A relation of the
thief-taker still lives and tells the tale.
The highwayman's mare,
mentioned in the novel, had been trained to come at his call, and was so
ungovernable that they shot her.
Such tracts of open country, moors, and unenclosed hills were the haunts
of highwaymen till a late period, and memories of the gallows, and of
escapes from them, are common. A well-to-do farmer who used to attend
Bristol market, and dispose there of large quantities of stock and
produce, dared not bring home the money himself lest he should be robbed.
He entrusted the cash to his drover; the farmer rode along the roads, the
drover made short cuts on foot, and arrived safely with the money. This
went on for years, in which time the honest fellow - a mere
labourer - carried some thousands of pounds for his master, faithfully
delivering every shilling. He had, however, a little failing - a dangerous
one in those days, when the gallows was the punishment for
sheep-stealing. He was known to be a sheep-stealer, and actually after
bringing home a hundred pounds would go and put his neck in danger the
very same night by taking a sheep. This went on for some time, people
shut their eyes, but at last patience was exhausted, and efforts were
made to catch him in the act, without success.
One night he came home in the usual manner from market, delivered the
cash, and went to his cottage.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 327 of 394
Words from 87737 to 87996
of 105669
