The King's Highway eBook

George Payne Rainsford James
This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 646 pages of information about The King's Highway.

The King's Highway eBook

George Payne Rainsford James
This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 646 pages of information about The King's Highway.

“Did you not hear a scream?” he said, addressing his companion in a low voice.

“Yes,” answered the other, “I thought I did:  let us ride on and see.”

Wilton’s spurs instantly touched his horse’s side, and he rode quickly down the slope towards the bridge, which he well remembered, when a scene was suddenly presented to his view, which for a moment puzzled and confounded him.

Just at the turn of the bridge lay overturned upon the road one of the large, heavy, wide-topped vehicles, called a coach in those days, while round about it appeared a group of persons whose situation, for a moment, seemed to him dubious, but which soon became more plain.  A gentleman, somewhat advanced in life—­perhaps about fifty-eight or fifty-nine, if not more—­stood by the door of the carriage, from which he had recently emerged, and with him two women, one of whom was a young lady, apparently of about seventeen years of age, and the other her maid.  Three men—­servants stood about their master; but they had not the slightest appearance of any intention of giving aid to any one; for, though sundry were the situations and attitudes in which they stood, each of those attitudes betokened, in a greater or a less degree, the uncomfortable sensation of fear.  One of them, indeed, had a brace of pistols in his two hands, but those hands dropped, as it were, powerless by his side, and his knees were bent into a crooked line, which certainly indicated no great firmness of heart.

To account for the trepidation displayed by several of the persons present, it may be necessary to state that round the overthrown vehicle stood five personages, each of whom held a cocked pistol in his hand, and, in two instances, the hands that held those pistols were raised in an attitude of menace not to be mistaken.  In one instance, the weapon of offence was pointed towards the gentleman who appeared to be the owner of the carriage; in the other, it was directed towards the head of the poor girl, his daughter, who seemed to have not the slightest intention of resisting.

This formidable gesture was accompanied by words, which were spoken loud enough for Wilton to hear, as he pushed his horse down the hill; and those words were, “Come, madam! your ear-rings, quick:  do not keep us all night with your hands shaking.  By the Lord, I will get them out in a quicker fashion, if you do not mind.”

Before we can proceed to describe what occurred next, it may be necessary to state one feature in the case, which was very peculiar—­this was, that at about forty yards from the spot where the robbery was taking place, upon the top of a small bank, with his horse grazing near, and his arms crossed upon his chest, stood a man of gentlemanly appearance and powerful frame, taking no part whatsoever in the affray; not opposing the proceedings of the plunderers, indeed, but gnawing his nether lip, as if anything rather than well contented.  He fixed a keen, even a fierce eye upon Wilton as he rode down; but neither the young gentleman himself, nor the other traveller, who followed him at full speed, took any notice of him, but coming on with their pistols drawn from their holsters, they were soon in the midst of the group round the carriage.

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The King's Highway from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.