ing at the door, "come forth! You
are now fairly trapped at last--caught like the woodcock in your own
springe. We have you. Open the door, I say, and save us the trouble of
forcing it. You cannot escape us. We will burn the building down but we
will have you."

"What dun you want, measter?" cried Ralph, from the lintel, whence he
reconnoitered the major, and kept the door fast. "You're clean mista'en.
There be none here."

"We'll soon see that," said Paterson, who had now arrived; and, leaping
from his horse, the chief constable took a short run to give himself
impetus, and with his foot burst open the door. This being accomplished,
in dashed the major and Paterson, but the stable was vacant. A door was
open at the back; they rushed to it. The sharply sloping sides of a hill
slipped abruptly downwards, within a yard of the door. It was a perilous
descent to the horseman, yet the print of a horse's heels were visible
in the dislodged turf and scattered soil.

"Confusion!" cried the major, "he has escaped us."

"He is yonder," said Paterson, pointing out Turpin moving swiftly
through the steaming meadow. "See, he makes again for the road--he
clears the fence. A regular throw he has given us, by the Lord!"

"Nobly done, by Heaven!" cried the major. "With all his faults, I honor
the fellow's courage and admire his prowess. He's already ridden
to-night as I believe never man rode before. I would not have ventured
to slide down that wall, for it's nothing else, with the enemy at my
heels. What say you, gentlemen, have you had enough? Shall we let him
go, or----?"

"As far as chase goes, I don't care if we bring the matter to a
conclusion," said Titus. "I don't think, as it is, that I shall have a
sate to sit on this week to come. I've lost leather most confoundedly."

"What says Mr. Coates?" asked Paterson. "I look to him."

"Then mount, and off," cried Coates. "Public duty requires that we
should take him."

"And private pique," returned the major. "No matter! The end is the
same. Justice shall be satisfied. To your steeds, my merry men all.
Hark, and away."

Once more upon the move, Titus forgot his distress, and addressed
himself to the attorney, by whose side he rode.

"What place is that we're coming to?" asked he, pointing to a cluster of
moonlit spires belonging to a town they were rapidly approaching.

"Stamford," replied Coates.

"Stamford!" exclaimed Titus; "by the powers! then we've ridden a matter