hing, I'll
be bound--and you must have it, too." And the poor man, in the hurry and
alarm of the moment, pulled out one of the baronet's pistols.

The robber whipped away the lantern, and instantly disappeared. "By the
tarn, boys," said he, "it's Finnerty himself, disguised like a farmer.
But he's mid to travel in a public coach, and the beaks on the lookout
for him. Hello! all's right, coachman; drive on, we won't disturb you
this night, at all events. Gee hup!--off you go; and off we go--with
empty pockets."

It happened that this language, which the robber did not intend to have
reached the ears of the passengers, was heard nevertheless, and from
this moment until they changed horses at ------ there was a dead silence
in the coach.

On that occasion one gentleman left it, and he had scarcely been half a
minute gone when a person, very much in the garb and bearing of a modern
detective, put in his head, and instantly withdrew it, exclaiming,

"Curse me, it's a hit--he's inside as snug as a rat in a trap. Up with
you on top of the coach, and we'll pin him when we reach town. 'Gad,
this is a windfall, for the reward is a heavy one.--If we could now
manage the baronet's business, we were made men."

He then returned into the coach, and took his seat right opposite
the priest, in order the better to watch his motions, and keep him
completely under his eye.

"Dangerous traveling by night, sir," said he, addressing the priest,
anxious to draw his man into conversation.

"By night or by day, the roads are not very safe at the present time,"
replied his reverence.

"The danger's principally by night, though," observed the other. "This
Finnerty is playing the devil, they say; and is hard to be nabbed by all
accounts."

The observation was received by several hums, and hems, and has, and
very significant ejaculations, whilst a fat, wealthy-looking fellow, who
sat beside the peace-officer--for such he was--in attempting to warn him
of Finnerty's presence, by pressing on his foot, unfortunately pressed
upon that of the priest in mistake, who naturally interpreted the hems
and has aforesaid to apply to the new-corner instead of himself. This
cannot be matter of surprise, inasmuch as the priest had his ears so
completely muffled up with the collar of his jock and a thick cotton
kerchief, that he heard not the allusions which the robber had made
outside the coach, when he mistook him for Finnerty. He consequently
peered