robbers then opened the door, and were hauling out the
fat old lady covered with diamonds. Jack thought a second--it occurred
to him, that, although he could not cope with so many, he might frighten
them, as he had frightened one set of robbers already that night. The
old lady had just been tumbled out of the carriage door, like a large
bundle of clothes tied up for the wash, when Jack, throwing off his
cloak, and advancing to the edge of the precipice, with the full moon
behind him throwing out his figure in strong relief, raised his trident,
and just as they were raising their knives, yelled a most unearthly "ha!
ha! ha! ha!" The robbers looked up, and forgetting the masquerade, for
there is a double tremor in guilt, screamed with fear; most of them ran
away, and dropped after a hundred yards; others remained paralysed and
insensible. Jack descended the hill, went to the assistance of the old
lady, who had swooned, and had to put her into the carriage; but
although our hero was very strong, this was a work of no small
difficulty. After one or two attempts, he lowered down the steps, and
contrived to bump her on the first, from the first he purchased her on
the second, and from the second he at last seated her at the door of the
carriage. Jack had no time to be over-polite. He then threw her back
into the bottom of the carriage, her heels went up to the top, Jack
shoved in her petticoats as fast as he could, for decency, and then
shutting the door seized the reins, and jumped upon the box. "I don't
know the way," thought Jack, "but we must needs go when the _devil
drives_;" so sticking his trident into the horses, they set off at a
rattling pace, passing over the bodies of the two robbers, who had held
the reins, and who both lay before him in a swoon. As soon as he had
brought the horses into a trot, he slackened the reins, for, as Jack
wisely argued, they will be certain to go home if I let them have their
own way. The horses, before they arrived at the town, turned off, and
stopped at a large country house. That he might not frighten the
people, Jack had put on his cloak, and taken off his mask and
head-piece, which he had laid beside him on the box. At the sound of
the carriage wheels the servants came out, when Jack, in a few words,
told them what had happened. Some of the servants ran in, and a young
lady made her appearance, while the others were helping the old lady out
of the carriage, who had reco