The Young Buglers | Page 8

ten minutes
Rhoda was fast asleep on the landlady's bed.
Tom and Peter expressed their desire for something substantial in the
way of eating, for the morning had now fairly broken. The landlady
brought in some cold meat, upon which the boys made a vigorous
attack, and then, taking possession of two benches, they dozed off until
the coach arrived.
It had but three horses, for one had been sent off to carry Bill, the ostler,

at full speed to the town at which they had last changed horses, to fetch
a doctor and the constable. The other two men had remained with the
guard, who was shot in the hip, and the highwayman, whose
collar-bone was broken by Peter's shot. The fellow shot by the guard,
and the other one, whom the coach wheels had passed over, were both
dead.
"There's the coach, Tom."
"What a nuisance, Peter, they'll all be wanting to talk now, and I am
just so comfortably off. Well, I suppose it's no use trying to get any
more sleep."
So saying, they roused themselves, and went out to the door just as the
coach drew up.
There was a general shout of greeting from the passengers, which was
stopped, however, by a peremptory order from the coachman.
He was a large, stout man, with a face red from the effects of wind and
exposure. "Jack," he said, to a man who was standing near, for the news
of the attack upon the coach had quickly spread, and all the villagers
were astir to see it come in. "Jack, hold the leader's head. Thomas, open
the door, and let the insides out. Gents," he said solemnly, when this
was done, "I'm going to do what isn't a usual thing by no means, in fact,
I ain't no precedence for doing it; but then, I do not know any
precedence for this here business altogether. I never did hear of a
coachman standing up on his box to give a cheer, no, not to King
George himself; but, then, King George never polished off two
highwaymen all to himself, leastway, not as I've heard tell of. Now,
these two young gents have done this. They have saved my coach and
my passengers from getting robbed, and so I'm going to give 'em three
cheers. I'll trouble you to help me up into the box seat, gentlemen."
Assisted by the other passengers, the driver now gravely climbed up
into the box seat, steadied himself there by placing one hand upon the
shoulder of the passenger next him, took off his low-crowned hat, and
said. "Follow me, gents, with three cheers for those young gents

standing there; better plucked ones I never came across, and I've
traveled a good many miles in my day."
So saying, he gave three stentorian cheers, which were echoed by all
the passengers and villagers.
Then there was a momentary silence, and Tom, who, with his brother,
had been feeling very uncomfortable, although rather inclined to laugh,
seeing that he was expected to say something, said, "Thank you all very
much; but we'd much rather you hadn't done it."
Then there was a general laugh and movement, and a general pressing
forward of the passengers to shake the boys by the hand. The driver
was assisted down from his elevated position, and got off the coach and
came up to them. "That's the first speech I ever made, young gentlemen,
and, if I know myself, it will be the last; but, you see, I was druv to it.
You're a good sort, that's certain. What will you drink?"
The boys declared for beer, and drank solemnly with the driver,
imitating him in finishing their mugs at a draught, and turning them
topsy-turvy. There was now a great deal of talking, and many questions
were asked. Tom and Peter modestly said that there was really nothing
to tell. They saw that the gentleman next to them intended to use his
pistols; but, not seeing a good opportunity, put them down behind the
tarpaulin, and the thought occurred to them that, by slipping behind it,
they would get a good chance of a certain shot. Accordingly, they had
fired, and then the horse had run away; and there was an end of it.
There was nothing extraordinary in the whole matter.
"At any rate, my boys, you have saved me from a loss of a couple of
hundred pounds which I had got hid in my boots, but which those
fellows would have been sure to have have discovered," one of the
passengers said.
There was a general chorus of satisfaction at many watches and trinkets
saved, and then the first passenger went on,--
"I propose, gentlemen and ladies, that when we get to the end of