'Your father;bah!'-but here he stopped,for a sound was heard like the rapid galloping of a horse,not loud and distinct as on a road,but dull and heavy as if upon a grass sward;nearer and nearer it came,and the man,starting up,rushed out of the tent,and looked around anxiously.I arose from the stool upon which Ihad been seated,and just at that moment,amidst a crashing of boughs and sticks,a man on horseback bounded over the hedge into the lane at a few yards'distance from where we were:from the impetus of the leap the horse was nearly down on his knees;the rider,however,by dint of vigorous handling of the reins,prevented him from falling,and then rode up to the tent.''Tis Nat,'said the man;'what brings him here?'The newcomer was a stout burly fellow,about the middle age;he had a savage determined look,and his face was nearly covered over with carbuncles;he wore a broad slouching hat,and was dressed in a gray coat,cut in a fashion which I afterwards learnt to be the genuine Newmarket cut,the skirts being exceedingly short;his waistcoat was of red plush,and he wore broad corduroy breeches and white top-boots.The steed which carried him was of iron gray,spirited and powerful,but covered with sweat and foam.The fellow glanced fiercely and suspiciously around,and said something to the man of the tent in a harsh and rapid voice.A short and hurried conversation ensued in the strange tongue.I could not take my eyes off this new-comer.Oh,that half-jockey,half-bruiser countenance,I never forgot it!More than fifteen years afterwards I found myself amidst a crowd before Newgate;a gallows was erected,and beneath it stood a criminal,a notorious malefactor.
I recognised him at once;the horseman of the lane is now beneath the fatal tree,but nothing altered;still the same man;jerking his head to the right and left with the same fierce and under glance,just as if the affairs of this world had the same kind of interest to the last;gray coat of Newmarket cut,plush waistcoat,corduroys,and boots,nothing altered;but the head,alas!is bare,and so is the neck.Oh,crime and virtue,virtue and crime!-it was old John Newton,I think,who,when he saw a man going to be hanged,said,'There goes John Newton,but for the grace of God!'
But the lane,the lane,all was now in confusion in the lane;the man and woman were employed in striking the tents and in making hurried preparations for departure;the boy Jasper was putting the harness upon the ponies and attaching them to the carts;and,to increase the singularity of the scene,two or three wild-looking women and girls,in red cloaks and immense black beaver bonnets,came from I know not what direction,and,after exchanging a few words with the others,commenced with fierce and agitated gestures to assist them in their occupation.The rider meanwhile sat upon his horse,but evidently in a state of great impatience;he muttered curses between his teeth,spurred the animal furiously,and then reined it in,causing it to rear itself up nearly perpendicular.At last he said,'Curse ye for Romans,how slow ye are!well,it is no business of mine,stay here all day if you like;I have given ye warning,I am off to the big north road.
However,before I go,you had better give me all you have of that.'
'Truly spoken,Nat,my pal,'said the man;'give it him,mother.
There it is;now be off as soon as you please,and rid us of evil company.'
The woman had handed him two bags formed of stocking,half full of something heavy,which looked through them for all the world like money of some kind.The fellow,on receiving them,thrust them without ceremony into the pockets of his coat,and then,without a word of farewell salutation,departed at a tremendous rate,the hoofs of his horse thundering for a long time on the hard soil of the neighbouring road,till the sound finally died away in the distance.The strange people were not slow in completing their preparations,and then,flogging their animals terrifically,hurried away seemingly in the same direction.
The boy Jasper was last of the band.As he was following the rest,he stopped suddenly,and looked on the ground appearing to muse;then,turning round,he came up to me where I was standing,leered in my face,and then,thrusting out his hand,he said,'Good-bye,Sap,I daresay we shall meet again,remember we are brothers;two gentle brothers.'
Then whining forth,'What a sap-engro,lor!'he gave me a parting leer,and hastened away.
I remained standing in the lane gazing after the retreating company.'A strange set of people,'said I at last;'wonder who they can be?'