THE YORK ROAD 



307 



him. Upon which he "got to horse" upon his marc 

 Black Bess, shot his friend Tom King by mistake (who 

 observed to a lady opportunely standing by him, "Susan, 

 is it you that I behold ? ") — and then rode off to the crest 

 of a neighbouring hill, whence a beautiful view of the 

 country surrounding the metropolis was to be obtained. 

 Here his bosom suddenly throbbed high with rapture ; 

 he raised himself in the saddle, and prefacing his declar- 

 ation with a profanity, said that he would do it. And by 

 "it," he meant his ride to York. 



He at once shaped his course for " beautiful, gorsy, 





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i * *stiii*'i__ .. ."- ^N5- ,' ,-. 





■ >- . •jt 





Bridge at St. A'eets. 



sandy Highgate." No doubt he would have admired the 

 scenery more (he was a great admirer of scenery was 

 Turpin, and that is one reason why I am going with him 

 to York) if " the chase had not at this moment assumed 

 a character of interest "- — whatever that may mean. 

 Turpin however saw nothing favourable in the phenom- 

 enon, and made over Crackskull Common to Highgate. 

 He avoided the town, struck into a narrow path to the 

 right, and rode leisurely down the hill. His pursuers at 

 this point somewhat aimlessly bawled to him to stand- 

 seeming to forget in their flurry that he was on horseback. 

 The gallant Dick answered their demands by unhesitat- 



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