a pretty piece of work,' said Saxon, kneeling by the dead man's
side and passing his hands over his pockets. 'Footpads, doubtless. Not a
stiver in his pockets, nor as much as a sleeve-link to help pay for the
burial.'

'How was he slain!' I asked in horror, looking down at the poor vacant
face, the empty house from which the tenant had departed.

'A stab from behind and a tap on the head from the butt of a pistol.
He cannot have been dead long, and yet every groat is gone. A man of
position, too, I should judge from his dress--broadcloth coat by the
feel, satin breeches, and silver buckles on his shoes. The rogues must
have had some plunder with him. Could we but run across them, Clarke, it
would be a great and grand thing.'

'It would indeed,' said I heartily. 'What greater privilege than to
execute justice upon such cowardly murderers!'

'Pooh! pooh!' he cried. 'Justice is a slippery dame, and hath a
two-edged sword in her hand. We may have enough of justice in our
character as rebels to give us a surfeit of it. I would fain overtake
these robbers that we may relieve them of their _spolia opima_, together
with any other wealth which they may have unlawfully amassed. My learned
friend the Fleming layeth it down that it is no robbery to rob a robber.
But where shall we conceal this body?'

'Wherefore should we conceal it?' I asked.

'Why, man, unused to war or the precautions of a warrior, you must yet
see that should this body be found here, there will be a hue and cry
through the country, and that strangers like ourselves will be arrested
on suspicion. Should we clear ourselves, which is no very easy matter,
the justice will at least want to know whence we come and whither we
go, which may lead to inquiries that may bode us little good. I shall
therefore take the liberty, mine unknown and silent friend, of dragging
you into yon bushes, where for a day or two at least you are like to lie
unobserved, and so bring no harm upon honest men.'

'For God's sake do not treat it so unkindly,' I cried, springing down
from my horse and laying my hand upon my companion's arm. 'There is no
need to trail it in so unseemly a fashion. If it must be moved hence, I
shall carry it with all due reverence. 'So saying, I picked the body up
in my arms, and bearing it to a wayside clump of yellow gorse bushes, I
laid it solemnly down and drew the branches over it to conceal it.

'You have the thews of an ox and the heart of a woman, '