THE ''HALFWAY HOUSE 



43 



the clutches of the Law both in their numbers and 

 in the isolation created by the almost bottomless 

 sloughs of mud which then decorated what was, by- 

 courtesy or force of habit, called the " road." 



At this spot, in April, 1740, the Bristol mail was 

 robbed by a footpad, who overpowered the post-boy 

 and got off with both the Bath and Bristol bags; 

 while in 1774, three men were hanged for highway 

 robbery here. But the most thrilling and circum- 

 stantial story of highwaymen at this spot is that 

 which relates the capture of William Belchier, in 1750. 



THE "HALFWAY HOUSE." 1848. 



There had l)een numerous highway robberies in the 

 neighbourhood of the "Halfway House," and at last 

 one William Norton, a "thief-catcher," was sent to 

 apprehend the man, if possible. He took the Devizes 

 chaise at half-past one in the morning of June ;3, 

 and when they had come to the place, sure enough 

 the robber was there, waiting for them, and on 



