to testify against him. Instead of doing this, we should take him
somewhere, and then give him the option of either making a clean
breast of the whole story, and remaining in our custody until
called upon to testify to his statement in a court of justice,
whenever required; or of being handed over to the authorities, to
be tried and hung as a highwayman.

"One of our greatest difficulties is how to effect his capture. The
attack will be made at night on the coach, and in the darkness we
might shoot him, or he might get away. He is at present in London,
at a lodging in a street behind the Abbey, where, doubtless, his
real profession is altogether unsuspected by the people of the
house.

"Now you know the whole affair. Let us have your opinion as to the
manner in which we had best set about the business."

The man sat for some time, in silence.

"I can think of no better plan than yours, sir, and yet it seems to
me that there is scarcely any chance of your catching him at the
coach. Of course, it would be easy enough if you did not care
whether you killed or caught him. All you would have to do would be
to get half a dozen stout fellows, armed with pistols, on the coach
with you instead of passengers, and then you would be pretty
certain to kill some of them, perhaps all; but, as you can't do
that, and are afraid to shoot lest you should kill him, it seems to
me that you have a very small chance of catching him that way."

Charlie and his friend so thoroughly saw this, that they sat silent
when he ceased speaking.

"We could not arrest him now, I suppose?" Harry said at last.

"Well, you see, you have got nothing against him. He may have been
a Knight of the Road for the last five years, but you have no
witnesses to prove it, and it is not much use to accuse him of
intending to rob the North mail. You have no proofs, even of that.
It is only your word against his.

"There is no doubt that, after they have robbed the coach, they
will separate. They may go away in twos, or singly. Now, you see,
we know three of this fellow's hiding places. He would hardly
choose the one at Barnet. It is too close. It is more likely he
would choose the next place, the little inn in which you saw him
first; but I think it more likely still that he and his mates will
divide the plunder, half a mile or so from the place where they
stopped the coach, and will then separate, and I am inclined to
think his most likely course is to strik