310 A JACOBITE EXILE

“Oh, you have got a banker, captain?”

“T have one who is just as good, though I cannot say he
shells out his money willingly—in fact he was rude enough
to say when I called this time, that if I ever showed my
face to him again he would shoot me even if he were hung
for it. Bad taste, wasn’t it? At any rate I mustn’t call
on him again too soon.”

“You haven’t settled on the night yet, I suppose, cap-
tain?” :

“About the end of next week. Friday will be a full
moon, I think, and I like a moon for the work. It gives
light enough to see what you are doing, and not light
enough for them to see much of you. So I suppose I may
as well fix Friday. I will send up a message for Jack
Mercer and Jerry Skinlow to be here on Thursday evening.
J will be here that afternoon and settle matters with them
as to where they shall meet me, and what each man shall
do. Then I will ride back to town, and come ont again
just as it gets dark, with Jack Ponsford.”

“T suppose you will do it north of here?”

“No, I will do it a mile or two out of town. The road
north of this is getting rather a bad reputation, and in
going out of Barnet the guard now looks to his blunderbuss,
and the passengers get their pistols ready. It isn’t once
in a hundred times they have pluck enough to use them,
but they always think they will until the time comes. Near
town we shall take them by surprise, and stop them before
they have time to think of getting out their arms. Con-
found that window; shove something into the hole, John-
son. I can feel the cold right down my back.”

A cloth was pushed into the broken pane, and Charlie
could hear no more of what was said inside. He had
heard, indeed, enough for his purpose, but he had hoped
to gather the name of the place at which the man would
put up in London. However, he was well satisfied with
his success, and at once made his way back to the inn.