e harness was
speedily stripped and flung inside the coach. With a cut of the whip
they were then driven off into the darkness. As the common extended
some distance down the coast, it was probable that before daylight the
animals would have strayed far from the spot where they had been
liberated.

"Save the lamps," was the next command, "and see if there's anything in
the fore or hind boot."

Owing to the peculiar character of its passengers, the coach was found
to be carrying practically nothing in the way of luggage, except my own
trunk and the one large hamper already mentioned, which had been pushed
into the boot for conveyance to Castlefield, probably to relieve the
mail, which was sure to be heavily laden at this time of the year.
From the gruff remarks of the would-be plunderers, it was evident that
they were disappointed. It was probably within the knowledge of most
of them that a stage coach sometimes carried a valuable cargo; in fact,
not more than two years after the date of my story a bank parcel
containing notes and gold to the value of L5,700 was stolen from a
coach running between Glasgow and Edinburgh--the thieves in this
instance travelling as inside passengers, and cutting a hole with
brace-bit and saw through the body of the coach into the boot, from
which the plunder was then extracted.

However, a basket of provisions was, in a way, a valuable find; for the
question of food was likely to become a serious problem before the
members of the gang regained their full freedom. Rodwood therefore
told off two of his followers to carry the basket, refused to allow the
men to drink the other bottle of wine, and bade one of the party unhang
the game from the lamp-iron and carry it slung over his shoulder.

My box was forced open and speedily overhauled; but as it contained
little besides spare clothing, it was flung back into the coach. It
would have been useless for me to expostulate and claim my
property--the rascals were not likely to leave such a piece of evidence
lying about on the grass--and I held my tongue.

"It's half-tide," I heard Lewis mutter. "There's a ledge of rock
she'll land on, but the flood will carry off the wreckage."

The last moments of the _True Blue_ had come.

"Turn her round and back her over," ordered Rodwood.

Awed by the thought of such wanton destruction, I stood with my eyes
fixed upon the dark body of the coach, as for half a minute or so it
rocked and swayed ag