r noble head slightly raised and
thrown back, the nostrils dilated, the colour glowing richly in the soft
cheek. Wild Jack, looking at her, felt a glow of enthusiasm which
betrayed itself in his voice.

"You have nothing to fear, madam," he said.

"I? I fear nothing," said the girl calmly--"Wild Jack is a gentleman."

The highwayman made a rapid sign to his comrades, who proceeded to throw
themselves on to Samuel Barnes, and begin to search him from head to
foot.

A sudden fear flashed into Betty's mind. How if Wild Jack were unable to
restrain his companions, infuriated as they would be by their failure in
discovering the expected treasure on the person of their victim?

Her cheeks paled, for one moment she turned her eyes full on the masked
face of her captor. Masked as he was, her look thrilled him through and
through.

"You are safe," he repeated hurriedly.

Something in his voice seemed to give her confidence, for she stooped
forward and said in a low voice, "Mr. Barnstaple, I trust to your
honour,--the money is here."

And with a grand movement she laid her bound hands on her breast.

Wild Jack bowed low, but he said nothing, and in spite of the bold front
she bore, Betty's heart beat fast.

The noise increased. Samuel Barnes, maddened with fright, struggled
against his assailants furiously, but he was overmatched, a violent blow
with the butt end of a pistol stunned him completely, and all
resistance was over. Undaunted by their want of success the coach was
then rifled, the mails ruthlessly thrown out into the road.

One or two of the men, of whom there appeared to be five at least, now
proposed to search the women.

There was a moment's pause, during which Wild Jack tightened his grasp
on Betty's arm. Had she shown one symptom of fear, it is possible that
his fierce profession would have triumphed over the infatuation of her
beauty, but the look she turned upon him was so full of confidence, such
absolute trust in his honour, that it prevailed.

He swore that he made no war upon women, and ordered back his
disappointed followers, allowing them to divide the trumpery booty they
had secured, of watches, trinkets, and the parson's purse, which was not
empty.

They stood back. Wild Jack spoke to them in a low tone, looking, as he
did so, several times up at the sky as if to see how the time went; then
advancing he opened the door of the coach, and unbinding the hands of
the two ladies, offered to