Page 308 - A Jacobite Exile

"Now you know the whole affair. Let us have your opinion as to the
manner in which we had best set about the business."

The man sat for some time, in silence.

"I can think of no better plan than yours, sir, and yet it seems to me that
there is scarcely any chance of your catching him at the coach. Of course, it

would be easy enough if you did not care whether you killed or caught him.
All you would have to do would be to get half a dozen stout fellows, armed

with pistols, on the coach with you instead of passengers, and then you
would be pretty certain to kill some of them, perhaps all; but, as you can't
do that, and are afraid to shoot lest you should kill him, it seems to me that

you have a very small chance of catching him that way."

Charlie and his friend so thoroughly saw this, that they sat silent when he
ceased speaking.

"We could not arrest him now, I suppose?" Harry said at last.

"Well, you see, you have got nothing against him. He may have been a
Knight of the Road for the last five years, but you have no witnesses to
prove it, and it is not much use to accuse him of intending to rob the North

mail. You have no proofs, even of that. It is only your word against his.

"There is no doubt that, after they have robbed the coach, they will
separate. They may go away in twos, or singly. Now, you see, we know
three of this fellow's hiding places. He would hardly choose the one at

Barnet. It is too close. It is more likely he would choose the next place, the
little inn in which you saw him first; but I think it more likely still that he

and his mates will divide the plunder, half a mile or so from the place
where they stopped the coach, and will then separate, and I am inclined to
think his most likely course is to strike off from the main road, make a long

round, and come down before morning to where he is now. He may take his
horse into its stable, or, more likely, he may leave it at some place he may

know of on the road leading out through Putney, and then arrive at his
lodgings just about daybreak. He would explain he had been at a supper,