with it, and he reeled back, half blinded, across the road. In the same moment my master made a spring for the step, and no sooner was he on it than I gave the mare a vicious cut, and she galloped like a wild thing down the road. But we could hear Heresford calling for help long after we had left him, and we never let the mare trot until dark had come down.
It was daylight next morning when the two of us walked into Nottingham, and so struck the Midland main line. We had left the cart a mile out of the town, turning the mare's head back toward Derbyshire, and letting her go where she pleased.
"Say what you like, sir," said I, "we've got to separate. You track north to Hull, where you'll get steamer to Southampton and so to Havre. I go direct to Paris, where we'll look to meet in a week."
"You think that they will follow us, then?"
"No. Oakley will hush it up for his daughter's sake."
"I could cut my throat every time I think of her," said he.
"You'll be better when you're on the sea, sir," said I; "and don't forget that the job's been worth a thousand to us."
"Will the stuff bring that?" he cried eagerly.
"Every penny of it," said I.
And with this I put him into the train for Hull.
