, may know something about him; he's a keen
file; I'll sound him. Thirty, forty, fifty--there's the exact amount. So
much for Dick Turpin."

"Dick Turpin thanks you for it in person," said Dick, suddenly snatching
the whole sum from Paterson's hands, and felling the chief constable
with a blow of one of his pistols. "I wish I was as sure of escaping the
gallows as I am certain that Paterson has got his reward. You stare,
sir. You are once more in the hands of the Philistines. See who is at
your elbow."

Coates, who was terrified almost out of his senses at the sight of
Turpin, scarcely ventured to turn his head; but when he did so, he was
perfectly horror-stricken at the threatening aspect of Luke, who held a
cutlass in his hand, which he had picked up in the ferryman's bedroom.

"So you would condemn me for crimes I have never committed," said Luke.
"I am tempted, I own, to add the destruction of your worthless existence
to their number."

"Mercy, for God's sake, mercy!" cried Coates, throwing himself at Luke's
feet. "I meant not what I said."

"Hence, reptile," said Luke, pushing him aside; "I leave you to be dealt
upon by others."

At this juncture, the door of the hut was flung open, and in rushed
Major Mowbray, sword in hand, followed by Conkey Jem.

"There he stands, sir," cried the latter; "upon him!"

"What! Conkey Jem turned snitch upon his pals?" cried Dick; "I scarce
believe my own ears."

"Make yourself scarce, Dick," growled Jem; "the jigger's open, and the
boat loose. Leave Luke to his fate. He's sold."

"Never! vile traitor," shouted Dick; "'tis thou art _sold_, not he;"
and, almost ere the words were spoken, a ball was lodged in the brain of
the treacherous ferryman.

Major Mowbray, meanwhile, had rushed furiously upon Luke, who met his
assault with determined calmness. The strife was sharp, and threatened a
speedy and fatal issue. On the Major's side it was a desperate attack of
cut and thrust, which Luke had some difficulty in parrying; but as yet
no wounds were inflicted. Soldier as was the Major, Luke was not a whit
inferior to him in his knowledge of the science of defence, and in the
exercise of the broadsword he was perhaps the more skilful of the two:
upon the present occasion his coolness stood him in admirable stead.
Seeing him hard pressed, Turpin would have come to his assistance; but
Luke shouted to him to stand aside, and all that Dick could do, amid the
terrific clash of stee