Page 300 - A Jacobite Exile

Chapter 17

: The North Coach.

Barnet was then, as now, a somewhat straggling place. Soon after entering
it, the horseman turned off from the main road. His pursuers were but fifty

yards behind him, and they kept him in sight until, after proceeding a
quarter of a mile, he stopped at a small tavern, where he dismounted, and a

boy took his horse and led it round by the side of the house.

"Run to earth!" Harry said exultantly. "He is not likely to move from there

tonight."

"At any rate, he is safe for a couple of hours," Charlie said. "So we will go
to our inn, and have a good meal. By that time it will be quite dark, and we
will have a look at the place he has gone into; and if we can't learn

anything, we must watch it by turns till midnight. We will arrange, at the
inn, to hire a horse. One will be enough. He only caught a glimpse of us at

that inn, and certainly would not recognize one of us, if he saw him alone.
The other can walk."

"But which way, Charlie? He may go back again." "It is hardly likely he
came here merely for the pleasure of stopping the night at that little tavern.

I have no doubt he is bound for London. You shall take the horse, Harry,
and watch until he starts, and then follow him, just managing to come up
close to him as he gets into town. I will start early, and wait at the

beginning of the houses, and it is hard if one or other of us does not manage
to find out where he hides."

They had no difficulty in arranging with the landlord for a horse, which
was to be left in a stable he named in town. They gave him a deposit, for

which he handed them a note, by which the money was to be returned to
them by the stable keeper, on their handing over the horse in good

condition.