s, I'll give you mine in exchange. There now, strip!"

There was a fiery vehemence about Kenneth's manner and look, and a tone
of command in his voice that there was no resisting, especially when it
was coupled with such physical strength, so the countryman heaved a sigh
and took off his smock-frock and hob-nailed boots, while the supposed
highwayman took off his coat and shoes.

"That'll do, you needn't mind the stockings," said Kenneth, as he pulled
on his new garments. "You'll find that you gain considerably by the
exchange. That's it; now here's a sovereign for you, my fine fellow,
and many thanks."

He finished by lifting the slouch-hat off the countryman's head and
placing his own thereon in its stead.

"Now, good-night."

"Good-noight," replied the man, from the sheer force of innate
politeness, for he stood in such a condition of open-mouthed amazement
that it was quite plain he did not very well know what he said or did.

In another minute Kenneth was again coursing along the road at full
speed.

CHAPTER TWENTY EIGHT.

PLOTTERS COUNTERPLOTTED.

Meanwhile the gentlemanly house-breaker, returning to Athenbury,
rejoined his rude colleagues, and these three choice spirits, after
partaking of some refreshment, and treating the policeman who first came
to their aid to a glass of gin, betook themselves to the railway
station.

"He won't come here, you may depend on't," observed the policeman to the
gentlemanly burglar, when he had taken his ticket, "he's too wide-awake
for that."

"Perhaps not; but it's as well to watch."

"Yes, it's as well to watch," assented the policeman.

"Besides, wide-awake fellows over-reach themselves sometimes," continued
the other. "I shouldn't wonder, now, if he had the impudence to come
straight here and denounce _me_ as a thief, just by way o' stoppin' me
from goin' by the train, and so having some sort o' revenge."

"Ha!" exclaimed the policeman, in a tone and with a slight but peculiar
look that made the gentlemanly man feel a little uneasy.

The fugitive did not appear, however. Every face that came on the
platform was carefully scrutinised without any result, and at length the
bell rang.

"Good-night, friend," said the burglar, slipping a half-crown into the
policeman's hand as he was about to jump into the carriage. "It was no
fault of yours that we didn't catch him. You did your best."

"Yes, I did my best."

"Hallo! are _you_ going by this train?