wild but not unpicturesque expanse, for many miles on either side,
Leonard perceived a band of horsemen, amounting perhaps to a dozen,
galloping towards them, and, not doubting they were the robbers in
question, communicated his suspicions to his companions. Neither Amabel
nor Nizza Macascree appeared much alarmed, but Blaize was so terrified
that he could scarcely keep his seat, and was with difficulty prevented
from turning his horse's head and riding off in the opposite direction.

By this time the highwaymen had come up. With loud oaths, two of their
number held pistols to the heads of Leonard and Blaize, and demanded
their money. The apprentice replied by drawing forth his purse, and
besought the fellow to whom he gave it not to maltreat his companion.
The man rejoined with a savage imprecation that he "would maltreat them
both if they did not instantly dismount and let him search the
saddle-bags;" and he was proceeding to drag Amabel from the saddle, when
Leonard struck him a violent blow with his heavy riding-whip, which
brought him to the ground. He was up again, however, in an instant, and
would have fired his pistol at the apprentice, if a masked individual,
who was evidently, from the richness of his attire, and the deference
paid him by the others, the captain of the band, had not interfered.

"You are rightly served, Dick Dosset," said this person, "for your
rudeness to a lady. I will have none of my band guilty of incivility,
and if this young man had not punished you, I would have done so myself.
Pass free, my pretty damsel," he added, bowing gallantly to Amabel; "you
shall not be further molested."

Meanwhile, Blaize exhibited the contents of his pockets to the other
highwayman, who having opened the box of rufuses and smelt at the phial
of plague-water, returned them to him with a look of disgust, and bade
him follow his companions. As Leonard was departing, the captain of the
band rode after him, and inquired whether he had heard at what hour the
king meant to leave Whitehall.

"The court is about to adjourn to Oxford," he added, "and the king and
some of his courtiers will cross the heath to-day, when I purpose to
levy the same tax from his majesty that I do from his subjects."

Leonard replied, that he was utterly ignorant of the king's movements;
and explaining whence he came, the captain left him. The intelligence he
had thus accidentally obtained was far from satisfactory to the
apprentice. Fo