The Project Gutenberg EBook of Highway Pirates, by Harold Avery

This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or
re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.net

Title: Highway Pirates
or, The Secret Place at Coverthorne

Author: Harold Avery

Release Date: September 9, 2010 [EBook #33680]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK HIGHWAY PIRATES ***

Produced by Al Haines

[Frontispiece: For half a minute or so it rocked and swayed against the
sky-line.]

HIGHWAY PIRATES

OR, THE SECRET PLACE AT COVERTHORNE

By

HAROLD AVERY

THOMAS NELSON AND SONS, LTD.

LONDON, EDINBURGH, AND NEW YORK

1920

CONTENTS.

I. A Day of Trouble
II. The Knocking on the Wall
III. Men in Hiding
IV. The Singing Ghost
V. Nicholas Coverthorne Shows his Hand
VI. A Mad Prank
VII. Tried and Sentenced
VIII. My Journey Begins
IX. The Rising
X. Highway Pirates
XI. The Last of the "True Blue"
XII. Within the Cavern
XIII. The Brandy Kegs
XIV. Abandoned
XV. In Desperate Straits
XVI. The Subterranean Tunnel
XVII. Daylight at Last
XVIII. A Further Find
XIX. Brought to Bay

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

For half a minute or so it rocked and swayed against
the sky-line . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ._Frontispiece_

There was a funny twinkle in his eyes as he spoke

Deserted

HIGHWAY PIRATES.

CHAPTER I.

A DAY OF TROUBLE.

"They've seen us! Run for it!"

My chosen friend, Miles Coverthorne, was the speaker. He sprang to his
feet as he uttered the words, and darted like a rabbit into the bushes,
I myself following hard at his heels. The seasons seem to have come
earlier in those days, and though May was not out, the woods and
countryside appeared clothed with all the richness of leafy June.

At headlong speed we dashed through the underwood, stung by hazel
switches which struck us across the face like whips, and staggering as
our feet caught in thick tufts of grass.

"Who is it--keepers?" I inquired.

"No; 'Eagles'!" was the quick reply.

If anything had been needed to quicken my pace, this last word would
have served the purpose. We both rus