HIGHWAYMEN 171 



shown into a magnificent dining-room, and entertained 

 to a sumptuous repast. At the end of the meal the 

 hostess produced a pocket-book, and turning to the 

 man who had been robbed said: "In this book, sir, are 

 bank notes to the amount of a thousand pounds. I 

 thought it better for you to lose ten guineas than me 

 this valuable property, which I had with me last night. 

 As you have been the means of my saving it, I entreat 

 your acceptance of this bank-bill of one hundred 

 pounds." 



One highwayman appears to have carried his gentility 

 to excess, for he is thus described in the newspapers: 



- "On Friday morning last a young highwayman 

 genteelly dressed, attended by an accomplice dressed 

 in livery, robbed several of the early northern stages 

 near Holloway, and took from the passengers a con- 

 siderable booty." 



Another member of the same calling introduced an 

 even more original touch into the business, for he would 

 approach the coach with a loaded blunderbuss in one 

 hand, and a dead rabbit in the other. Then, when the 

 terrified passengers looked at his masked countenance 

 with their eyes nearly starting out of their heads, he 

 held up the rabbit — and the blunderbuss — remarking 

 in the most dulcet tones: "Gentlemen, will you buy my 

 rabbit?" which request coming from such an unex- 

 pected quarter nearly paralysed his vi (Slims. When 

 sufficiently recovered to find their tongues, they re- 

 marked quaveringly that they one and all had an un- 



