Tales from Many Sources

started in the fine dewy morning, till the sun went down; and as the twilig

thing went wrong with the harness, and later still a much more serious impediment to their progress arose-some accident happened to a wheel, so that th

o fall to the ground, for the coach could only

occupation which, though only partially visible from the int

What is it?" crie

but rather to reassure, in his actions-he prepares his pistols and looks to their priming. Zou

slower, as an ominous creaking of the injured wheel

as held back, and a gentleman f

hold out, thin

your reverence that it will,

s head with a little "Tu

pon forty. The younger was the parson's daughter Elizabeth, otherwise Betty Ives. Her father, Mr. Ives, was bringing her home from

arched, the large blue eyes more tender, the firm mouth more sweet, and all tinted with the lilies and roses of a fresh country life, so beaut

rn by years (he was forty years older than his child), and by

t hat. She was as much at home on horseback as on foot, an

aded woman, who had once been pretty, a spinster, a great friend of Betty's, and one of her father's par

near Wancote, a man who, after attending the Newbury markets, often returned home by this very coac

rinkle that told of thought and deep calculation. He was clean-shaven, and his chi

, so that both Mr. Ives and Mistress Mary Jones started, and Betty, wh

ir?" sh

les are just over, and it is well known that the

e then, sir?" asked Mr

ng day since the coach was attacked between N

tty, sitting u

Barnstaple has been heard

us!" shriek

Zounds! it is torture enough to be subject to periodical gout, without such

n the neighbourhood! Oh Hea

a faint shade paler, but the rosy col

g forward she sa

confide in me. Do y

med ease, "Paper to the value

he valuables you have to us-to Miss Mary Jones and to myself. Wild Jack, all say, is a gentleman-should

ssible, so unfeminine! Are not men our natural protectors?" and she threw

e; it is impossi

throw away the chanc

estlessly; he was accustomed to yield to his daughter's judgment in e

said Betty, with a light laugh, hol

king farther and farther away. "I would not for the whole wo

of scorn, "but even had I not such faith in his honourable dealing, I

Barnes gave them into her hands. The notes were smoothed

m of her tight-fitting riding-habit, and lea

ith anxious eyes

at and wide, over which the fresh cold wind blew listlessly. To the left the horizon was bounded by the wide exp

that the country was so fine and open, that he could even in the gathering

more dismal. "But a mile farther on, and we come to a small wood-the r

nes in a voice half-strangled

y "-a whole mile, Mary; and going at this pace,

t the moon may be

lowly, "I imagine t

answered hastily, "I ha

nd she drew out a tiny silver-mounted pistol. "See, it is prepared for use

a frail woman," wh

he door was torn open. Before Betty could even raise the deadly little weapon she carried, it was seized from her hand-the whole party were dragged out of the carriage-they found themselves surrounded by armed men. There was a v

one of his in a grasp which she imagined to be gentle until she attempted to rele

" said this man suddenly. "This fair lady had all

ty, evidently gained from experienc

and towards the hapless Mr. Barnes. Betty bowed slightly. The light fell full on her tall figure, on her noble head slightly raised and thrown back, th

ing to fear, m

id the girl calmly-"Wil

who proceeded to throw themselves on to Samuel B

to restrain his companions, infuriated as they would be by their failu

es full on the masked face of her captor. Masked a

e," he repea

for she stooped forward and said in a low voice, "Mr.

ment she laid her bou

thing, and in spite of the bold fro

as overmatched, a violent blow with the butt end of a pistol stunned him completely, and all resistance was ov

ere appeared to be five at least,

m of fear, it is possible that his fierce profession would have triumphed over the infatuation of her beauty, b

ted followers, allowing them to divide the trumpery booty they had secu

al times up at the sky as if to see how the time went; then advancing he opened the

first," she said, pointing to the i

rostrate man with the toe of his boot. "We will leave

ady in the saddle an

, withdrew his foot from the stir

his poor man bleeds; a

fair lady, in consideration of the boo

an I gi

of which was a small gold ring in the

he said somewh

om her finger. "I would give a trinket of more value," she crie

rds st

adam," he said, "some day-when th

light on the strange scene, mounted his horse and disappeared. The hor

tuation was increased by the moans which Mr. Barn

y, with his bound hands, attempted to light the lamps of the coach. Betty's first business was to unfasten

the traces had been cut, but the fright

nd, in the absence of all restora

tty and her father, was at last able to rise

tealing over the murky sky, before the mail could

d the mane of the dead horse, who lay a ghastly spectacle, his head thrown back, in a pool of h