculiar plaoe ia which ^^i* f»eads had taken ahtikar baflM them. Bat Diclv aiid Tom f^lt trtsrm toe ▼k tl>em, that they would yet have to struggle desperately for their lives and liberty. Therefore, af'ter <»e more discharge, they both took up their hangers. Dick felt a desire to whisper to King, and tell him to try his best, but he was afraid his voice would reach the ears of the police-ofSoers, and mate ttem aware of their exact hiding-place. Instead of speaking, he simply pressed his comrade's arm. And then the officers were upon them. But oar friends had securely intrenched themselves behind some oi' the interlacHug boughs of the tree, which formed a kind of barrier almost breast-high. The officers had drawn their catlasses. They did not wait now to load axid tire their pistols, but each wielded his weapon with an itape+uosity which he hoped would qaickly orereome the resistance offered to to them. But they were i«istalie«. Turpin and King were both exceUeot swordsmen— it haa been imperatively necessary that they should become proflcients in every meaas of defence — aad in a few moments imo of the foremost ofiscers fell beneath their stroke*, whik they themselves had neceived no f^orther injury. There was aaot'Ler eii-caawtance, toe, which we forgot to mention, lutd which gave the two friends no iu«on- siderable advantage. It was this. The ground upon which tlw tree had fallen, rose f^to f little hillock, and it was upon the summit of this eloTation f^t Dick and Tom stood. They were, eooeequeotJy, at least two feet higher filian tae police, whioh eoabled <^bp*n to ^eaeh over the barrier of branehes. But tfee two lemMBing ofiioea^— one of wh«m was the jslief— were very bold, detieradned men, aadt hey veaolved by their own efforfa either to capture the hip-bwaymen OS die in tke attempt. "^ey were woriieil up k> a pwr^ert pitch cd itoai/. Xkek Mtd Tim iwneivetf their ouiauf^bt with ooo^nestu <*HB KHIGHT OF THB »CVU). anil c&^IMif defended themselves while V^-^ing thfh I cpportunity t« deal them a slashing cut. urpin was the first to disable his antagonist, whom He wounded so severely in the shoulder that he was f'aiii to ■ink upon the ground, and proclaim himself vanquished. Then he turned towards Tom King, whom he knew, from the wounds he had received, must be nearly, if not quite, exhausted, Dick found him cu&agod with the »^uici of the police, who had already forced his way through the umbrageous oarricade, and was pressing hardly upon him. In fact, it was well for Tom that Turpin turned his attention to him when he did, for his foot slipped, an^ he fell heavily upon the ground. He was so faint he could not rise, for he had, since the wound he received iust before entering the forest, J'^'t an enormous quantity of blood. *' Before, however, the chief officer could follow up the advantage he had gained, he found himself suddenly con- fronted by Dick Turpin, who at once attacked him. The chances between the two combatants were nearly equal — if anything, the chief of the police w«i the taller and more powerful man of the two. Dick could not but admire the bravery of this officer, who, although he knew aU hope of victory and capture was at an end, yet did not in the least abate the strength of his blows, or indicate the least idea of surrender. On the contrary, he fought, if possible, with greater fury than before, and for once Turpin found some one who was fairly entitled t' be called his match. Still our hero did not like the idea of slaying this man, foe though he was, and he, therefore, sought to disarm him. In this he was for a long time unsuccessful, for the officer, with loud cries for him to yield, attacked him with great resolution. There was very little light, too, for them to fight by . The lanterns had become one by one extinct, and it was ©nly because their eyes had got thoroughly accustomed to the darkness that they could see each other at aU. At length Dick, who was fairly weary of the fray, dealt one terrific sweeping blew with his hanger, which, striking through all guard, reached the Lea'l of the ferave officer, who fell to the ground suddealy aod heavily £8 though ' ht) had beea kuoSted down with a p»le-axe. The highwaymen were masters e^ t4ic field. It was beating regularly but very feebiy. •' Oh ! i*- is not so bad, after all, as I thought it was,** he said, wldle he gave vent '.o a sigh of relief. " Not so bad aa I ohouglt, but if something is not done, and that quickly, it sooa will be worse. Let me get my 1 intern or t of his pocket, and thei> I shall be able to see vviiat I aiu doing ! ' The reader will recollect the lantern of which uiek now spoke. It was that one which had rendered them such signal service while escaping from the " Samson and Lion." Turpin was not long finding and lighting it. He first cast the broad, bright .beam of light upon hi« friend's countenance. It was very paJe, and streaked with blood in many places. Tom's eyes were closed, and he looked for all the world as though Death had written Finis to his career. But such was not the case, nor was it to be until he had seen stranger and more perilous adventures than any with which he had yet met. King opened his eyes. It is most likely the bright rays of the lantern falling upon his eyelids aroused him. But he could not see his friend, who held the lamp before him, and whose form was consequently shrouded in darkness. He heard his voice, though, for Dick, as soon as he saw Tom's eyes open, spoke to him cheeringly. Then the administration of some more brandy from the flask greatly aided his recovery ; in fact, in a few momenta he was able to sit up. With all imaginable tenderness Turpin made an exami^ nation of the wounds which Tom King had received. He was overjoyed to find them all of a superficial the first one he had received looked the worst. CHAPTER XLYII. OUE TW© FRIENDS KNTEK TJPOW ^ *■ "^ ^*^^ "^^ ©^ BUSINESS. At the moraeiit tlie officer fell to the gremad, Toai Ki^g but that was owing in a great measure to the coagulated blood about it, which had forced itself through the bandage he had so hastily tied on. " Y'ou will be right enough in a very short time," he said, as King looked inquiringly at him. " Absolute rest for a time will be indispensable, and then y©u will be as sound as ever you were." ' " I am glad of that assurance, my friend, fer I do \ assure you I feel about as bad as I well could just at f present." " Ko doubt — no doub'. ! Coagratulate yourself that you have got off so well as you have." ' " I do— aad sou ? ** « I aai.ae I may say, perfectly ufihurt, ^lough I expect t« fiiaa a scratch here and there. However^ stay wh^«e ^ you are fcH- a moment, I would lie down if I were yon — raised himself a little upon one hand and look«d eon. j it will rest you more, and you will recevcr your strength fusedly about him. i better. In the meantime I will try if I cannot find some In fact, durifig Dick's contest with the ehiei Oi the water that will do to wash your hurts with. You will police, he had lain in something that closely resembled a •woon. For a minute or two he remained rather in doubt as to what had happened, and he passed his other hand over his eyes repeatedly. But just as memory vvas flooding back upon him, the familiar tones of Dick s voice reaoh^ his ears. "Tom — Tom," he heard him say, " the day is ours. Get up ! get up at once ! All is over now ! I mean there is DO danger ! Our foes are all slain or wounded, and I myself am unhurt. Come, get up — get up ! " " All right," replied King, in what he intended to be a cheerful voice, but he found to his surprise that the words were almost inaudible. He made a stronger effort. " I am afraid I am badly hurt,- 'no said, and he raised himself still further from the ground. " Help me up, Dick. I fancy when once I reach my feet I s>'all be able tr stand •1! right enough.'' But even as he uttered this assurance, so judden ..._ accession of weakness came over him, that he sank back upon tihe sward. . ', ^i^*** • " saia i urpin, in some uurprise, for uncil then he had no idea of the condition of his friend. " HUloa, lom ! are you so bad as that ? Eh ? " Bat no Bound responded io his words, save a strange half8i!,^-,:alf groan, ^^jnoo^! - alemned, Dicur ic ^elt down hastily by the eide, . V **«* "JXJ olsoe*? hifi ''ioq' aooB his heart. d a plentiful application of cdd water will make a wonderful difference to you." " I should be glad of some water, indeed ! " replied Kinff, " for the wounds smart and burn unbearably." " That is inflamation — a thing to be especially eschewed — and you may make up your mind that if the hurts are not well cooled with water, they will take a dangerous turn. I shall not be long ^oue to fetch some, so be patient. I will just put Bess upon her legs a-f^ain." So saying, Tunin made a few steps further among the branches and h-_iped his mare to her feet, for he had at the commencement of the contest commanded her to lio down, and so she had remained. It was one of the things ho had been most careful in teaching her, for he was well aware r f the value it would be to him. In the present instance she had by lying down been entirely out of the range of the pistol shots. When she reached her feet she rubbed her nose affec- tionately against "Dick's breast, who in return patted hoi upon the neck. Then, after a -.vor'^ more to King, Turpm left the troft which had been of suc'i essential serv'oe to him ^»d crossed the little open space. Bess followed him v.ith j'-. docility or a dop- He Hstened fcr a long time for the sounoviBds tboalsd oared to aebMwle«l^, evoa to bimself. Frem tkne to^tane, as tkey pr»«eeded oq tlieii Tar, Kck haa reeoui-se to the ewnpass ia tipe oa^tftain's watck, m order to soafeff B«?e tiiey wer« mr< teayelliBg k the ■wrong directiao. ^ It was cbrio* rfy tij^ir best poliey to rat as fe-r from ijoodoa— or , ^i feet, aay toira— as p«ssibre, and i^en lie concealed for a littlp ti«ie until tke Ewise tbeir lost exploits '..'•tdd be SHrc i«> ake sbould, ir 2««m saeasure, have died away. Botk were v^eM aware tliat if they perseT<*red iu the course tkey were takiag, they mast reaeh the sea opast ai ■ome poii>t betweea Southampton and Poistsmoutii, > Tbey oootuiiied, thereto, to £d oe a passage ia ikAa direction, for theif arg^tMd tbcst if k oboald beeonae Hn)»erat>v«, they weuid bo doubt be abie to slip over to Francs for a time. It was set until they had gooe maay a mile, apparentiy where bo man had gone for a huadred years at leaflt, that Tmm spoke. " Diak— Dick," he said. His voice was low but firKU " What is it, my fricad ? Are yo» beHec ? " " Much ! But when you again look at the compass to nake eertaia of our route, turu the wateh over on the eiher side ajid tell me wha> the time is." *' I will do that new, for I was about to leok whea you spoke. It wants a kttla vtore than half an hour of midnight." " Indeed, so lato ! Sarely, bow, in half an hour we shall ewerge from this place, of which I am most heartily tired, and we shall be able to tell whereabouts we are." " I suppose the necessity of rest grows upon you." " No, I cannot say that is altogeUier it ; but I feel im- patient, and long to place myself where I shall be more secure than I am now, for I can assure you I could now do very little in the fighting way." " 1 should think not ; so, for your sake, I hope we shall meet with no ' ^cerruption." It was Vofging closely upon midnight when the two friends emerged from the forest. A scene of surpassing beauty met their gaze. Before them, glistening in the moonbeams like polished ■ilver, was the English Channel. It stretched to the right, to the left, and straight on before them, as far as the eye could reach. The landscape, too, was very rich, and very thickly wooded. There was but one habitation in sight, and that was a very fine old Gothic hall, or mansion, which was built upon the summit of a rock, and overlooking the sea. It was surrounded by a park of vast extent, which had rather a sewnbre appearance, attributable, however, to the great number of chestnut-trees that grev/ in it. The moon was barely half way between the horizon and the zenith, but she had risen above the thick bank of clouds, and her bnght rays fell upon the roofs and chimneys and one side of this mansion with an exceedingly beautiful etfect. For some time the two highwaymen remained quite motionless, gazing upon the magnifieent panorama spread out before them, in which, at that still hour, the longer they ga«ed the more beauties they found. Diek was the first to break the siloaoe. " This is splendid ! " he said ; " I never saw anythiBg one half so lovely. Did yoH, Tom ? " " I must confess I never have," said King, " and vet this plaee is aioat dseeitfiil." " Deceitful, To»n ? Y^y, what do you mean r Dc ^^a mean to tell me it will fade away — vanish— like tfeat, what- do-yoH-«all-it the travellers *»y they see in the desert ? " " The wit-ate f No, that » not what I oeatA. Do yoM see the mansion un tbere ? " ■^es."' " I have he*ra o< it moiay tisies, and rceogaiBe it from (be descripfeioBS I baiv« at vario«e times bed of it, and eketjii-^s I feave seee. Yo«i, doubtless, when I laeotioo it, wiit konw its tfvis. sr, ai aU events, have heard it before." " Wbrtt IS it, ( b©n 'f fou Ml me with eunoeitj.'* Be drew eloeer to King as he spoke. " It is knowi*," sart Tom, " hv rMv mHn^ 3in-guiar oano «f Burler Cbicw.'' I "DwieyOMM?- ; '' Tes. Is it passible yoa hme aeA, hi^rto heard the Bame ? " " I have no reoaembraAoe of >t." '' Toa surprise me ! A few ye'o' »«: ezceQeztt tiiifig for us." " You talk vather eBigmaticaHy, iom, and jrou ,}Timp froa «ia thing to another sta^ngely. What is it yon raean ? You spoke at first about £bi« beaatiful prospeot b^Bg deeoitfte. ^<^w* ^ should Uke to kitow fint wfa«t yoo meast bv that. " I wiil feefi you." Diek look<«d vtiik ioereasing ^aimestness into lib eoin> panion's fitee. He anticipated some remarkable and interesting revela- tion. " When I spoke of its being deceitful," continued King, " I alluded ehiefly to the air of peaceful serenity thore is about this place, and thought of the strange occurrences that happened some twelve or fourteen years ago, when I was a boy." " Indeed ! What were they ? " " It will be scarcely worth while to tell yon now," said Tom, " nor would it be wise. We shall soon have a more fitting opportunity. I intend we shall take up our abode in that mansion for a time ! No one will think of looking for us there." , " And how about the residents ? " " The place is uninhabited, and has been for the period of time I mentioned.*' " Fourteen or fifteen years ? " "Yes." " How extraordinary ! Whatever can be the reason that snch a magnificent property as this is deserted ? " " That forms the sequel to the account I have to give you of the things that happened ctiere. It was one of tbose domestic tragedies, the remembrance of which endures for a generation, and is then forgotten." " You have filled me with curiosity and interest." " I do not doubt that ; but come, do not stay here like this ; let us push forward. In a very short time now we shall be secure from all search ; and I shall, besides, be able to have that rest which I feel is so vitally importan/ to me." " I am glad to hear that. But the place of conceau ment had need to be a good one, if we are to escape dis- covery. There will be a hot search made." " You are right there, but I am not much afraid now. Take the bridle again, and keep on in as straight a line as you can." Once more then the little party set themselves in motion. The road they took, which was nothing more than a footpath through some fields, was somewhat declivous, so that in a little while they lost sight of the sea, but the gabled roofs of Durley Chine, owing to their elevation above the surrounding scenery, were still visible. A little more than a quarter of an hour's walk brought them to a broad cross-country lane. Turpin unfastened the gate, and passed out of the field into it. The opposite side of the lane was formed of wooden palings, some six feet in height. They were nailed eloee together — one strip of wood overlapping the other. A green, moesy parasite had overgrown this palisade, ajad imparted to it a neglected appearance, while here aad there some trailing plant had twined itself fantas tieaQy aboat it. Abwe this paling, and eSfectually preventing any one from aarmounting it or even seeing what was on the othi3r side, g^ew a large quickset hedge, which was in the \tiili {rfory of anrestrictod growth. ^^iiKwt 1«t «>«l««« the tops of mi *erowS large ebeetawt-sreee. ** This, I take it," said Kiag, after Isu-pin had re- fasleood the gate, "is the boundary pab-v; of Durley ) Park. How rfoomy it looks." " And hoHf wnpregnable. How Kte jon fvug to efiiect { Ti entrance?" *' Why, act by di«biBg ever that hod^, jon taaj M mx. if we fctlow the paliadde w& mmt amve st iuo ) cu t roa ee «ftte»" BLACK BESS; OK, * Yes ? bat do you tlmik of getting through thairv?" "VThynot?" •* Oh I I see no leason why not." " Of course, if we find a gap in the palinga we may as well pass through it. But I do not suppose we shall. ' " Not see a gap 'n the palinps, and the place been so long deserted r * should think we shall be sure to do so." " You will know more presently." " You are very mysterious about it." " Do you think so ? " " I am sure." " Well, I will tell you how it is. I said just now I was acqijainted with some particulars of certain events that liappened here and led to its being closed up. I want to give you those particulars in the form of a narrative, un- spoilt by my telling you anything you might conjitiMd into a solution of the mystery ! ' " Then I only hope it will prove interestin'j enough to compensate me for my patience in waiting for it. " I can promise that it will beforehand ; and look, do you see the top of some white object just in advance P " " Quite plainly. I was just going to ask you if you knew what it was. It looks Uke some monument or other, but i' cannot be that, surely ?" " i have never seen it, but only heard that it is here to be seen by anyone who takes the trouble to look." " What is there to be seen P " Tom laughed as he replied — " You must wait and see." The lane curved round a good deal to the left, so that, although the moon's rays, which became every moment more brilliant, showed the top of some monument, the lower pai-t was not to be seen. That part which was visible resembled the apex of an obelisk. Dic'r's curiosity, v/hich was now i-aised to the highest pitch of endurance, was soon gratified, for in a few moments they went round the bend in the lane, which then for a mile at least stretched out in a straight line before them. Near the middle of this straight piece of roadway— that is to say, rather less than half a mile distant was that which the highwayman had seen the top of over the trees. It was clearly a monument of some kind, though it seemed a very strange place for such a thing to be erected. In a very few minutes Turpin and King reached it, and by mutual consent both stopped to examine it atten- tively. The strange and startling events that are about to be related in connection with the old mansion a,t Uurley Chine, make it imperative that we should be a httle more precise than usual in describing it. Its height from the ground to the point at the top was not much under twenty feet, so that, placed as it was in the centre of the lane, it formed a very conspicuous object. It was built entirely of white marble, very highly polished, and the moonbeams fell upon it with rare beauty and effect. The base of this monument consisted of a square pedestal about five feet in height by three across. Upon the top of this pedestal (one at each corner and the other in the centre) were placed five stone balls, re- eembhng cannon balls in every respect save colour. These formed a support for the upper part of the monu- ment, which was composed of a pyramidally-shaped block of marble, at least ten feet in height. Such was the peculiar object before which the two friends paused The singularity of its ah&pe was sufficient in itself to attract, under any circumstances, something wore than a. passing observation, but its strange situation iwfl.de it still aiore remarkable. The highwaymep looi-ed anon it for 3«me tjomeots in silence. "And is th9t« nothing more — no lines undwr itv ' " No." " You must be makins a mistake, or else I ha"-* hPioh informed wrongly.*' " Oh ! I see, ' said Dick, who had made a re-oxamina- tion of the piUar, " I see how it is ! There is a coat of arms on two sides of the pedestal, and an inscri^tjnn on [ the others." " I thought so. I had always been told there was. Can " you read what it is ? " " On this side 1 can, for the letters ure large and deeply cut." " That will do, then. T' o inscription on tHe other aide is merely a dupHcate of t"' '.s one." " Listen." Dick then read as follows. We give the inscription just as xt appeared upon the stone. In obedierxie to the instructions Contained in th'* last Will and Testament of SIR KRNEST DANE, Kt., This Marble Monument has been iu this place erected by hia Executors, In order to make known to all persona that the Will of tht deceased Baronet strictly injoins that, Dating from the time of hia funeral. The 25th July, MDCCXVII., Ko foot be placed Either within the mansion of Durley Chine or the park surrounding it For the period of One Hundi-ed Years; But all things left Untouched as they were at his death. And Should any one be found suflBciently abandoned to disregard the last injunctions of the dead (which should always be held sacred). They will in the eyes of the law be guilty of a trespass, for which They will be prosecuted with the utmost rigour. Sir Ernest having caused to be set aside A sum of money For that especial purpose. " What do you think of that, Dick ? " asked Tom King, when his companion had finished reading the above in scription. "What do I think of it ? Why, that altogether it is the most extiuordinary thing I have ever met with." " I (ion't doubt that." " What in the world could be his motive for abandoning such a beautiful residence to decay ? " " You may depend it was an all-powerful one. " " Do you know what it was ? " " Rumour has given several reasons," replied Tom, evasively. " When this monument was first put up it called forth a great deal of remark." " It would be sure to dj that. And these armorial bearings on the other side re, I presume, those belonging to the family of the baronet ? " "Yes." " How strange, to be sure ! And I see now, as yoq pass down the lauo either way, the inscription is before you." " Just so. That was in order every one should see it." " I ^vonder if his wishes have beon scrupulously observed." '■ I cannot tell, my friend. I can onl> say this, if they l\ive hitherto they won't be much longer ! " " Then, do you think of taking refuge in the mansion ? " ■ I do. I resolved upci, it the moment I saw the building." "Now, I should Lave thought," said Diclr, hsM seriously, "that fvom whai you said about the miser's box, you would have had too great a reverence lor the wishes of the dead to disobey them." " So I should, if they had been at all reasonaole. But Tom Kmg wus determined not to be the first to bu e^Jt, > when they are ridiculously absurd, like these? 1 consider He had not to wait loug, for Turpin asked— I a-n quite justified." , ■ , .^ . " Has any one been buried here ? -j what is it r"' " And so do I. For I tell you plainly it is not b«v— 39 " Look a little closer at the pedestal, my friend, 3 .>••, | this place will afford us such complete conceRlm ut that I will see that there is upon it an inscription." I am anxious to enter it, but I have made up my mind to " No, there isn't ; it is a coat (rf arms, or somethujjB of ! see if I cannot find out the v.^.^^ ^Jw gjr Wmest mad» Asktcoft." « »«>uii»r » wiU THE KNIOHT 0» Tfl* BOAD. " With all my heart, do it," said Tom. " I think I nerer had my carioaity bo maoh excited about anything as it has been about this." *' It looks like it. However, I have heard an account of the mystery of Durley Chine, but how far it is truth, and how far fiction, I cannot tell until we have actually seen the inside of the place." " Come along, then, at once ! But yon speak a great deal better than you did." " Oh ! yes, I am much stronger now than I was. Tours was very judicious treatment, Dick." " It was simple, and it appears to have been effective." " It has. I shall soon bo all right again, thanks to yon. And now we ought not to lose any more time than we have already. Let us see about making an entrance into Durley Chine." CHAPTER XLIX. THE SBC RET OF DURLEY GHINE. Ottb friends now, having given one more glance at the obelisk, turned round. Then, and not till then, did they notice that they had reached the termination of the park paling, and that there was in its place the entrance gates to the park. They were flanked by very large solid stone buttresses. The hinges of the gates, which were of wrought-iron, were scoured in two high stone pillars, which had upon their tops the crest of the family sculptured in stone. This was a lion seated, with one of his fore-paws resting upon a vertical shield. " I don't think we shall have much diflBculty over this job," said Turpiu, who carefully examined the lock. " It is large and formidable-looking, but it will be all the easier picked for that 1" •' It will ; but are there no other fastenings ?" "None that I can see, with the exception of two bolts." " Oh ! they are nothing. But, Dick." "What?" " You must be careful how you open the gate. You mast do it so as to be able to fasten it again, and leave it without the appearance of its having been tampered with. If you do not, you will destroy our safe hiding- place at once." " I'll take care of that. You watch for anyone coming." " All right ! There is not much to fear, though, I fancy, in the way of an interruption. Still it is best to be prepared." In the meantime, Tnrpin had produced a pick-lock from his pocket, with which he immediately commenced operations. The gate lock bafBed him for some time. At last, however, its bolt shot back with a sharp click. It was then an easy matter to withdraw the bolts, and Bwinging one half of the gate open, Turpin entered, closely followed by Tom King, who was mounted on Black Bess. As soon as they had passed through, Dick shut the gate, bolted it, and then, by the aid of the little instru- ment which had already been so useful, relocked it. They were now standing in the main avenue of Dur- ley Chine, or rather in what once was the main avenue. Now it presented no claim for such a designation, for the fine gravel was completely overgrown by a mass of luxuriant undergrowth, through which they had some trouble in forcing a way. It grew darker and darker at every step they took. The huge horse-chestnut trees with which the park was literally filled, stretched out their massive branches, loaded with dark leaves, in every possible direction, and making too dense a canopy overhead for the moon's rays to penetrate. A row of these sombre-looking trees had been planted at each side of the avenue, and doubtless, when properly trimmed, looked handsome enough ; but now, for more than fifteen years, they had been allowed to grow unre- strainedly, so that they had put forth branches here and there, until the whole were inextricably interwoven with each other. Our friends' progress was necessarily slow, for they lelt it incumbent upon them to proceed with caution. It wa« one comfort, though, to &ad th« ground be* iMath their feet firm and etan. The avenue was serpentine in shape, so that they could not obtain a glimpse even of its termination, nor of the mansion they were so anxious to reach. Dick's thoughts were running upon the mysterious monument. " Did this Sir Ernest Dane," he said, after a few minutes silence, " have no heirs ?" • " None very closely allied to him, but several distant ^ relatives." " And did they not contest this will ?" " I believe they did all that could be done to set it aside, but their attempts failed utterly. The baronet was one too many for them." " How very strange ! But stop ! What is to be- come of the place at the end of the hundred years ?" " It is to go into the possession of his nearest heir then living. Yon must understand that this estate is, or was, but a portion of his property. The remainder he divided pretty equally among hia deecendaBta." "Then they ought to have been satisfied, and have left him to the quiet indulgence of his whim." " I don't know that. It was argued that no man had a right to do as he had done, and I think it was argued very justly." " Perhaps so, for a multitude of evils might spring from such a state of things." " You are right enough there, but you see here the place remains as he ordered it, though whether it will remain until 1817 is more than I can tell." " Or care to know. Thank goodness ["exclaimed Tur- pin ; " we have reached the end of this avenue at last." It was as Turpin had said ; they had reached the end of the avenue, but before they gained the mansion they would have to cross a lawn of unusual size, on which the grass had grown to a height of three or four feet. Before them, however, was the picturesque residence called Durley Chine. They were facing, of course, the front of the house. It was in deep shadow, for the moon was hidden be- hind ; still her rays served to outline it with great dis- tinctness. Our friends made a strange, rustling sound, as they crossed this neglected lawn. " What a very pretty place this is, Tom," said Tnr- pin. " Really, the more one sees of it the greater seems the shame that it should be left to rot away." " And yet, Dick, you ought to recollect that our recent adventures will be the means of bringing ns into great peril ; so you see Sir Ernest's whim has done some ser- vice to us, at least, for you may depend, if we only act with moderate caution, we shall be able to stay here unmolested as long as we think proper." " Perhaps so." " There is no perhaps in the matter ; for, unless they had conclusive evidence that we were hiding here, I am certain neither officers nor anyone else would be per- mitted to search here. I very much question even if they would be allowed were they quite certain." " This, then, we may say, is a sanctuary ?" " Exactly." " And that all they could do, if they found we were here, would be to starve us out." " "They could do that, certainly." " But come, never mind that now. Here we are." " Yes, my friend ; but, before we try to make an en- trance, had we not better house Bess somewhere ?" "I don't know ; I fancy it will be the best to take her round either to the side or the rear, and tether her to a tree, so that she can feed upon the grass, for we have no other food to offer her." " Be it BO, then. But you must take care not to place her where she can He seen by any one overlooking the place." " Oh ! yes, that will be managed easily enough." Bess, accordingly, was led round to the back of the mansion ; and our friends having found a kind of shrub- bery, they tied her by the reins to one of the tree* near it, leaving her sufficient length to crop the rather rank herbage about her feet. Dick was also careful not to actually secure her to the tree, for he knew his mare was sagacious enough to understand ahe was not to stray from where she had been plaoed; »tthe ume ttme, ■honld anything ooonr to make liiACK nim^i c>i3u ^^iii... .... • ■■' ~ '■" I ■aob a 'anng nsoessary, she ooold release herself trcrr nei bondage. I This having been done, King and Turpin once more made their way round to the front of the mansioii- The hall-door was reached by two flights of stone stecfl, eacn of which had a massive balustrade. Two lions, chiselled in stone, similar to those upon the park-gates, but much smaller in size, were upon the end of the balmstrades. . . Decay, however, dua already begun to exert its influence upon both balustrade and steps; for the former were ci-umbling at the edges, and moss-grown, while the ]"+<-er Wf^re broken in many places. j • •• Day by day, year by year, had durft accumulated m the cn^rices of the stonework, and then the seeds of many cm-ious wild plants had drifted there, and grown up, but, from want, of space to take proper root, dwarfed m their proportions. , •, . , n- i. In fact, when the two highwaymen ascended the flight of >;tep8, and stood upon the huge slab in front of the hal'l-door, the traces of desolation and neglect became more and more apparent. The massive doorway itself was a perfect marvel in the shajie of grotesque carving, but the finer portions of it had long since crumbled into powder. The door was large, and of solid oak. Its colour now, however, was difficult to determine. It was gracefully ornamented, and, at the same time, strengthened bj a quantity of filagree ironwork running over it. . , t^ , ii There we-re shutters to all the windows, but they were dosed. They were of a kind very rarely to be imtt with BOW. In shape they more than anything else resembled the modern Venetian blind, except that they were large and strong, and were hung oh the outside with perpeudi- eular hinges. , ,, It was quite clear that to wnomsoever the eccentnc baroaet had delegated the carrying out of his instruc- tions had done their duty, for the place was strongly barricadei. Tnrpin took hold of the large knob upon the Qocr, mn tried to shake it. . . . ^ i- He might as well have tried to shako Hie/greax. aoor ot Newgate itself. It was as firm as a roek. _ " It strikes me, Tom," he said, "that thts place ini?v be, after all, just a little Int too secure." " How do you mean ? " " Wliy, that we shall not be able to get in. " Do you think not ?" " 1 fancy we shall have considerable trouble. Just put your shoulder against this door, and try to shake it ! " " Not I ! It is quite immovable, no doubt." " What are you going to do, then P " " We must seek some weak part ot the defences to make an entrance." -n ^ j to t* "And where do you imagine you will find iti' It appears to me the place has been fastened up with the greatest possible care." " It has, unquestioHably, but ihev have left one point OBruarded. " Where ? " " These little windows ! ' n i ^i- j Tem King, as he spoke, pointed to two smaU latticed casements. , ., , ^i j ^a 'Fkey were plaeed upon each side of the doo^, u'^d prokibly f»r the purpose of illuminating the haU They were tall, and comparatively narrow. ^ ^ . , TBtey were filled with a great number of minute stained gJaw, diamond -shaped ^nee. . , ^^ ' Bui they were unprovnded witn shutteM. The httle Bide windows had, evifleiitly, either C -en entirely overlooked, or else, finding there was no means of fastening them, they had been left to toke their chance. When Tom King called Turpin's attention to them, both became aware that a soft light had stolen over the Scene and that they oould see now with much greater (Kstin'ctness what they were about than they could beiore. Thev turned round to see from whence this sudden ..cessiM of light had come, and found that the moon wd 'us^made her way round to the front of the mansion, uju as shining Boaiy upon them. ^■u^^\^^A Dick took ftom the pocket in his coat, which U had ^e erprtwly for it. a naalU -U«l orowbar. This will facilitate opoKitio?:*, I ^vther think. i'T m a /eaatiful little weapon, \s it not ? '' He held it out to Tom as he spoke. King took it in his hands, and, just glancing atu lor A moment, said — " It will be of most essential servicfe. Jut ^a aavB wa-sted sadly too much time already. So, here goes ! " He mada a step forward to the little ^vindow. " Na.y, nay," said Dick, "you are wounded, my friend, although you must be getting much better, or you would not have needed me to remind you of it. Still, I fancy I can do it better than you." " I had forgotten it for the moment, I confess. But take the jemmy, and start at once ! " " All right ! " said Dick. " It will be easy enouga v> get in now." But he found much more difBculty in effecting an entrance than he at all expected. CHAPTER L. RELATES THE STRANGE SIGHTS AND SOUNDS WHICH THB HIGHWAYMEN SAW AND HEARD IN THE DESERTEU MANSION AT DURLEY CHINE. Holding the little crowbar firmly in his hand, and mounting upon a portion of the stonework, Dick Turpin made an examination of the fastenings of the tall, narrow windows. He quickly touad they were very simple, so he broke one of the Kttle panes and introduced his hand. Simply turning round a button handle undid the case- ment, and he flung it open at ©hgc. Then he, for the first time, beeame eogniaaot of tha fact that the nail window was protected oa ttie inner side by some ornamental iron-work. He communicated bis discovery to Tom King, wh» remai^ad-*- " Th t is very awkward, but we ought to hare fo*s8ea It. You must break it down, but be earefiu to do so, if in such a manner aa not to excite nokie© — 1 the ereat of any see tomrag here k> look for 1 "•-•" r •' I shall have some trouble in doing that. However, i I v\ill do my best." I A grating, crackling sound now ensued, which showec ' that Turpin had already done some execution. 1 " Does is yield easily P " asked Tom. ! " Oh ! yes. I suppose the damp has got to it in sothb way, for it hardk holds a bit in the setting. That's fco last one ! There it goes ! " The iron screen which Turpin had displaced bodily feir with a ' ")ud elang upon the flooring of the hall, raising a thousand and a thousand echoes in the dismal building. All within was as dark as the very tomb. Turpin leaped down again on to the stone slab. "Now, Tom, my friend," he said, "enter! The way is clear before you ! I will follow ! " So saying, he caught hold of his comrade and assisted him on to the piece of stone coping from whence he could without difficulty make his way through the window into the hall. Tom King got quite through the window, but did not irmp down. He seated himself t^on the inner sill, and, turning round, said— "Light that lantern of yours, Dick, and hand it uj here. It is positively so dark that I could not see any. thing within an inch of ra» nose. And before I shift from where I am I should like to see where I am goin? to-" " Tou are wise. Stop a moment. ,. t»- t. Once again, on that memorable night, did Dick proonae ms lantern, which had been of such good ervice to them, and, having ignited it, gave it to his friend who stretched out'his hand to receive it. ,.,,,„■ j., Tom King then cast the broad i-ay ot fight full into the interior of the hall. , . ,. j, Its vastness, both in respect to length, height, ana vridth, was something wonderful. A carriage and pair oould have been turned round in it with ease. But Tom K'ng did not attempt to make any particu.^ examination of the hall while in his presenf position : !?« merely noticed the distance to the aoor, and, fiD«ii::::ii (i«rtigni6oaat, dropped it at ono©. THS KWrOHT OP THW «0i1> fDICK TUEPIK BBLATUfG HIS EABLT HtSTORT TO TOM KINO.] In ftnotfeer moment Turpin had ecrambled througrk the window and was standing at his side. Kin? 9*ooped down and ^okod up the iron 8ore«B from the floor of the hall. " Take this, IMck," he said, " and b«f<»e we do any- thing further, or look at anything, let i; ?««tore the wm- dow to the same atet* asit was when we *r8* 8»^'*- '' It is a good advice, and I will follow it.^ First, how. ever, I will close and refasten the window." " ^nod ; bat you mast see to do it by iiie aid of 'neb liffhs as comes to yon from without." "Why not turn the lantern this way f " " It would be moat unwise to do so. WedoBotfcnow oat e^en at tliia mo«ent some person may have 'i**' «y«* fixed upon tiis bnildin?, and whoH« suspicions w&nld be immediately ex«ited if be aaw a light flash from one at the windows-' ,, " Yon arflqniteriffht,Tom,andIadmiTeycted with each other, as though the who]^ fnrK-.pd an allegoriori or embiematioal devio* wh)<'*' Pick fanciea No. 12. Price One Halfpenny. « . pertained to the chase, but be did sot paase t« exanume It with sufficieDt attention to say wbether it waa or n«t Between the top of the panttUing and i"he ceiUbi? were some large painting* — at least, such, firom the frawsg, they imagined them to be ; bnfc they were so t'.ickly in- eni»(pd with dest it W.-18 quite inipoesiible to make anTtbdog^ out respecting tbem. Several largo doors opened irom this entranoe'hall in i>oth sides of the wall, and in its centre almost was a »paeiou8 staircase, with a balustrade harmonizing wRh tb« panels. On the first landing of the staircase tbcj could dimly see a handsome window ef stained glass. F.oHi the roof of the hall depended a chandelier, in which were many pieces of wax candle. Pieces of sculpture of various kinds were placed in the tiall, as well aa a huge ornamental flower or tree- pot, in which a withered, gtioatJy-lookiiig stem still remained to show what had once been there. But upon every object lay dust in surprising quantities. The floor of tl;e hall was so thickly covered with i'c that the highwaymen's feet sunk into it like snow. Such was the general appearance of the place into which our two friends intruded. Can we wander that, finding some fresh wonder at every turn, they stood for some time motionless and speechless. At last when they had, bit by bit. seen the whole of the hall, Dick spoke. He could not tell how it was, buv somehow he involun- tarily spoke in a subdued voice to his companion. " What do you think of all this, Tom, my friend ? " he said. " Is it not strangely and wonderfully solemn ? What a pity, too, to see a place, like this must have been at one time, in such a state. It is shameful ! " " You are right there ! But we have not, I fancy, seen one half of the wonders of Durley Chine, and, doubtless, the remainder will well pay us for our trouble." " If it is at all like this it will. But come, where shall we go first ? " " I should advis6,«'»said Tom, " that we make our way into some one of the apartments, and there make our- selves as comfortable as circumstances will allow." " But the peep at the rest of the building, which I am so anxious to have .'' " " It will, 1 fancy, be wisest to postpone that until to- morrow when we have daylight to aid us." " Oh ! we can do without daylight," said Dick. " This lantern will answer the purpose. Come along ! " " I can make every allowance for your curiosity and impatience, but 1 must really remind you .i two things." " What are they ?" " Why, firstly, that though I have held up very well considering, yet it has cost me an effort, for my wound is still painful, and 1 am yet v^eak." " Pardon me, my friend, but I had forgotten that. We will find some place where we can rest at once." " And not only that," coutinu.'d King. " Y< t n.ust not forget that we shall only be safe here so long as we raise no suspicions of th? place being inhabited. Now, it appears to me an impossibility for you to walk bout the bovvje with a light without its being seen at some of the frindows, and then, of course, we should be done for at once." " You are thoughtful and prudent," said Turpin. " It would be almost, if not auite, impossible not to show some light at the windows. ' " Very- well ! Then I propose, as 1 said, that we make ourselves as comfortable as we can in one cf the rooms. What do you say to this one ? " While 'ae was speaking, Tom stepped across the hall, and put his hand upon tl^ handle of one of the doora we have mentioned as opening out of it. " Oh ! let :' be tb»t o-»e by all means," eaic Dkk ; " does it open ? " Tom turned *ha kn^^*, and tried the door. It was isLSo. *' If wo get in oere, ' he said, " we snail have to undo the lock. Can you manage that, Dick ?" ■' 1 dare sav 1 can," said^Tur^in ; " juat hoW *;b9 light TOi. !i minute ot two, whiJw I *«ry ' Tom King took the light, an he was requeatoa, w'niia "Turpin prodaced a smtM biui«k of skeletcn keys. Ailer trying sareral, h« foaad one that would unlock the** IOC. It was very hard to tura, but it all at ooce shot ba«k with a suddea snap that in that deathly, sileut plaee, was posi- tively startJing. Dick threw op«« the door, and paused tor a moment i>u the thpeskald, so that whatercr feu.' air tkat had aecu- mulated there should be displaced. Then both entered. " Shield the lantern a little, Dick," sidd Tom, who had returned it to Turpia while they paused at the deor. " Darken it for a tcoiaent, while I see wha-tker there are shutters to this vrlad-jw, and whether they are closed." The slide of the lantem was turned, so that &nly a fine pencil of light was allowed to pass through the lens. The room was pitchy dark. In a little while, though, they could distinguish from tbe rest of the gloom a few faint lines of light. " We were right to take the precautiou of dousing the light, Tom. Do you see ? The night light is lust visible there." " It is. Do you recollect the peculiar shutters ? " " Yes." " Well, it is through them that the light comes." " That's it." " We must stop them somehow from the inside, for, of course, if we can see the light from without, it is only fair to infer that our light will be seen from within." *' Of course. But how shall you stop up the window ?" " That remains to be seen. Throw the light just before our feet, so that ».e can see wl^ere we are going." The room was of tolerable dimensions, for they were some time in reaching the window. The floor of it was, if anythinc. more thickly covered with dust than the hall was, ai seemed to be different and of a lighter character, for ,..„„ds of it arose at every step tliey took. " Now," said King, as they paused beibre the window, " If there are only some inside shutters we shall be able to shut out the light without difficulty. Are there any ? " "No, none," said Turpin, after a minute's examina- tion ; " but there are apparently some very thick curtains, and I should think, if we draw them closely and care- fully, they would answer the purpose quite as well." " Almost ; but not quite. However, draw them, and let us see." But when Dicx oaught hold of the curtain and gave it a jerk, there fell down such a quantity of duat that he was fain to retreat. He waited until it subsided a little, and then mode a second attempt — this time with greater care. But, nevertheless, the dust continued to fall, though not in such large quantities. It was very fine, pungent, disagreeable dust, too, and made our friends' eyes smart intolerably, while they kept on sneeziu'g, as if for a wager. At length, after frequently relinquishing the +*. k, they succeeded in drawing both curtains completely across the window. They then turned away. To their great vexation, however, they saw there waa another window in the room. However, there was no help for it, so they were forced to go through theii disagreeable task once more. " I think tha' will do," said Turpin, as he carefully lapped one curtain over the other. " I think that will do." " No aouut, and now let us have the full benefit of the light from your lantern." " With pleasure," saic? Dick, as he withdrew thu slide and allowed the full light to stream into the roooi The first thing they did waa to turn it in every diree- iiou, so nef 8 will was carried out to tue very letter." " Most singular," said King. " But Dick, my friend, I am very cold ! " " So am I. This place strikes as cold and damp as a charnel-house." " It is very natnral it should when we consider how lonji it has been shut up. We must remedy it." " By lighting a fire, I suppose you mean ? Do yon think it would be safla to do so r " " Oh ! yes ! Look, there is the fire-plaoa." " I see it, but I don't perceive any fuel." " That won't be a difficulty. Just lend me that little jemmy of yours, and I'U soon have some fuel." Dick gave King the crowbar which he carried with kkn. As soon as he had it, Tom «ommenced a very ferocious attaek upon one ©f the chairs, and soon had it lying in fragments on the floor. Another shared its fate. Then he carefully placed a portion of the wood upon the hearthstone. It was one of those old fashioned grates, provided with dogs, as they were called, which were pieces of iron for wood to rest upon horixontally. Tom King laid the remains of the chairs in the sbape of a pyramid, and then set light to them. It was some time before he could get them to ignite properly, but when they fairly burst into a flame they burned away first-rate. In a short time, now, quite a brilliant light filled the apartment, and revealed its most hidden recesses. Very picturesque it looked in the ruddy and incontinent firelight, which made strange, oddly-shaped shadows flicker on the wall. " We must look out for seats of some kind now," said Tom King, " and then we shall be quite cosy and com- fortable." " We cannot have anything better than a couple of these old arm chairs." " But the dust ! " " Oh ! we can easily get rid of that." So saying, Tom Kirg set about freeing hia chair from the heaps of dust upon it. Turpin took another, and followed his example. And now, as the dust was removed, the richness and beauty of the chairs became at once apparent. In particular the one which Turpin had taken for bis own use. It was the one that stood always at the top of the «ab!e. The back was very high, and cushioned with crimson velvet, upon which the coat of arms belonging to the Duriey family had been embroidered in gold. The velvet had faded slightly in places, but the device itself was as bright as new. The arms and legs of this chair were also very beauti- fully carved, while the upper part of the back had been wrought into the shape of a coronet. Dick was pleased with the grandeur of this ^.lece of furniture, and he was very careftil to cleanse it from every particle of dirt. Then he lookeu at it witk admiration, and called his comrade's attention to it. The firelight fell fully upon i*; and imparted to it an appearance of erreat magnificenoe. " Beautiful ! ' was Tom's involuntary exclamation when he gazed upod it. He had bee-x 1 1'siiy wcgaged iii austing his c m ehair, and had not , aid any attention to Dick, so h' aaaty of this chair bura upon nim all at once. The one which King had was a 'ery handsome one, but U would Dot bear oomjyarison with "Turpin' t. I " I suppose," said the latter, when they had both lookftd at it sufliciently, and as he seated himself m it, " I sup- p>ie this is the chair in wb'-'h Sir Ernest 3pd his fore- fiUhers were went to sit." " There can be no doubt of that," saw Tom Kinir, as ho 1 also seated himself. " I wonder if he ever thought it would ba I'loeupied by Dick Turpin, the highwayman ? " CHAPTER LI. DmAIIiS HOW IT Wis DICK TURPIN TOOK TO TUE EOAD AMD HOW HE OBTAINED POSSBS8ION OF BLACK BBSS. "Not exactly, you may depend," replied Diok, as he settled himself more comfortably in the family chair, aa<] stretched out his legs towards the glowing embers. " Heap on a little more wood, and then, while we an taking our ease, just tell us what you know about Durlej Chine." " Certainly," said Tom, casting the remainder of the chairs upon the hearth. ' "11118 had the effect of dulling the light for a few minutes, whUe the smoke arose in quite a thick mass. " Tom," said Dick, suddenly. " You've done it ! " « What ? " " You know how careful you were about not showing a light, and dravring the curtains over the windows ? " "Well, well?" " Well ! You have just put on all that wood, and wher« do you think the smoke's going to ? " " Out of the top of the chimney, of course ! It was an oversight on my part, certainly. Still, as it is night, and the chimneys are very high, I don't suppose it can possibly be seen, for it will be Uttle more than vapour by the time it reaches the top." " 1 suppose not. However, if it comes out in a cloud, it cannot oe hel ed now." " No, but I shall certainly be more careful tke next time I put any on." "Do so. Ah! that's better ! " A broad flame shot up the chimney as Dick spoke, and so put an end to the smoke by consuming it." " We are very snug here," said Tom, taking off his hat, and hanging it on one of the projections of the carving on his chair back, and throwing his pistols carelessly on the floor ; " quite snug and cosy. " We are that ; and after knocking about as we have been lately this is quite a grateful change." " I only hope we shall be left undisturbed for a day ot two, and then I shall be able to get my strength up." " And I." " In the morning, though, and when we can have day, light to aid us, we will make a thorough exploration of the place, and, if we can, visit every nook and comer in it.^' " Agreed ! I should like that vastly. But come, in the meantime, just be kind enorgh to pr', me in possessior of the facts you know concerumg thf 3sertion of Duriey Chine." "The facta.?" " Yos." " Those simply ? " " Of coarse. ' " Oh ! I meant to have thrown aU that I have heard, without reference to being facta or not, into the form of a narrative." " H-m ! ah ! perhaps it will be as well." "It will not take very many words, or a very kmg time. The story is, in itself, simple, yet most terrible." Tom paused a moment or so. Dick kicked the fire together with his foot. " You must u1 derstand, first of all," resumed Tom King, " that when Sir Ernest Dane died, that is to say in 1717, he was vei sring closely upon sixty years of age. " In all the accounts that I have ever heard of him he has been represented as a dark-souled, evil man, whose youth was spent in riotous living and ^h^uch, and his eld M^e in sorrow and in shame." <» " lam afraid, Tom," interrupted Dick, ' ^nat tue de- scription would apply to very many baronets ; and not only baronete, but thoee who rank amon^ *he hisrhest in the land." " Yee ; but thank heaven ; if there be mauy like nun, yel there are eome who show ue what human nature ontCA '/f w tolACK Ul:^Si) : DA. De when the accident of birth raises it above the majoritjr of mankind.' " I doc't deny that ; but never mind, get on \iath y^wc •^. but, bear in mind, I cannot vouch for the ti uth of (Miy of these aseertions, for not only was 1 never in this part of the country befwe, but I have never seen Sir Ernest Dane." " Then yon speak by heat say ? " " Quite. I have been toW, that at the age of fifty, he was remarkable for his shrivdled diminutive person, and his vindictivo mafioe, which peeped c ,»t on the ' oet trivial oooasioDs.'* " What a delightful ol naan ! " " Despite his numberiees extravagancies, which would iiave been sufficient to ruin most men, he, at the time of which I am speaking, namely, ten years before his de- cease, was possessed of consaderaHe ridties, as well as many estates, which were aD, however, «trictly entailed." " That accounts for it, perhaps." " Very Hkely. Now this dd, hoary-headed sinner, had not at all improved since the days of his youth. To be sure, his body failed him, for ^cesses such ud he had indulged in always leave their traces behind them. Yet the salaciousness of his disposition was in fr'\ vigour, and the old lecher professed to fall iu love with the daughter ci a Mr. Enderby, a gentleman of means, who resided not far from Durley Chine." When King reached this part of hio narrative, Turpin removed his eyes from the fire upon which they had been resting, and fixed them upon hJG comrade's countenance. He already anticipate the catastrophe, and he listened with intense interest for the oontinuatiou of the etory. " It was said that if you had searched the counties of Dorset, Devon, and Hants, you would never have fcund a maiden who could compare with Kate Enderby, cither for personal Ix auty or those manifold attractions which are most endearing in woman. " Such, thon, was the being whom Sir Emeo*, Dane polluted with his thoughts. She— fresh, rosy, and seven- teen — he jejuned, decrepit, and fifty, with one foot already in the grave. " But Sidney Enderby, the father of Kate, was a man in whom no generous emotions could be found. His disposi- tion was more sordid than it is easily possible to conceive any gne's to be. " He and Sir Ernest Dane formed a pair well suited to each other.'" Then Turpiu re-seated himself, and King weal on. " For two years all went quietly, and, to all appeai-aace, well. Poor ivate's face, whenever it was seen, had always thf. hraoes ol a heart's sorrow upon it ; but, for all thrt, she lo<*ed beautiful, as she fiitted like "■■ spectre abou' the ghostly mansion. " As for Sir Ernest, be grew more hateful »^o more hideous every day. " At length, a change came over Kate. " She no longer looked sorrowful, as she did, though her face wore anything but a cheerful expression. The colour began to retiu-n to her cheeks, and her wasted form to fill out to its proper proportions. ' How was this F ' asked those who caw her, ' Has r he at length resigned herself to her lot, and resolved to be as happy as circumstanceg would allow. ' Alas, no ! It was neither of these causes that induced the ihange iu Kate's appearance. " No one marvelled at it more than her husband. " He revolved the matter continually in nis miud, but he was unable to arrive at any satisfactory conclusion. " The surprise which he first fdit very quickly merged into undefined alarm. " Among the servants belonging to the mansion of course this matter was freely canvassed, and they soon felt sure they had penetrated to the core of the mystery. " More than one while out at a late hour during the night, or while ga? ag from their chamber windows, haC observed a shadow form flitting from tree to tree. " They immedi ,tely— rightly or wrongly — connected this circumstance with the alteration in their mistress, and many sly hints were dropped about it. " Shortly afterwards, however. Sir Ernest's wife was observed to lapse into her old tristful state. " For nearly four years, then, did this state of things continue ; but at the expiration of that time, one of the keepers in the park, while out late one winter's night, saw the mysterious shadowy figure. " Naturally enough they looked towards tUeir mistress for some visible manifestation of thia, for they still per- sisted in the connection they had formed between her and the figure ; but they were disappointed. Lyas-eyed though they were, they failed to iierceive any diflFerence in her countenance. It still wore the same air of deep dqeotion that it had during the last four years. " Tom paused for a moment to regain his breath, but Turpiu, who was bre-thlessly inteiosted in the story, waved his hand impatiently for him to go on. He wa« too " You have drawn a nice portrait of them at di events, inwrapt to speak. Upon my wor^,_.Tom, I should never have believed you ^ H^^^if^^^^^^, '?°^'' ^^A*?".^^" °°^- ^" ** ^""""^ were so graphic.'" ° ^ "*" r^^" " Now, stop that, Dick, or not another word do you get out of me." " Oh ! aever mind ! I only said what I thought ! Get along ! " " No sooner, then, did Sir Ernest a,pply to Mr. Enderby for his daughter's hand, than the latter, with many extra- vagant protestations of delight, assured him that his dearest wish was to see Kate united to his friend and neighbour. "And so, without having a whisper, let alone a voice, in the matter, Kate Enderby was disposed of to Sir Ernest Dane. " It was in vain she prayed and wept not to be forced into 30 hateftn an alliance — in vain she urged that she had pEghted her troth to another who was then upon the bright, blue waters — her father was deaf to aJl — and, terrified by his violence, and more dead than aJive, the beautiful young Kate Enderby, who, ooe would have thought, certainly deserved a happier and more congenial fiiite, was wedded by that outrage upon bnmanity, the owner and resident of this mansion." Dick looked around him, by the aid of tue bright fire-" light, with a strange feeling in his breast. He could almost fancy — although Tom had given him no description of her personal appearance — that he could see ':he nn- happy bride, pale and sad, seated in one of the gioomy, funereal-looking chairs. Indeed, so strong did thi ielusion grow upon him, thtt he was obliged to riae and walk across the room to where he fancied he could see her, before he felt quite certain that it was a trick of his imagination. His comrade watched him with sojje surprise, but he »aid nothing. a report was circulated that filled the mansion and the country surrounding it with blank astonishment. " It was some time before it was believed, but every day some new fact turned up to stamp the rumour with the indelible impress of truth. " Sir Ernest Dane's j'oung wife had eloped! " But with whom ? " That was the question. " Then the story of the shadowy figure which had been seen, got talked about and known. " Sir Ernest had the counti-y scoured in search of his lost bride, but all in vain. Not the slightest trace of her was found. " In prosecuting their search, it also became known that Ralph Anderdon the young Milor, to whom Kate was betrothed, had returned in aaiety in his ship to Plymouth, that hn Imd left her on leave ot absence, aad then never re-appeared. " 'This seemed to point strongly to the supposition that it was with Ralph that Sir Ernest's wiiie had eloped. " Of this, bowers* , there was no proof ; but young An- derdou never rejoined his ship, and Kate wajs never "ound .' " CHAPTER LII. THE HIGHWAYMKN BIBCOVBil THE SAD FATE THAT BEPBf RALPH ANDERDON AND KATE. Dick Tuepik waited in silence for Tom King to continue his mysterious narrate. To iiis surprise he remdJned ^nlent. " Surely," Dick said, at length, and it was in a tone of disappointment and vexation that he spoke, "surely, you do not mean to saw that tiiis is all yon can tell me about flie desertion of Durley Chine ? " iiifc x^ifeMT Or lat, tuiA^ 's^% *' Tkea it k most raBsa*^;»^act©r- " "H*w etmp sai kitcFCBt; yes bave iakoa io i^ Bb« what m«M iM jMi eopaot to hear ? " "All t^ pavtMoJsaw »bo«it iltH^^ti*^ tap tbe pt'ace in «itk taskisD, md Ik* metiTe for 8ir Stms^ i»«,le!a«^ fSa« ««mim^ " T1»«B, my trlead, ycm wski. t« kB»w mere ttm* mtT Jirwg porsoa kiiOWB, I fancf ." " B«t, •avetf , ■©«« aeeowrt w«« giren wf it." " Ob ! Twy BKbHy ; bwt wfeet^er tanM w B«t, wV aaa M?" ^ ^ " Aiid wfeai haproeoed here after tiie Glopcni3»t CVm von Ml me that ? '* " I mn gire you some p»Tt4cw.}ars of it." " Do e®, tiien, I b*^, by all me*B«." " For acHM nacwtii* after the ereet Sir Ernewt poonaed ab««»t tbe old HMMMJoo like an aneeitfied fboet. Ha gre'w ewseeeively frigt^teoed, and would not Tcoture aaywliore alose ! His eyoe got bloodshot asd de«piy sonltMa in tb«ir orbi*s. He refaoed to eat, and became the Itriag per- aonifioa^ion of a c€hef," said Dick, " ifitet Sit Ernest'i wife «.«>>er elo^d at aM !" The de^aerate i«>a»Der idt „4vieii T»^wi enuBciated tbis eptoioD fj«ite &teaggw*«>d "'roBi King. ^ '* Re*Sy, Diek," h« said, " tJ«t is an eitraordinsu^ iden ; / but, now you bajve started it, I begia to be quite of your way ©f tWfflkJBg." "Aad is it possibl©, Tswa, that it bag oerer occurred to jtm befe««e ? Why, a th»u«aud things indicate such a tiing." " I mnsk eonfes*," said Tom, " I nerver thought of it. 1 somehow or o*h»r quite took it fw- granted that Sir El-nest's wife eloped." " And many more did beside, and so thought no more about the nw^ter ; but, take my wT>rd for it, Tom, there i,- 9ometh'r>g more ia this than tlie world, perhaps, will evei know." " Very like — very like. Now yon have given me the start, or clue, as I may eall it, things innumerable come thronging into my mind." " I^ ufl wait until the morning, Tom. We will ther together spend tbe whole of the day in searching over the place, and it will be odd to me indeed if whatTsuspect is not in some way or other confirmed. I wish I kne^^ which was the room Sir Ernest's wife occupied." " I cannot guide you in that, for I have no mwe iden than yourself. Still, I should think, in going over the house, we shall find it." " No doubt of that. The difficulty will be to know when we do find it." " That's it, but don't let us ve^c our brains by thinkint: any more about it to-night. We cannot elieit anything more. Consent to let tbe subject drop until the morning, when I hope we shall be able to renew it, and arrive at some satisfactory result." " With all my heart. I say drop the snbject, if yon hav» grown tired of it. But what shall we talk about or do instead, for I can assure you I do not feel sleepy in tbe least." " Nor do I. I feel that it would be quite out of the question." " Well, then, I ask what are we to do. Start another subject, Tom, or else let us go back to Sir Ernest Dane." " No — no, don't let us do that. 1 have, believe mc, heard quite enough about him for one night." " Very well. What shall be the new subject ? " " What should yon like ? " " Oh ! anything, I am not in the least particular.*' known before.' "Very well. Do yon recollect that you made me a Scarcely, I should think, and yet some strange things P"*^^?*' *°^, '■'P:^ house or on , 'le a«^o»ning kwids." Tom paused, and then, observing Lxok was silent, he iidd«d — " Sorely you do not wish me to t«ll you that the >)Aronet'8 instructions were carried out to the vory letter. | I should think you have already seen sufficient to tell you tbat." Dick raised his head. *' I was not thinking of that exactly." "What then?" *'I was runninjr f^io wnois story over in my Tnind, and •dearouricg to oct^ to some conclusion." ^i.M have yon succeede^^ ?" ''To a certain extent I havf;." " To wbat conclusion, then, have you come ." " Dick plac«d his haod upon the comer of the old- " You want me to relate some of my bauK I idlory to yon P " " That's it." " Before I made your acquaintanwi ? " ■' Exactly; before I had the honour of your acquaint- asoe." " Weil, then, if you are incKned to listen, I will tell you all, from my birth upwards." " You need not go quite so for back as that." " Very well. But there ia a condition. Can you guess it?" " I Ccin." "If we are here, thwj, to-morrow night, as we are to- night, that you will relate your life, for I am very anxious to hear it. 1 know it must be full of interest." A slight shade overspread Tom's coonteoance, as Dicb 34 Slack. Si£^s ; 6k: •poke, but it disappeared almost immediately, as he replied : " I do not know what your opinion will be as to its interest, but I can tell you beforehand that it will be rather a sad affair." " Oh, never mind that. Mine is not altogether cheer- ful, but you must promise to returu the compliment be- fore I begin." " I will ; and now start at once." " Don't be too impatient ! I must have time to think it over a little. But don't you see how low the fire is ?" *' I do now, but I didn't when you spoke." " It must be replenished. Why, I do believe it wo had left it a quarter of an hour longer it would have gone out altogether." " Yes ; a fire soon dies out when it once takes the turn. Stop a minute, and I'll soon have some more fuel." " But it seems a great shame to destroy such hand- some furniture." " It does, I quite agree with you ; but it cannot be helped. Can it ?" " I don't see how it can." "Lend rae the jemmy, then, and I'll soon have this one to pieces." So saying, Tom dragged one of the chairs towards the fire, and, having received the crowbar from Dick, he very quickly broke it up into fragments. He placed a good half upon the fire. " Now, Dick," he said, as he reseated himself, and leaned back in his chair, "I'm all attention, so just make a start." "Very good," said Turpin, who, after a premonitory ahom ! commenced the story of his life without further preface or hesitation. CHAPTER LIU. DESCRIBES HOW TURFIN COMMITTED HIS FIRST BOBRERY ON THE HIGHWAY. ■' Ton must know, Tom," said Dick, " that I cannot boast of anything grand with respect to my parentage. My father was a butcher " " And so was Wolsey's," interrupted Tom. " He was generally considered a well-to-do man by hia neighbours ; but, in the course of time, one or two things dropped out that had rather a damaging effect upon his character. " It was always their intention to bring me up to the same trade, but somehow I did not like it. In fact, I Was ambitious to be a gentleman. " However, not far from where I was born, namely, at Thaxted, in Essex, there was a very large estate and a park that was quite overstocked with deer, belonging to a magistrate named Sir Thomas Deane. " Well, in spite of the strictness with which he endea- voured to keep up the the game laws, and the heavy punishments he visited upon offenders, somehow or other, the keepers were always reporting the loss of his deer. " There was about a dozen harum soaram fellows like myself, always hanging about, and having apparently nothing to do, and we were everyone of ua looked upon with the greatest suspicion by Sir Thomas Deane and his keepers, though, for a long time, nothing could bo brought against us. " One fine night, though, as the whole party of us were standing over a tine buck that had just been brought down, we heard a loud ehoui, and before we could as much as look round, we found ourselves hemmed in by keepers and various other people belong- ing to the estate. " Resistance was almost usefess, but we showed fight, and one or two managed to get off, but the remainder, myself included, were captured, handcufife'1, and lodged in the village cage, round which guard was kept until the morning, when we were marshalled into the presence of the magistrate, Sir Tliomas Deane. " lie Boowlod upon us when we entered, and took his seat upon the benoli. You may depend he treated the case in a very summary manner. He found us all guilty, and committed us to the assizes. " As it so happened, we had not long to wait, for on the Monday morning the assizes commenced, and our oase came on for bearing on Wednesday. " The evidence against us was very conclusive, so tho jury brought us in guilty, and the judge sentenced them all very heavily, with the exception of myself, who h« let off lightly, so he said, because I was the youngest of them all, and the only evidence against me was that I was standing with the others. I ought to have told you that my father got a counsel to defend, and tho line he adopted was that I was passing through the park at the time and stopped to see what was going on, and so came to bo apprehended. I therefore got oflf with six months' imprisonment in the county jail with hard labour. But I found it terribly irksome and dis- agreeable, and before I had been in prison a fortnight I made up my mind to escape. " An opportunity soon afterwards occurred, and I availed myself of it, and, after some trouble, did get free. " Thaxted was very quickly left behind me, and I shaped my way directly for London. Of oourae, I had no money in my pocket, the jailors took good care of that. I was, besides, clothed in the prison dress, and this it was imperative I should get rid of, or I should be detected and apprehended immediately. " I was walking along the London road, turning these things over in my mind, when I heard some one coming towards me at a sharp trot. It was just getting day- break. " ' Now, what shall I do ?' I thought to myself. ' Here is come one eoming who doubtless possesses the very articles so necessary for me to have. Shall I strain a point for once, and take them from him ?' "The traveller I could hear coming nearer and nearer. " * It must be so,' I said. ' Such a chance will perhaps never happen again, and, now I have gone so far, I am determined not to be caught and taken back to jail.' " So, having come to this resolution, I drew aside into the shadow of the hedgerow, and waited for the traveller to pass me. " In a minute or two I saw his horse's head on a level with me, and shouting, ' Stand !' in as loud and as gruff a voice as I could assume, I darted out from my place of concealment, and caught the horse by the bridle. " ' Stand !' I said again. ' I am a desperate man ! Your money or your life 1' " ' Yon shall have neither, you villain !' said a Toioe which I recognised instantly. ' Take that !' " It was the voice of Sir Thomas Deane. " Chance, then, had thus strangely brought about a meeting between us. " I was rather startled, you may guess, and almost frightened, for this was the first affair of the kind in which I had ever been engaged. " When Sir Thomaa said, ' Take that!' I saw a faint flash, and heard a click. " He had aimed a pistol at me, but it had missed fire. " He uttered a curse as he found this was the oase, but before it was well out of his mouth I had sprung upon him, wrested the pistol from his grasp, and dealt liim a iieavy blow on the head with the butt end of it. " He fell off his horae at once. " I was rather scared, I can tell you, when I saw the effects of my blow, but I felt I had gone too far to re- treat, so I stooped down and began to rifle his pockets. " I found in them a considerable sum of money, for he had been up to London to draw some money out of the bank. I also took a handsome gold watch, of which I knew he was excessively proud, and several other articles of less value. " I had done all this without finding him give the least signa of life, but he now began to be aroused. " Thinking it best to be prepared, I went up to his horse, which was standing still enough in the middle of the road, and took the other pistol from the holster. " When I got back to Sir Thomas, he was sitting up in the road and rubbing his head in a very lugubrious fashion. " I had not done with him yet " ' Come, Sir Thomas, arouse yourself. Sii-ip off your clothes immediately ; or if you don't like to do that, I will put a bullet through your skull, and take them off after you are dead, which will save you the trouble.' " 1 could see Sir Thomas shook a little at this, and like a prudent man he began to divest himself of bis clothes. " He pulled off hia ooat. THE KNIGHT OF THE KOAD. " Then hia Test. " He would have stopped, but a menace caused him to proceed. " He took off his oravpt uiad ruffles, and then his shirt. " He paused again. " ' Be quick, • said I ; ' off With your breeches and boots '.' " He looked at me in amazement ; but finding I was terribly in earnest, complied." " He took it very quietly, I think," said Tom ; "didn't he?" "He did! The fact is, he was only half conscious of what he was »bout. A good crack with a pistol is apt to have a confusing effect," " I believe you. However, go on. What did you do when he had stripped himself ?" " Why, I stripped off my own clothes in a twinkling, and attired myself in his. " ' There,' said I, when I had done. ' You needn't look so down. You can put on the clothes I have just taken off,' " He glared at me for a moment, and then began scrambling them on. " ' If you hadn't been so particular after your deer, one or two of which you could very well afford to spare, this would not have happened. Do you recollect me ?' I said ; ' I am Jack Palmer, whom you sentenced a little while back at the assizes.' " "Jack who ?" said Tom King. " Jack Palmer. I forgot to tell you that is my right name." " Oh ! indeed !" " Yes, I assumed the name of Bichard Turpin some time afterwards." " The deuce you did ! However, go on with your story." " He recollected my name, of course. "•Curse you, yon villain!' he said. 'Curse you, I wish you had been hanged !' " I daresay you do ! Good morning. Sir Thomas I a pleasant journey ! This seems to be a nice little bit of horseflesh, I'll borrow that, too.' " So saying, I jumped on the horse's back, and turned his head towards London. "To my surprise, as I rode off, I actually heard Sir Thomas give vent to a chuckling laugh, which sounded mors like a gander in the last agonies of strangulatiou than anything else. "A aharp canter, though, soon left him far behind." CHAPTER LIV. BSLA.TZ3 HOW TURPIN STOLE ^13 CELEBRATED MARE BLACK BESS. " AwD lo that was your first little adventure on the toad, was it, Dick?" " It was." " Well, all I can say, you did things in a very bold and creditable manner." " Bather ! but you have not heard the best of the joke." " What is it, then ?" " This. I wae just entering London when I found what it was Sir Thomas was so spasmodically laughing about. ' ' "Oh! what was it ?" " When I took off my prison clothes, and gave them to him to put on, I forgot to " "Ha! ha! ha! Ha! ha! ha!" roared Tom King, heartily. " I see ! You forgot to transfer the booty out of the pockets." " Just so." " Ha ! ha ! ha ! Beally now. No wonder the magis- trate laughed!" " None, indeed ! But you must make some allowance for me, Tom." " Oh ! certainly, certainly." " I was rather flustered, you know. It was quite strange to me." "Oh! don't make any excuses, I beg:. I can quite understand it. I think it served the old magistrate jolly well right !" " So do I, for he was a selfish, hard-hearted rascal. Howsver, I can tell yon one thing, and that is, I never UMde saoh » Bust»k« •fr»>B>" " No, I should hardly think you would. But come ! What did you do when you found you had no money ?" " Oh ! I was not altogether penniless. I found some loose silver in the pockets, which I had disdained to take before." " But which yon were glad enough of now. Proceed !" " Well, I rode into London, and put up at the ' Sara- cen's Head,' in Skinner-street, Snow-hill." " I know it well." " I had a very good breakfast, but I noticed that the landlord eyed me rather suspiciously. My clothes did not altogether look as though they had been made for me. " Still he did not venture to make any remark, so I paid him his bill, and went to look after my horse. " It was brought out to me very nicely fettled, and, take it alto- ether, it was a very creditable lookiug piece of horseflesh. " Indeed, the ostler made a remark to me to that effect, and added, that if I wished to part with it, he knew some- one who would be very glad to becouie a purchaser. " Here was an excellent chance of getting a little money, so I at once told the ostler that though I had not thought of selling, yet I was open to receive a reason- able offer, adding, as well, that 1 should stand something worth his while if hia customer behaved handsomely. " I waited in the stable a little while, while the ostler went into the house to fetch the wouM-be purchaser, who, I found, was staying there. " After a little badgering, he agreed to give, and I agreed to take, fifty guineas for Sir Thomas's nag. " The money was paid, so I slipped a guinea into the ostler's palm and made myself scarce, for I was sharp enough to know the sooner I was off the better. " Indeed, just as I passed out of ihe archway, I saw a body of police coming from the direction of St. Martin's- le-Grand, sol hastened down Snow-hill, and soon found myself at the back of Field-lane. " I had often heard of this place, though I had never seen it. " As I perceived no signs of a pursuit, I did not go down it, but found my way into Hatton Garden, and thence to Holborn, where I entered a costumier's and purchased some clothing that suited me better than those I had taken from Sir Thomas Deane." "And what did you do next?" asked Tom. " You will hardly expect it, but I set out, and for days and days tried to obtain some kind of honourabU employment." " You succeeded, of course ?" said Tom, with a tinge of irony in his words. "I did not. My efforts were entirely useless. Every- one to whom I applied wanted some account of my past life, which, of course, I could not give them; though towards the last, the philanthropic appearance of many of the persons to whom I made application, induced me to tell them of my misfortunes, but I was met with such looks of indignant horror for having entertained the idea of asking them for employment, after having been in jail, that I very quickly gave that up." " It is always the way, my friend," said Tom King. " I have found it so to my cost. When once a man is down, his fellow-men turn upon him like wild beasts, and keep him down. Woe to the unhappy wi-etch who first loses caste, for let him try afterwards, as he will, he will never be able to regain his position." " That is unfortunately too true, my friend. Heaven knows it was from no wish or predilection on my part that I became a highwayman. I was forced into that career in spite of myself." " Well, well ; do not begin to reflect upon it in that way. It is a subject that will not bear much reflection. It is a short life and a merry one, checkered by many a strange episode, that does not fall to the lot of com- mon humanity." " It is. And BO, of course, Tom, it is nothing sur- prising that when my money was all spent 1 went upon the highway seeking more." '■' Not at all— not at all. You had your choice of two evils — to starve or go upon the road — and you chose the less." " Many and many a strange adventure have I had, Tom, during my career, but still such as w» may meet with af^ia." BLACK BEB8: 9R. " Just ko. I will, however, give you credit for having made yoarself notorious in a very abort spaos of time." " Pretty well. Not more so than yourself." . " YoM have created for yourself audi a. reputation at, no h;gbwayn:«,n since the days of Robin Hood has, and auch as no highwayman ever will again. Your nar«*> Uaie tlaat will never be forgotten." " Pho ! pho ! step that. I have only one more poiD* upon w^ich to satjefy your curiosity, and I am don*. " And that is"— "To teH you hois bonny B'*>ek Bess cs,me in^^o my bands." "Ah ! yes. 1 want to hear tiuu; above all things." " Very well, then. It was some little time after I took the road that I stopped the Dover coach. " Indeed, I remember that httle oiream(.tance arsr tinctJy, my friend. It caused quite a eonetemation " A Iktle. You doubtless remember the rewards offered for me ? " " I do. They represented a large amoiaat. The govern- ment gave so much— two hundred pcuuds, I thiak — and the travellers in the coach mad© up a like sum." " They did, and the ehaae was very hot anJ close after me. I had many narrow escape*, but the narrowest of all was one fine summer's afternoon, whie ridiag on tito high road between Kilbum and Edgware. " I was going at a very easy pa«e, for I »Sd not antici- pate pursuit, when all of a sudden I was startled by some- thing whistling past my face, and tiken there was tha immediate report of a pistol. " I confess to bang startled greatly, but 1 had sufficient presence of mind to elap spurs to my steed a*id then gave a haaty glance behind me. " Five well-mounted officers were coming along after me at full speed, and as soon as they saw I perceived them they set up a loud shout, which they doubtless intended should have an intimidating effect upon me. " I waa not without a certain misgiring as to the result of the chase, for the horse I waa on, though well com- petent to run a short distance at an amazing speed, yet had not enough bottom in him to keep up for any great length of time. Now, a horse to be reaily serviceable should combine fleetness with enduraiice." " He should," said Tom. " But such horses are very tarely to be met with, even let aJone purchased." " Well, to go on with my story. I bad, in a veiy short time, the satisfaction of seeing tbat the distance between myself and my pursuers were considerably increaaed. '• As soon as I obsei-ved this, I determined to take all the advantage of it that I could, for I knew my horse would soon slacken speed so ranch as to allow the officers to ovei-take me if I kept him upon the highroad. " I, therefore, sought about on both sides of me for one of those narrow sinuous lanes which are so plentiful in that part of the country, and sure enough before I had gone a hundred yards further, I saw one, and turned down it like a shot. " From the loud cry to which I beard the officers give xnouth, I could tell this manceuvre had been seen. " I gathered the reins in my hands, and struck 'he horse several sharp blows with them about the neck, and at the same time bur>'ing my spurs in his sides. '' And now another misfortune happened. " By some perversity or other, this lane, which was at first rather too serpentine, suddenly straightened, and continued so for as far as 1 could see. "I had not bettered my position in the least. The officers would be round the bend in a few moments, and then they would be able to keep me in view. " Just then, on looking in advance, I saw, nearly a mile off, a man on horseback, attended by a groom. " Here was a new aowrce of vexation, for, of courst^, due gentleman, as I took him to be, se^ag me flying from the police, would try to impede my progress — perhaps even attempt my capture ; and, although he might not suceeed, yet a collision between us would infallible give the olBceri} time to puanee upon me. ** All these circumstances and tneir vesoHs p.vsseu 'Wn.a hill force upon me, and I goaded still more i.iy ahu, st knoeked-up steed. " He bad sonttj ot the true blood in him, for, when ne felt the sharp point* of the spurs, he uttered a loud snort, end pet forward at a rate that ab»c4otely amazed lae. " The gentleman in advance came at a trot, looking curiously upon me. " His groom had fallen back considerably is the rew. " In another moment we met. " I had noticed, as I neared him, that the animal which he rode was of the moat faultless shape, and exquisite symmetry. " But when his horse's head was on a level with mine, hepuUod up abruptly, and, by a dexterous movement, caught hold of mine by the bridle. " The officers were thundering along the lane. " ' Hands off,' I cried, ' or it will be the worse for you ! 1 am a desperate man, and flyi'^g for my life ! , " ' Oh ! you are, are you ? he said ; " then I will see if I cannot put a stop to your gallop ! Hi ! Jame»'. James! ' " James, I made no doubt, was the footman I hau seen." " I just glanced before me, and saw him coming along at a good speed. Matters were growing desperate. " ' Let go my horse ! I cried again, and the loud ori«« of the offioers, and the din of their horses' hoofs almost drowned my voice. ' Let go my horse, I say, or take th« oousequences.'' " 1 could tell he tightened his hold. " rhen there darted into my mind a wild idea of < " I did noi wait to calculate its probabihties of s If I had, the clianoes were that I should have abandoned the scheme as absurd, but 1 did not pauce, bat instantly put it into execution. " Before the gentleman on horseback had the least notion of what I was going to do, I clenched my left fist tightly, and struck him a terrific blow on the head. " The blow alighted somewhere near his ear. " He fell off his horse as though he had been shot. "This was what I hoped, and I had prepared myself for what I was next about to do. " Tbat was to spring upon the back of the gentleman's matchless steed. " I accomplished the feat, difficult in the extreme a« it was, but I was saluted with a volley from the pistols of the officers, who had now got into alarmingly close quarters. " By good fortune one only wounded me, and that was only iJightly. " I turned the horse's head th*c I had become 8« stxangely and unexpectedly in possession of, and just touched her side with the spur. " The bound forward that she gave was so terrific that 1 was almost thrown. "I, however, succeeded in keeping my seat. " Away we went, like the very wind itself. " James made one abortive effort to stop us, but he got rolled in the dust for his pains. " Yells and screams of disappointed rage came from the throats of the officers. " But away went the gallant steed, with a rapidity which more and more astonished me, and in a short time the officers were loft far behind. " That bonny mare I have never parted with since, or trusted out of my sight for many hours together. She saved my life then, but it is by no means the only time. I named her Bess in remembrance of some one whom I knew, and black, because that was her colour." " And it was by such a chanoe circumstance as this, then, that you became possessed of the finest piece of horseflesh in the kingdom ? " " It was, my friend. Such was the way in which Dick Turpin became the owner of Black Bess.*' CHAPTER LV. THE 8AAHCH THROUGH THE IhD M\]r««>ir AND KS RESULTS. As Turpln ottered these words, he rose iirom his seat, aad ' walkir^ up to tlie windows, drew b»ck the thick heavy ' curtiiins. The pale golden bearaa of the riBing son found tiiAir way ' into the apartment through the iQany diinka in t^M I curiously-fosliioned shutters. ] " By Jove ! " said Tom King, in acoeota ot urpnse, " it is morning ! I had no id«a of it ! " ' " Time soon slips away in conversation, »nd now let ".- '< (jace comme»c« tlttj explonition of tlus ^-nldjag." T«E KNIOB''' at TKS K&AU. TXTBPIN AND KIMG DISCOVJSl LOVERS RKMrAINS AT DaRLET CHIK*.^ •' T«u are Tery eager abont it, DTck." " I am, aad cannot help feeling sa. Of this I feel •ertain, that we shall find something that YiiW amply oempoBsate as for our troable." " I wish I cooM feel as certain that we shoold find BMnething that would amply compensate us for a break- fast, but I'm afraid we shan't." | •* So am I. But come along, who knows what we may j ■oi &Bd C Tou had better shut the dow after yoo, ^om!" Tliey stood now >n the spaeio«s hall beloogiag to the > maasion. The sunshine entered freely through the win- dows on each side of the door, or at least as freely as the I Iftiiok coating r-' dir*- wiAh which they were eBor-raeAed would aHow. | The numerous vujects around them looked str-angely j spectral and ghostlike in the morning light. "Ehe dust, whiok had looked black, now seemed of a whitish colour, and it lay upon the floor of the hall like No. 13. Our friends' footsteps were perfectly noiseless. Turpin led the way up the staircase, and Tom followed him in silence. On the first landing they paused. Doors they c»ald see in abundance, but wuere they led to they eeuld not tell. They tried the handles of several, but, aa they had been led to expect, found them fast. "Not here, I fancy," said Tom, " shall we find the wife's ehamber, but on the floor above. Good heavens ! Dick, what's that ?" Turpin turned round with an ezpressien of alarm upon his face. ' A sttange noise, Kke the shrieking of ten thoQflCMia fiends, seemed to fill the air around them. But only for a moment. It died away then, not with the same suddennfiM at itar-ose, but in a faint, hoarse, hellow murmut. Then all became as silent as the grave. Peice Onb Halfpenny. BLkCX. VESS; OB, yo abmptly had this sound oome upon them tka*. oar friends were quite unnerred. By an efifort, Diok Tarpin found his voice. " The mysteries of Durley CThino are beorinn'risr ^ ^• teiop themselves," he said. " It would seem so," replied Tom, um-asily. " But what was it ? Prom whence did it proceed ? " " I can form no idea," said Dick. " It seemed to eumo from all sides, and whether from above or lielo^ I can form no manner of oonjeotore." " Nor I. Let us hope that wo may never hear mxA a sound again ! " " Nay ! On toe contrary, lot us hope to do 6o, and let us be upon our suard, and not b<* taken by surprise when ■we do.' Scarcely hao*ii»U I am ver , Joath to d» itj f cw I have ever, until i.c" • ach tDiings in scorn." Attain arose . a tul shrielang cry. But Die j: bad been waiting for it — expecting it — and was prepared. " That came from somewhere above, Tom," he said, " I am certain of it ! Follow me ! " He turned and would have sprang up the next flight of stairs, but King caught him by the arm. " What would you do ? " he asked. "Do?" repeated Turpin. " Why this ! Feeling con- fident that the horrible sound came from the upper portion of the mansion, I will ascend and not pause until I have pried into every nook and corner ! Why do you hold me back ? " " I know not," said King, confusedly, for he was ai>»amed of the weakness he had shown. " Come on." " That's right, my friend ! Let us use our best endea- vours to discover the source of those dreadful cries ! Think how great a satisfaction it will be if we can succeed in discovering from whence they proceed, and trace them to some natural causes ! " " It will— it will ! " " Quick, then, Tom ! .^ark, there it is again ! " The unearthly cry once more sounded in their ears. "How much more this would have scared us in the night time ! " said King. " Darkness would i>ave «n- dowed it with threefold terror." " It would. That is only natural. But wliat aarpriii&s me is, that it is so continuou' " By this time our friends had reachefl, as they thought, the topmost story in tue house, but they found there was yet another flight of stairs to be ascended. Ere, however, they could cross the landing ^o them, w 1 befriri h'la. i». wwtftitr for tfee ntraage soaiMl to acsia naxf rm^ THT5 KNIOHT OP THE BOAI>. beard, Tom King, whose e^ bad Msted witii the keenest wmihiy apou every obfeot witiiin tiieir sphere, no- tieed that in the boarding: of the window opposite to him there was a small round bole. Three fingers >'"id close together would have about filled it up. It was a very trifling thing to notioe, but Tom' a eyes were just then required to notioe trifles. " There's been a knot there, I suppose," be tiiongbt, " and as the wood has shrunk away from it, it has tum- bled out. That must be it 1" At any rate it was a probable enough supposition. At length, and just as their patience wets getting ex- hausted, the terrible ory again resounded in their ears. That it oame from the pUoe in which they stood there «ocild not be a doubt. Tom King echoed it with a shout of gratifieatioa. " Hurrah V ' he said, " I see it all now I We have been frightening ourselves about nothing !" " What is it ?— what is it f" asked Tarpin, anxiously. •• Tell me at onoe !" King led him to the window. " There is the secret," he said. " Do yon see that flound hole in the board ?" " I do," " Look a little closer, and yon will see that the pane beyond is broken !" " So it is, Tom !" said Tnrpin, after a momentary ob- servation. "But do yon mean to say that the noise eame from there, and that the wind blowing through caused it ?" " Most certainly I do ! I noticed the hole in the board and fixed my eye upon it, and presently the noise oame, and I was confident, through that hole. I take it that when a gust of wind comes in one particular direction, it rushes through that little hole with extraordinary vio- leiioe, and makes the horrible sound which so alarmed ns!" CHAPTER LVI. THE TWO HIOHWAYMBN UAKB A FOKCIBLB BNTBT INTO SIR ERNEST'S CHAMBER, AND DISCOVER THE TRACES or A PBiaHTKUL DOMESTIC TRAGEDY. That this was the real solution of the mysterious cries there could be little or no doubt. Just the least tinge of vexation was apparent in Dick's Toice and countenance when he spoke. " What fools we both were to allow onrselves to be terrified by a sound that admits of so easy explanation !" " Do not chafe, Dick !" said Tom King. " I regard it as being extremely fortunate !" " How so ?" " Thus. In our exploration of the mansion, which we cannot say we have fairly commenced, if we hear any sound for which we may not be able to account, the simple means by which this horrible howling is produced will teach us cot to be alarmed at it in the least, and induce the belief that it is produced by natural causes only !" " Looking at it in that light it certainly is fortunate," replied Turpin ; " but what annoys me is that I should have allowed it to onman me as it did. I ought to have known that an old deserted place like this would be full of strange noises." " I can find every excuse for you, Diok. The cry was certainly a most fearful and unearthly one, and suffi- cient, coming unexpectedly as it did upon us, to strike terror into the bravest heart. Hark ! there it is again !" With a prolonged, wailing howl, the wind again nsbed through the circular hole in the board. "Come away, Tom! Come away!" said Turpin. " It is useless to stay here any longer. Let us try to find out something more about Balph Anderdon and Sir Ernest's wife "" " Agreed ! But is iz possible, think yoo, to pot a stop to this noise ? Although we know what it is, it is none the less unpleasant f " A good thought, Tom. It shall be done. A large pieoe of paper screwed up and pmhod tightly in, will »top it up as well as anytbinr " - It will." Ikok rummaged his poc'wti.and ntlM*ioiMd»pseoe m ft This he folded and rolled up tightly in the form of a plug, and stuffed into the hole. That will do it, I think," he said. "Now, Tom, come along !" The highwaymen then, without farther delay, left tha attic They paused upon the landing beneatu, from whiok two long corridors ran right and left, having doors open- ing from them. What do you think of doing with these rooms, Dick f Surely you do not intend to open them every one ? If you du it will take ns some time, for they are sure to be all locked. I should imagine these were the servante' dormitories." Very likely 1 I think, however, just to satisfy our- selves, we will open one of the doors. Should your sup- position tnrn out oorrect, we will leave the others a« they sure." To this Tom at once agreed ; and Turpin, producing a bunch of skeleton keys, very soon had the door open. They entered with great curiosity. It was plainly furnished, and evidently, from ita appearance generally, a servant's bedroom. Our friends merely glanced round this apartment and then retired. There was nothing there at all extraordi- nary. Dick was earefnl to lock the door again after him, ■• that at a future time no suspicion might be aroused that they had entered there. ' I think we may safely jump to the oondusion that all these numerous doors open only into such chambers the one we have just seen the interior of. " Very well ; we will try the floor below." Accordingly another flight of stairs was descended, and they found themselves standing upon a lauding pre- cisely similar to the one they had just left. Here the doors were wider and higher and not so dose together. Turpin again had recourse to his skeleton keys, and one after another opened these doors. IThey were all bed-chambers. At last, after having well nigh lost all patience, and hope of &iding Sir Ernest's bed-chamber, our friends came to a door where some substance had been placed over the keyhole. Diok wiped away the dust which lay very thickly upon it, and found it was sealing-wax, or some similar substance which had been placed over it. A closer examination showed him that Sir Ernest's coat of arms was impressed upon this seal. He called Tom's attention to it. " If we had known," he said, " that the lock had been sealed, we should liave been spared a great deal of trou- ble, for I make no doubt that as we have found none of the other doors with a seal upon them, that this is the one opening into Sir Ernest's own room." "Nor 1, either. Break the seal, Diok, and open it at once." With his knife, Diok chipped away the sealing-wax which had become almost as hard as iron. To his mortification, however, he found, when he had taken the trouble to do this, that the keyhole itself vras filled up with some hard substance, which clung so tightly that he g»ve up all hope of getting it out, after making several efforts, and breaking the point of his knife in the attempt. " What is to be done ?" he said. " Confound him for fastening up the door in this fashion !" " So say 1. There is but one course left, my friend, and that is to cut out one of the panels with our hangers^ and enter the room in that fashion." " I do not see in what other way we are to accom- plish our object, and yet I am reluctant to destroy the door. However, it cannot be helped, for I have set my mind npon finding out something more about the nlti* mate fate of poor Kate." " Here goes, then," said King, who )aa,d drawn hie hanger ; "leave this job to me." "Not so, my friend. You forget yam .ound. It is evidently getting better, but take my advice, do not OW it any more than you ean help just at presMit." ' Tery weO," aaid King, drawing hook, '' dio y9» 4* m la a i«»y Ismemaa-^ka waoocx- dSA TawpMi re' aixmt OBttKQg out ^ pa»el. Bis w«apoa waa siw»^ and keetv-pointod. leaking a ea«e side ©f tike room oppositB to wfeew b» had b«eD siaodiDg, and a'^Tteai^d to aeratifiue sotoething' - , vilv nnon I *« mysterioua duanpeasance of Ralph Anderdon am Then by wDflfeiBff jA^ ^w^, aad pi^^^ »ujr u|« ^niesf a fair young bride— the secret of Durley Cbioe '*^4«en h« toRMd towards Jfiag, wiio bad iM»t Efjved frcw hie pebdioB, and said — " hocAi ke«e, Tom ! Unless I am quite aut in nay cal- oukiffaioaa, it is here we most look to find the solution af and S&r tha back, he cut ««>m|^.etely dbwn one side >f He repeated the same process with the ' ther side. There then remained the most diflEifi dt part to do, namely, to cut the top and bottom of ' tie ^uvel, which would be, of course, against the grain of -he wood. A little perseverance, howcTer, will d( wonders, and our ftiends soon had the inexpressible satiy Action of seeing a hole in the door large enough for tha n to pass through one at a time. This room was in the front of the mansion, and the sun, which was shining upon it, found its way in through the bars of the shutters, the peculiar shape of which we have already described. Turpin's impatience to enter this room was so great, that scarcely had the panel fallen bodily inward, than he crept through the hole he had made, leaving Tom to follow his example as best he could. King was soon in also, and the highwaymen looked about them with the greatest curiosity and interest. The subdued light which filled the room seemed more congenial than if the broad daylight had revealed its every nook and angle. The apartment was a spacious and a lofty one. The furniture was massive and gorgeous. In one recess was a huge funereal-looking tent bedstead, of that kind in which our ancestors used particularly to delight. , The curtains were drawn closely around it. They looked heavy and sombre. The four posts of the bedstead were surmounted with a iarge plume of feathers, resembUng those which are seen on hearses at the present day. It was full five minutes before either of the highwaymen spoke. The whole of their faculties were bent upon an' attentive and minute examination of the chamber they had entered, and which they were firmly of opinion was the one that used to be tenanted by Sir Ernest and his wife. Tom King was the one who spoke first. The intense stillness of that gloomy room oppressed him. " I think we have entered the right place, Dick, don't you ? An apartment like this would surely be the one set aside for the occupation of the owner of the mansion." " Yes — yes. In this room, Tom, beyond a doabt, the baronet's fair wife, in whose mysterious fate I feel so deep an interest, pined away her young life, like a wild bird in a cage." " You seem strangeJy moved, Dick." " I am. I feel the profoundest pity for the unhappy girl, and there is also some prescient feeling within me which makes me conscious that this long shut-up room has been the scene of a terrible tragedy." " How strange ! " said Tom, and his voice grew hushed and solemn. " The words you have just uttered seem to have given consistency and method to the vague and undefined ideas which were floating about in my mind." " The simple circumstance of being in a deserted cham- ber, and being surrounded by a silence so intense as we are, is sufiicient of itself to people the brain with thiek- coming fancies, but, apart from them, I feel that we stand upon the threshold of a discovery that will caus« thai current of our blood to stagnate in our veins." " How seriously and earnestly you speak, Dick, said Tom King, who remained for a moment or two quite motionl3ss and silent after his companion spoke. " i ouj JBfect me with your own gloomy forebodings ! " Turpin made no reply. His eyes were roaming over ever'" nortion of tiie apai-t- ment. To hiui all cuiflgs in it were distinctly visible, though if any one had suddenly come in out of the sunlight they would not have been able to see at all. But Dick's eyes had become perfectly acoostouied to the dSmliftht. CHAPTBft LVII. ^yreK titbpin sbts out upon a. eatheb VHUhmia SXPBDRIOM. Thbbk was something so ery solemn and impressive ia Dick's manner that Tom King was cwnpletely overawed, and it was witti a strange beating at his hfert that h« made his way towards the spot where his friend stood. " What have you found, Dick ? " he said. " What is it?" " This," replied Turpin, placing his hand upon a door in the wall. " This door is of iron, and can only lead to one place, and that is a small strong room wherein jewels and such like things are kept." " I am aware," said Tom, in a tone of disappointment, " I am aware there are usually such places in the chambers of the great. But what has that to do with the secret of Dui-ley Chine ? " " Everything ! " said Dick, who in this instance seemed to be gifted with a strange kind of foresight. " The secret of Durley Chine will I fancy turn out no secret to me ! I seem somehow to have divined it from the first, and as soon as I saw that door I was convinced that I was right ! " " I confess 1 am fairly puzzled to understand you. However, if that door is all that hides the sesret from our view, I say open it at once ! " " I intend to do so, my friend. It will, though, I think take some time." As he spoke, Turpin produced from his pocket several small implements, with which he at once made an attack upon the lock. Not rudely, but gently. He knew well it was a door built for strength, and that it would be hopeless to think of forcing it, and that if it was to be got open it would be by coaxing. His patience was put to a severe trial. Originally no doubt the lock was made as unpickable as possible, but now, having been left to itself so long, it had got thoroughly rusteJ into its setting, so that, even if he had had the proper key, it would have been a matter of some difficulty to turn it in the wards. But this opposition to his wishes only served to make him more determined. He had to pause more than once. At last the bolt of the lock was bit by bit forced back But the door did not open. It seemed to be fastened into its frame. There was, however, near the centre of it, a large octa. gon-shaped knob, and this Dick caught hold of and palled with all his might. The door shook slightly. He tried again. Tom Kin^ lent his aid by clasping him round the waist. Slowly, with a harsh grating sound, the door opened. But only while they pulled with their utmost strength. When it was open about eighteen inches, something, which must have been leaning against the door, fell fluttering and rattling into the apartment. It lay on the floor in an unshapely hud-^'ed-up mass. The dust rose up in clcuds. Instinctively, the two highwaymen spi.^g back and retreated until tixey were brought to a stop by the huge bedstead. Tom King was startled, and so was Turpin, but not to anything like the same extent as his companion. Neither, however, moved or spoke until the dust had to some extent subsided. " What— what is it ? " gasped Tom. " Vhat is it r ' We must approach to know that, tbousrh I more thsin suspect what it is. Stay, the light in the room seems to- be fading. Can it be possible that ihe day has gone ?" " It would seem so ; but do not dally ! Quick P Lijrht S01B lantern, wa shall then be able to see bettar/' THE KNIGHT OF TEX BOAD. ** I waa thinking of doing so," said Turpin, producing always to be alone P In this gloomy place, and with the it from his pocket, and igniting the small wick within it weight of his fearfol crime pressing upon him, it is m by means of a phosphorous match. wonder he became ' the living personification of conscienoB- In another moment now a clear beam of li^ht etreawed ' stricken man ! * " through the crystalline lens. ( " My very words ! " Our friends then made their way towards th« stroug' Dick smiled. iron door, directing the ray of light upon the object which had fallen forth. A cry of horror uune irom Tom King's tps. What had fallen were the mouldering, festering remiuuica/ of a human body. The bones, which could be seen hero and there, were bleaehed and bare, and the clothing that lay about and aroimd them seemed to be of no greater consistency than tinder. But their first natural shock of terror and disgust at meeting with such an < bject over, the curiosity of the two highwaymen resumed its sway. By Dick's acvice. the strong door was pulled as far open as it would come. They then stood on one side, so that the chamel-like odour which filled the closet might mingle with the purer atmosphere in the large apartment. Then, with slow steps, they walked to the spot where the human remains were lying. " See," said Dick, " here is that which explains all." " It does ; but look, do you perceive, my friend, there is more than one body here.' " I am aware of it ; I felt sure there " 1 ean distinguish several portions of a woman's dress, and here and there the bright brass buttons belonging to a naval nnitorm." " It is even so. You see how I was right when I said Sir Ernest's wife never eloped. Here is the proof, for that this IS all that remains of the unhappy Kata there Ciui scarcely exist a doubt." " And of her old lover, B^lph Anderdon." " And of her old lover, Ralph Anderdon, as you say. The VOTigeance of Sir Ernest was complete. Here is the key to the desertion of the mansion. He calcidated that in a hundred years all traces of his crime would have dis- appeared, and so the name would remain untarnished. I somehow saw through it all at a glance. I can tell what occurred almost as weU as if I mid been here to witpnss it." ^' It is nou viifi5cult to do so now." " No, nor was it to me from the first. You may depend Sir Ernest Dane surprised his wife and Ralph Anderdon hero together. He then, by some means, contrived to put an end to their existence, probably by poison, and then locked them in this strong room." "That, 1 think, with all due deference to you, can hardly have been the actual c*>/e of affairs." "YiThynot?" " You seem to overlook the cL-Cv>'Tstance that they were both leaning against the door ; t>v, could not else have fallen out as they did." "True." '* That, then, I take it, clearly indicate" that they were put in there alive, and that they died leaning against the door, perhaps in the hope of '^eleasing themselves from their place of confinement." " Yes, you must be right io that respect, but it makes Sir Ernest's crime ten times more horrible. They must have starved to death ! " " Or, which is more likely, perished for want of air." *'0r the two causes combined. Sir Ernest, however, fisplayed some ingenuity. There was no bungling in his work.'' " None. At least, to all appearance." " So probable a story that his wife had elopeJ with her fotmer lover would of course, be easily believed by those who were acquainted with the history of her lue and young affections." • " It was believed imrl.citly, and I think^yon are t^e ▼ery first that ever expressed a doubt upon the subject ; at least, Lhat I have ever heard of." " Some intuitive feeling caused me to do so." " The circumstances altogetb"- are mo«t strange.' " Most -strange, indeed ! ' ^ ^ , , " It is a sad sight. Beautiful as I have V^ard. Kate I " I don't dispute that in the least, but in the meanwhue was, there are no traces of her beauty now." ) just let me ask you what we are to do fbr food durici,thW " But can you wonder that Sir Ernest should wander time ?" «prctre-Iike about the house, and that he should dread \ " It is some time since we had aoT last I ' Never," he said, " to the longest day o my ibh^^^^^, will be obliterated &om my mind all that I have seen and heard respecting Durley Chine ' " " I can readily believe that." "Poor girl!' said Turpin, looking down at the grisly bones lying at his feet. She is greatly to be pitied— -far more to be pitied than blamed — though that she was guUty I think there is conclusive evidence." " Her punishment was great." " You are right there. No one, unless those who have actually experienced it can tell how horrible it is to die from want of food." " And this young sailoF. His career was a short one, and its termination inglorious. He is more guilty than Kate, but it is very, very easy to forgive him ! ' " He had a consolation, and he may perhaps have c