, 1860-01-13
TOM ROCKET,
The Highwayman.

Warwick assizes, be was arraigned as Charles
jackson, and they were particular about names
then. II you indicteda man as Jim, and his true
name was Joe, he got of; and when the law was
altered, 90 that they could get such errors right
at the trial. people, leastwise lawyers, thought that
the British constitution was being pulled up root,
aEd branch. But that's neither here nor there.
cannot tell you how It was that he came to be
known as Tom Rocket and IL could, Il would
not have anything to do with my story. For six
years he was the famous thief in the Midland
counties, and for six years no one knew what he
was like. He was q lazy fellow, was Tom; he
never came out except when there was good
prize to be picked up, and he had his scouts and
his spies al over the place, to give him informa-
ton about booty, and warn him Of danger. But
to judge by what people said, he was "on the
road" at half q dozen different places at once
every day Of his life; for you see when any one
was robbed Of his property or found it convenient
so to account for It, why he laid II upon Tom
Rocket Is sort Of excuse for giving Il up easily,
because you see no one thought Of resisting Tom.
So It was, that all sorts Of conflicting descriptions
Of his person got abroad. One said that he was
an awfllly tall man, and had voice like thunder;
another, that he was mild little man, with black
eyes and light hair. He was fiery fat man, with
blue eyes and black hair; he had . jolly red face
he was pale as death-his nose was Roman one
day-Grecan or snub the next. His dress was
oil the colors OF the rainbow and as for his horse
that was Of every shade and breed that was ever
heard Of, and Of q good many more besides that
have yet to be found out. He wore a black half
mask, but somehow or other It was always Oblg-
ing enough to slip off, so as to give each Of his VIC
tins full view 0f his face, only no two Of them
could ever agree as to what 1t was like.
My father was GloucesterShire man. He
stood six feet three in his stockings and measured
thirty-six inches across the chest. He could
double up half crown between finger and thumb,
and was as brave as lion. He many time and
on, when any one talked Of the dangers Of the
road set his great teeth together, shake his head,
and say he should like to see the man that could
rob him on the highway; and as said before, he
did see him, and Il was Tom Rocket.
My father was lawyer, aud was at the time
have mentioned engaged in great 1.-THE case that
was to be tried at Warwick aSsizcs. So, shortly
before Christmas, he had to go over to look at
the evidence. There was no cross country coach,
so he rode; and being, as have said, brave
man, he rode alone. He transacted his business,
and, my poor mother being III, and not liking to
leave her alone longer than be could help, be set
out to ride home agaia about half past nine o'clock
that same evening. II was as beautiful winters
night as ever you were out in. His nag was q
first-rate hunter, as docile as dog and Ct 70
carry his weight over or past anything. He bad
brace Of excellent pistols in his holsters; and
he logged along, humming merry tune, neither
thinking nor caring for any rObber under the
sun.
An Of sudden, Il struck him that the pretty
bAr-maid Of an inn Just out Of Warwick town,
where he bad stopped to have girth that he had
broken patched together, had been very busy
with those selEsame pistols; and suspecting that
she might have been tampering with them, he
drew the charges and reloaded them carefully.
This done, he logged on again as before.
He had ridden about ten miles, when he came
to wooden bridge that there was In those days
over the Avon. Just beyond II rose selfish
hill, at the top Of which was sudden bend In
the road. Just as my father reached this turn,
q horseman suddenly whecled round upon him,
and bade him stand and deliveri" It was Tom
Rocket In q second my fathers pistols were
out cooked, and snapped within yard Of the
highwayman's chest but, one after the other,
they missed tirel The pretty bar.maid-a spe-
eial Ayorite Of Tom's--was too sharp to rely upon
the old dodge Of drawing the balls or damping
the charge; she thrust pin into each touch hole,
and broke Il short of.
"Any moreS'' Tom inquired, as coolly as you
please, when my fathers second pistol flashed in
the pan.
"Ycsl" shouted my father, in fury, zone for
your nobi"
And seizing the weapon last used by the muz-
zle, he hurled It with al his might and main at
Rockets head. Tom ducked; the pistol few
over the hedge, and my father, thrown out Of
balance by his exerton, lost his seat, and fell
heavily upon the grass BY the roadside. In less
time than Il takes to say 50, Tom dismounted,
seized my father by the collar, and presenting q
pistol within an inch Of his face as he lay, bade