The High Toby

opened in a little tavern in Southwark, where I was foolish enough to spend a night and some guineas in entertaining a pack of rude huffs that did not know a gentleman from a dung-fork. I ha

foot in a twinkling by a back window, and made for Clapham. Here, as chance had it, I encountered a stout man on his horse

hot draught of ale and brandy, and, giving my nag a bite, was on the road again, for I knew not how near the enemy might be, and I had vowed to put ten leagues behind me ere I lay anywhere. The way was vile in that weather, but I pushed on through Guildford, and at last came to

eman that was full of questions; and madam, his wife, that was fat and slumberous; and to them was a[176] daughter, pretty enough, but with eyes that marched and countermarched, and usually upon a young man that was dressed like a Court popinjay. This fellow, as I discovered, was her lover, Harringay by name, and a pretty cupid he was. The last in the coach was a staid-faced, sober-clad man, all in a dark ke

en in the night, and 'twas now darkening for more. Out on the Sussex waste tumbled the st

overturned!" cried the o

take all the breath of two heave

is safe?" say

1

edy. Confound all such conveyances!" said I. "G

soldier, si

hat," says I-"a so

again, and the stage jolted on her creaking wheels, sending

assistance, blushing ripe an

njay began fumbling in his pockets, and with a sulky air stooped to do as he was

ingay, presently, in a fluting voice of affectation.

, "you cannot s

loftily, "I am quit

ression," I said. "A stout

1

admiringly, "you soldie

"I could tell you that whic

hole family, but young Harringay crosse

ldiers have l

said I peremptorily, for I was

was eyeing me steadily. He had the look of a lawyer's clerk, or something of the sort, so I returned him his stare with nonchalan

ys, sir?" inquired

om one may meet," s

waymen?" he said

e is danger from th

y laughe

9] cowards, and would not attack a

k looked at him

sir?" I asked polit

is pocket s

il me," he boasted; and miss c

's hands," explained the old gent

but his suddenly faded away, and he looked out at the moor, on which the snow and the wi

plied her smelling-salts; whereat she was attended by her husband

the old man. "I misdoubt w

erfully, "unless these same gent

1

in my ear; and there was the man in black

indifferently,

"there is nothing here to tempt an

I. "I have that which I wou

"But with three such young gentlemen

to be stopped," says the man in black.

ooking eagerly at Harringay, who smiled a

ust me for that, sweetheart." At

, too, was fallen asleep. I was like to have done the same, for the jolting and the stuffiness of the air had wearied me;

-a long barn of a place, with a surly landlord that had not sense enough to serve his customers properly.

sir, seeing that you add th

those?"

tic habit. "You protect us, sir," he said. "We are relying upon

e you there's none likely to infest you. You are as

black. "And I shall eat, for my part, wit

ffence, for there was nothing in his words to warrant it. But Harringay

1

e shall not be molested. There is plent

ping her knife and fork, "you terrify me.

his effort, adding, "'Tis known

I saw miss whitening under the b

tons talk of what they know not. 'T

should keep up your spirits." And he drank of his wine, whistling gentl

I had not the heart to overwhelm him in miss's presence. So said I good-humouredly, "We

g. Never did I see a woman with such an appetite.[183] But the old gentleman took

d to-night," he said in a plaintive way, "f

I, "and madam and miss, too, in as snug blan

the candles saw the man in black guttling his wine as if he were in a haste to feel its temper in his stomach. He had drunk one bottle and the better part of another. I called out to the innkeeper, bidding him ask if we were to stay there al

one, lay back with contentment, with one eye open on miss (who was conscious of my stare, and fidgeted under it), and t'other on nothingness. The old lady went off to sleep forthwith with the food she had taken, and trumpeted at times to the chagrin of her daughter. But

ut the barrel of a pistol

iercely, "and you

ssed what it was, and so, ne

oncerns not my

kept your mouth

rong, and that we be fallen indeed into the hands of a tobyman

he, "and give me

pistols?" I a

he was a mere bungler, and no real gentleman of the

is but the matter of

ut," said

; "you promise me

it myself," h

e; so said I, with a heavy sigh, "If I must, I

w to the game, for no born tobyman would have rested content with what I gave

said I meekly, "maybe you will al

am here with four loaded pistols, with

1

d, as if desperately. "Tis the y

ghed h

eyes enough, my good

n my keeping I would not have let 'em go so

ays he

and robbed," says the voice of the o

said the ma

miss?" said I

l voic

ery fri

"We are none of us hurt, and w

to be silent,"

e liberty. You have took our goo

ou will believe me the old lady had slumbered through it all,

iev

I; "thieves it is, and as feroci

in black clapped his pistol to her, and gav

at you have

mmered. "There is no room o

will cease your clatte

"if we behave modestly. This coach shall not swim in blood,

ust at that moment the coach came to with a crash that sent him flying against the window. He flourished his pistols wildly, and I thought the f

1

you're a

the coachman in amazement. "A

l be gone out of yours if yo

"has robbed the coach; and 'tis only of hi

d let me have it," said this ridiculous t

er, still in astonishment; "you're welcome to

mean?" he dema

rift somewhere towards Liss-the

"you will not venture your v

savage oath, yet

ach nowhere from here, and you will leave five hapless mortal beings to

to him. "Very well," said he, "I consent. But if there be any sign

t such a price, shut the door and departed, and presently the stag

fidgety as a cat, seeming not to know what to do, or whom to confront and bully. Moreover, my attitude had put him in a flurry, and the knowledge that we were astr

re, and I would have been his Majesty's Chief Justic

n plucked up spirit enou

that follow a trade of violence must co

1

macking my leg. "You have spo

this shoddy hig

lady to me. "But it appears to me you did litt

," said I. "Alas that I was born to

angrily, "and you see us rob

low is the very devil. I think any man may be excused to surren

elling-salts," sa

'em not,"

gay's spirit hath done so, why, I think it no shame myself. But indeed," I went on, struck with a comic idea, "we are neither of us in need

ieve what you will," says

ption I would take oath this is not other than Galloping Dick, Dic

I believe the huff was well p

t. And, believe me, any man might be proud

he old gentleman. "But they say he is

s gentleman will prove mercifu

hing from me," said he in

t the coachman was whipping up. This same thought seems to occur to the fellow, for he opened the window[192] and shouted out to the man to

?" he said

ain," says the man in bl

s there is,"

ses out, or I will make a ho

on quite famously till now. 'Tis

ed out of the vehicle, at which

, "and we will see thi

he coachman extricate one of his nags. The tobyman (if I may so style him) sto

en minutes after I am gone. If you do, I

mself with the gear, and presently has one of his horses out. Th

a warning voice, "I n

quality. You take him on the near side and I will on the off. Leg

stammered, "

ye frightened of a pistol in the hands of a mumchanc

when he saw me coming an

!" cr

d!" says I, an

ch made me all the hotter. I seized him leg and neck, and swun

ten stick, my brave tobyman. Quit, you worm, quit!" And I

[194] fumbled in the man's pockets for a pistol. "Now," said I, "we are on te

me

y. "Damme, miss will serve me better. She will we

tern, and cast the light on the miser

ould manage him. See," says I, for miss was come up, looking very handsome and excited, in the snow. "Tak

id as I bid, holding the barker in a gingerly fashion, the wh

e close, for the snow had dulled the tread of the horses of the par

1

is? Is't an

said I. "A brave fellow that is come b

oice. "We are after one

on my heels I guessed at once. So I moved a little into the sh

our man," says he, "but 't

asked I, emboldened

far as Liphook, but the one that could speak to

fess to being Ryder?" I asked of the others, for by t

says the old fellow. "I heard him

pale as the snow, and[196] he had a horrid, frightened look. Maybe he was some attorney's clerk that had robbed his master, and was in flight. I car

jewels were in my pockets. Lord, I love the jin

restore the smelling-salts, that is your charge. Miss, this, I'll warrant, is your jewels, the which I would advise

s Harringay, in an amaze. "M

eart is, in your boots," says I conte

that nag,

doffing to miss and her mother, rode off into the