Year: 1859




fathers name was not Rocket. When he
vas tried for his life 81 Warwisk sssizes,,
he was arrsigned as Charles jackson, and
they we're particular about names then.
II you indicted q man as Jim, and his true
name was Joe, he get off; and when the
law was altered-so that they could set
such errors right at the trial-people,
ieastwise lawyers, said that the British
constitution was being pulled up, root and
branch. But that's neither here nor
there. I cannot tell you how it was that
he came 10 be known a. Tom Rocket,
and if I could, it would not have anything
TO do with my story. For SIX years he
was the most famous thief in the Mid /
land counties, and for six years no one
knew what he was like. He was q lazy
fellow, was Tom; he never came out ex-
cept when there was a good prize to be /
picked up, and he had his scouts and his
spies all over the place to give him infor- !
nation about booty, and warn him Of
danger. But to Judge by what people /
said, be was on the road at balf-a-
dozen different places at once every day
Of his life; for you see when and one was
robbed Of his property, or found it con-
venient so to account for it, why he laid
It upon Tom Rocket as a sort of excuse
of giving If up easily, because, you see no
one thought of resisting Tom. So it was,
thst all sorts of conflicting descriptions OF
mis- person got abroad. One said that he
was an awfully tall man and had voice
like thunder another that he was mild
little man, with black eyes and light hair.
He was a fiery fat man, with blue eyes
and black hair with some; he had jolly
red face--he was as pale as death-his
nose was Roman one day, Grecian OF
snub the next. His dress was all the
colors of the rainbow, and so for his
horse that was Of every shade and
breed ever heard OF, and Of good many
more besides. that have yet to be found
cut He wore d black haIf-ma>k, but
somehow or other it was always obIiging
enough to slip off, SO as to give each OF
his victims a full view of his face, only 10
Two Of them could ever agree what it was
like.


My father was q Gioucestershire man.
He stood six feet three in his stockins,
and measured thirty-six inches across the
chest. He could double up half crown
between his finger and thumb, and was
brave as lion. So, many time and
oft, when any one talked of the dangers
Of the road, he would set his great teeth
together, shake his head, and say that h5
should like to see the man that could rot
aim on the highway and as said be
fore, be did see him, and II was Ton
Rocket.


My father was lawyer, and was a
the time I have mentioned, engaged in :
great tithe cause that was TO be tried a
Warwick spring assizes. So, shortly he
fore Christmas, he had to 90 over to lool
up the evidence. There was no cross
country coach, so he rode; and being, a
] have said, brave man, he rode alone
He transacted his business; and my poo
mother being i'll, and not liking to leav
her alone longer than he could help, h
set out TO ride home again about balf-pa:
nine o'clock that same evening. 1t va
as beautiful winters night as ever 20
were out in. His nag was first RAT
hunter, as docile as dog, and at to carr
his weight over, or past, anything. II
bad brace of excellent pistols in b
hostlers; and he logged along, hummin
merry tune, neither thinking nor earn
FOR any robber under the sun. All of
sudden, It struck him that the bar ma
Of an inn just out Of Warwick tow
where he had stopped to have girt
that he had broken, patched together, ba
been very busy with those self-same pi
tolls and suspecting thot she might har
been tampering with them, be drew Il
charges and reloaded them carefully
This done, he logged on againa before.


He had ridden about ten miles, wh'
he came to a wooden bridge tina, the
was IN those days over the Avon. Ju
beyond it rose a stifsh hill, at the top
which was a sudden bend IN the road
Jas; as my father reached this turn,
masked horseman suddenly wheel
round upon him, and babe MIN i&ai
and dsliHeTP 1t was Tom Rocket


second my fathers pistols were O.
cooked. and snapped within yard Of t
highwayman's breast; bot, one after th
missed fire. The pretty bar maid
special favorite Of Toui's--was too shs
% rsiv tDo7 the old dodge Of drawing |