to be a precipitous one, and the
horses, held back against the weight of the coach, went down the slope
with much sprawling of hind-quarters and kicking up of loose stones.
"Don't you put on the skid for this, as a rule?"

"Well, now, as you say, it might be wiser. This half-thaw makes the roads
cruel greasy." With a tremendous wrench he dragged the team to a
standstill. "Jim, my lad, hop down and give her the shoe."

I heard Jim clambering down, then the loud rattle of the chain as he
unhitched the shoe, not interrupting his song, however--

"Ho! ho! my lady saith,
Step in and ride with me:
She takes the bride as white as death--"

"Hold up, there!" commanded a voice out of the darkness on my left.

"Hullo!" I whipped out one of my pistols and faced the sound, at the same
instant shouting to the driver: "Quick, man! duck your head and give 'em
the whip! Curse you for a coward--don't sit there hesitating!--the whip,
I say, and put 'em at it!"

But the fellow would not budge. I turned, leaned past him, plucked the
whip from its socket, and lashed out at the leaders. They plunged forward
as a bullet sang over my head; but before they could break into a gallop
the driver had wrenched them back again on their haunches. The coach gave
a lurch or two and once more came to a standstill.

"Look here," said a voice almost at my feet, "you take it quiet, or you'll
be hurt!" and a pair of hands reached up and gripped the footboard.
I let fly at the man with my pistol and at the same moment heard the
corporal's musket roar out behind my ear. Then I tried to do what I
should have done at first, and whipped out my second pistol to lay its
muzzle against the driver's cheek.

But by this time half a dozen dark figures were scrambling along the roof
from the rear, and as I swung round I felt a sudden heavy push against my
shoulder, tottered for a moment, trod forward upon air, and went
sprawling, almost headlong, over the side of the coach.

Luckily I struck a furze-bush first, but for all that I hit the turf with
a thud that stunned me, as I must believe, for a minute at least.
For when next I opened my eyes driver and guard were standing helpless in
the light of the lamps, while a couple of highwaymen dragged my chest off
the roof. Another stood by the heads of the leaders, and yet another was
spread on the footboard, with his head and shoulders well buried in the
boot. The rest had gathered in the re