CLAUDE DU VALL 75 



She wore the breeches in no metaphorical sense, but 

 through all her career habited herself in man's 

 garments. Only when slie had amassed a fortune 

 and had retired from "the road" did she don the 

 skirt. 



It is sad to think that the greatest of all the 

 brotherhood who made Hounslow Heath and highway 

 robbery synonymous terms was cut off in the full 

 tide of his success. At least, it seems so to us, 

 although the travellers of the period doubtless felt 

 a certain satisfaction when Du Vail was executed, 

 on January 21, 1670. He was but twenty-seven 

 years of age, and already had become a star of the 

 first magnitude. He was, in fact, a master of the 

 whole art and mystery of robbing upon the road, 

 and to this he brought the most perfect courtesy. 

 Violence had no part in the methods of this artist, 

 and he would have scorned, we may be sure, the 

 ruffianly and even murderous acts of a later genera- 

 tion of the craft, which not only despoiled travellers 

 of their goods, but rendered the Heath dangerous 

 to life and limb. His chief exploit is classic, and 

 is set forth so eloquently, and with such an engaging- 

 profusion of capital letters, in a contemporary 

 pamphlet, that one cannot do better than quote it : — 



" He, with his Squadron, overtakes a Coach which 

 they had set over Night, having Intelligence of a 

 Booty of four .hundred Pounds in it. In the Coach 

 was a Knight, his Lady, and only one Serving-maid, 

 who, perceiving live Horsemen making up to them, 

 presently imagined that they were beset ; and they 

 were confirmed in this Apprehension by seeing them 



