Year: 1860

Lion. But | did not lose sight of my
gentleman: for though you thought had
left the town, l was, in reality, snugly
located at the Green Dragon, opposite
your house; where / received confidential
communications fromyour wife respecting
Mr. Oldwink, by a trusty messenger,
every two hours during the day. Don't
look so wild, Jobson, or people will think
you are losing your wits. We'll, this
morning | was informed that Oldwink
was going to make few purchases pre-.
vious to leaving Tunstone by the 1145
train; so set my man to watch him, and
note all the shops he favored with his Gus.
tom. AS soon. as he was housed again
in the Red Lion, took bankers clerk
with me, and went the same round he had
taken. The result was, that we found ho
had purchased nearly hundred pounds
worth of jewellery at different shops, to.
gether with small parcel of valuable
velvets; for all of which he had paid with
forged notes, receiving the change in gold
and silver. This done, posted Off to
the station, expecting to nab my gentle
man on the platform with the property on
him. But he was too deep for me; the
ll.45 departed, and he never came; and
my man has Just been down to inform me
that he and you had set off to Dcepwood
by the train, which starts in five minutes;
so do you just get nip of brandy to keep
your clockwork in order, and then 90
back with me; and slippery as he is, see
if | don't lay hold Of him yet"


Judge what my feelings were while
listened to Mr.. Purlliss's story. / was
ready to bite my thumbs off with vexation.


When we reached Dcepwood, no Mr..
Oldwinll was to be seen; and my compan.
ion laughed at me when l expressed my
surprise at not finding him there.


"To think you should expect such
thing" said he. "Why he is miles off by
this time, unless your mare has broken
down." Here was another blow for me,
for had no idea that he would take off
with my mare. at would not do for him
to travel by rail-" added Mr.. Purbiss, at
an afterthought, "he was afraid Of the
telegraph"


We found on inquiry at the railway
inn, that the old scamp had stayed there
about five minutes only to bait the mare
and take some refreshment; and then, after
asking few questions respecting the
roads, had set off at q good pace north
ward. In three minutes we had a gig
out, horse in the shafts, and ourselves
seated behind ii; and after learning which
road the fugitives had taken, set OFF after
them as hard as we could 90.


"And Mrs. Oldwink, what Of herr" said
l to my companion.


Birds of a fcather-you know the
rest" he replied, biting off the end Of
cigar


1t was raw and bitter afternoon, with
showers of sleety rain at intervals. The
horse that carried us along was good
one, pretty neard equal to my mare, and
fresh to begin with. So ON we went, over
hilland dale, through very wild andl lonely
country; every mile, it seemed, leading
us farther away from any town or village;
and with bat one wayside inn to break
the solitude, at which we stayed for few
minutes to bait our horse, and where wc
gathered tidings that made us hasten on
again. We had got, perhaps, matter
of ten or twelve miles from Deepwood,
when Mr.. Purkisssu ldenly flung the cigar
out Of his mouth, gave the horse sharp
lash that made it bound mady forward,
andpushing his hat tighter over his brows,
gave vent to a smothered "Hurrah ~
There they were before us.


Tt was some minutes before they found
ont that they were followed. Mrs. Old
wink, happening to turn her head, was
the first to see us; next her husband gave
o backward glance, and then, half rising
in his scat, lashed into my poor mare in
style that made my blood boil to see.--
Though we did our best, the distance be-
tween us gradually increased; and in one
sense | could hardly regret that it was SO,
since it proved SO plainly the superior
bottom of my mare. There was not a
word spoken for some time, SO great was
the anxiety. 1t had become question
of speed and endurance between the two
horses. The road, which has been level
and straight for some distance, came at
length to a considerable hill, nearly COW
cred by thick plantation of young trees,
up the side of which it would with sharp
curve. The gig before us passed ont of
sight when it reached this bend of the
road, while we were still considerable
distance from it. When we came up to
the curve up to the curve we saw that
there was another bend in the opposite
direction higher up the hill, and that Old
wink had passed the second corner before
we reached the first, and was therefore
still out of view The hill was so steep
that we were obliged to allow tho horse
to walk up it, for fear of blowing him
completely. What then was our sur
prise, on passing the second corner, to
find the gig and its occupants only about
fifty yards ahead of us. Purlsiss rubbed
his eyes as though he could hardly be.
lieve them. But there the fugitives were,
read enough; for Oldwink was looking
over his shoulder as we turned the corner,
and on seeing us took off his hat and
bowed to us as though wishing US Good
day.


"Must have halted here a minute or
two to breathe the mare" said Mr.. Pur-
kiss, after cogitatng for few moments.


"He noednt have done So" said 1, 'sf
10 baI ,,Ja.stn.l Lo.,