HIGHWAYMEN 169 



One woman possessed of a ready wit discovered an 

 ingenious way out of a difficult situation. She was 

 travelling from Gloucester to London, and at Braintree 

 the coachman warned her that there were some sus- 

 picious looking charafters ahead, and he was more than 

 half inclined to think they were highwaymen. In this 

 supposition he was right, for Nicholas Horner, one of 

 the bright particular stars of his calling, rode up and 

 commanded the coachman to stop. Almost before this 

 request could be complied with, the lady, with her hair 

 hanging wildly about her, jumped out of the coach 

 crying: "Oh, Cousin Tom, dear Cousin Tom, save me." 

 Seizing the astonished highwayman by the leg, she 

 implored him to rescue her from the coachman, who, so 

 she said, was taking her to Bedlam by her husband's orders. 



Horner, considerably taken aback, declared that 

 he was no cousin of hers, and that mad she most un- 

 doubtedly was, and Bedlam the best place for her. At 

 this the lady wept and clung to him the more desper- 

 ately, declaring that she would go with her dear Cousin 

 Tom, and that she would not go to Bedlam. 



Horner wished himself well out of the business, 

 and appealed to the coachman who played up to his 

 lady nobly, saying that he was ordered to take her to a 

 madhouse, though not to Bedlam. Horner told the 

 coachman to take her there, and, wrenching himself 

 free of the lady's restraining arms, put spurs to his horse 

 and galloped off, whilst she got into the coach, did up 

 her hair, and took the jewels and money from their 

 hiding-place beneath the cushions. 



