e luke-warm water,
and thou shalt be my doctor. But, Barbara, prithee publish it not."

Next morning an officer of justice inquired after him at the "Swan,"
and demanded his attendance at Bow Street, at two that afternoon, to
give evidence against the footpads. This was the very thing he wished
to avoid; but there was no evading the summons.

The officer was invited into the bar by the landlady, and sang the
gallant Captain's exploit, with his own variations. The inn began to
ring with Cowen's praises. Indeed, there was now but one detractor
left--the hostler, Daniel Cox, a drunken fellow of sinister aspect, who
had for some time stared and lowered at Captain Cowen, and muttered
mysterious things, doubts as to his being a real captain, etc. Which
incoherent murmurs of a muddle-headed drunkard were not treated as
oracular by any human creature, though the stable-boy once went so far
as to say, "I sometimes almost thinks as how our Dan do know summut;
only he don't rightly know what 'tis, along o' being always muddled in
liquor."

Cowen, who seemed to notice little, but noticed everything, had
observed the lowering looks of this fellow, and felt he had an enemy:
it even made him a little uneasy, though he was too proud and
self-possessed to show it.

With this exception, then, everybody greeted him with hearty
compliments, and he was cheered out of the inn, marching to Bow Street.

Daniel Cox, who--as accidents will happen--was sober that morning, saw
him out, and then put on his own coat.

"Take thou charge of the stable, Sam," said he.

"Why, where be'st going, at this time o' day?"

"I be going to Bow Street," said Daniel doggedly.

At Bow Street Captain Cowen was received with great respect, and a seat
given him by the sitting magistrate while some minor cases were
disposed of.

In due course the highway robbery was called and proved by the parties
who, unluckily for the accused, had been actually robbed before Cowen
interfered.

Then the oath was tendered to Cowen: he stood up by the magistrate's
side and deposed, with military brevity and exactness, to the facts I
have related, but refused to swear to the identity of the individual
culprit who stood pale and trembling at the dock.

The attorney for the Crown, after pressing in vain, said, "Quite right,
Captain Cowen; a witness cannot be too scrupulous."

He then called an officer, who had found the robber leaning against a
railing fainting from