The Highwayman | Page 4

"Oh Lud," said Harry, "here's more fair
madames in the mud. They may sit on it till they hatch it for me." But
he wondered a little. It was indeed nothing very strange in such an
autumn to find a coach stuck upon the highway. But two for one
afternoon, two so near was a generous provision. And hereabouts,
where the road ran level and high, was a strange place for a coach to
choose to stick. "Madame seems to be a gross girl," quoth Harry.
And then he saw what made him step out. There were two men on
horseback by the halted coach--two men with black upon their faces

which must be masks, and that in their hands which must be pistols.
"Egad, the road's joyful to-night," said Harry. "And two and one make
three," and he began to run, and arrived.
Of the two highwaymen one was dismounted. The other, holding his
friend's horse, held also a pistol at the coachman's head, muttering lurid
threats of what he would do if the coachman drove on. The dismounted
man was half inside the coach where two women shrank from him, and
thence his blusterous voice proceeded, "Now, my blowens, hand over,
or I'll rummage you. A skinny purse? Come, now, you've more than
that. What's under your legs, fatty? Stand up, I say. Ay, hand out the
jewel-box. Now, my tackle, what ha' you got aboard? What's under that
pretty tucker?" He threw the jewel-case out into the mud and, leaning
across one woman, reached with a fat, foul hand to the younger bosom
beyond.
He was prevented by a whistle and a cry, "Behind you, Ben." His
companion announced the arrival of Harry.
Ben came out of the coach with an oath and thrust his pistol into
Harry's face. "Good e'en to you, bully. Now cut and run or I'll drill you.
Via, my poppet."
Harry looked along the pistol and stood fast. The highwayman was no
bigger than he, and bloated. "I am studying arithmetic, Benjamin," said
he.
"Burn your eyes, be off with you; run while you may."
Harry laughed and swung his stick at the mud. "But, I wonder, is it
addition or subtraction? Is it two and one makes three, or--"
"Kick the bumpkin into the ditch, Ben," the man on horseback advised.
"Off with you," Benjamin thrust him back, and in the act the pistol
wavered. Harry slashed with his stick at the pistol hand. A yell, an oath,
and the shot came together--a shot which went into the mud and sent it

spattering about them. Harry sprang away from Benjamin's rush and
brought his stick down on the hindquarters of the horses. They plunged
forward, and the man in the saddle, wrestling with them, let off another
aimless shot. Harry dodged round them and lashed them again, and
they bolted down the road. He returned to fling himself upon Benjamin,
who was ramming another charge into his pistol. "It seems to be
subtraction, Benjamin," said he, embracing the man fervently. "One
from two leaves one," and they swayed together, and he found
Benjamin's body soft.
Benjamin, panting, cursed him. "Od rot you, why must you meddle,
bully? What's your will, burn you? Ha' done now, and--" Benjamin
went down on his back in the mud with Harry on top of him. "Ugh!
What's the game, bully?"
"I think you call it the high toby," said Harry delicately and began to
sing to the tune of a catch:
"Oh, three merry men, three merry men, three highwaymen were we.
You in a quag and he on a nag and I on top of the three."
"Lord love you, are you on the road?" Benjamin cried. "Why, rot you,
did you want a share then? You should ha' said so, bully. Come on now,
my dear, let's up. We do be gentlemen and share fair enough."
"I warrant you I am having my share," Harry laughed; "and I like it
very well. But oh, Benjamin, there would have been nought to share if I
had not come up. No fun at all, Benjamin." He wrenched the pistol
away. "'Tis I have made the business joyous. You are a dull fellow by
yourself."
"Rot you," said Benjamin frankly. "When Ned comes back he'll shoot
you like vermin."
On which they both heard horses, and both, according to their
abilities--Benjamin in the mud, and Harry keeping a sure hold of
him--wriggled to look for them.

Harry laughed. It was certainly not a returning Ned. These horses came
from the other way, and there were four of them and each had a rider.
"I fear your Ned will come too late, Benjamin--if, by the grace of God,
he comes at all." So said Harry, chuckling, and to his amazement