Page 295 - A Jacobite Exile

After the meal, Charlie told his friend the steps he was taking to discover
Nicholson.

"Do you feel sure that you would know him again, Harry?"

"Quite sure. Why, I saw him dozens of times at Lynnwood."

"Then we shall now be able to hunt for him separately, Harry. Going to two
or three places, of an evening, I always fear that he may come in after I

have gone away. Now one of us can wait till the hour for closing, while the
other goes elsewhere."

For another fortnight, they frequented all the places where they thought
Nicholson would be most likely to show himself; then, after a consultation

with their guide, they agreed that they must look for him at lower places.

"Like enough," the tipstaff said, "he may have run through his money the

first night or two after coming up to town. That is the way with these
fellows. As long as they have money they gamble. When they have none,

they cheat or turn to other evil courses. Now that there are two of you
together, there is less danger in going to such places; for, though these
rascals may be ready to pick a quarrel with a single man, they know that it

is a dangerous game to play with two, who look perfectly capable of
defending themselves."

For a month, they frequented low taverns. They dressed themselves plainly
now, and assumed the character of young fellows who had come up to

town, and had fallen into bad company, and lost what little money they had
brought with them, and were now ready for any desperate enterprise. Still,

no success attended their search.

"I can do no more for you," their guide said. "I have taken you to every

house that such a man would be likely to use. Of course, there are many
houses near the river frequented by bad characters. But here you would

chiefly meet men connected, in some way, with the sea, and you would be
hardly likely to find your man there."