" She caught
hold of my sleeve. "Say you won't! If you are found out it means--"
"I shall not be found out. You may take that for sure. Think you that I
cannot pluck yon chough without being pinched? It's no more robbery than
our eating Dick's ham and eggs. We are soldiers in enemy's country, and we
plunder by right of the known rules of war. As a concession to your
prejudices in favour of the jog-trot morality of peace, I will e'en ask
him whether he be for James or George, and borrow or command his guineas
in accordance with his reply. Loose my sleeve, madam!"
I loosened the grip of her fingers, and led her back to her chair. "You
overrate my danger, sweet mistress, and under rate our need. Without
money, we might as well lie under the nearest hedge and leave Jack Frost
to settle matters his way, and a cold, nasty way it would be. Your guinea
is a good fighter, and we need his help. It must be done, and, never fear,
I'll carry it through safely."
So I left her, white hands grappling the arms of her chair, and white
face turned away from me.
CHAPTER IX
MY CAREER AS A HIGHWAYMAN
I left the cottage from the rear and struck slantwise across the fields
to reach the shelter of the trees and undergrowth that covered the slope
down to the road.
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